ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY CHOICE AND FINANCIAL PROFITABILITY: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MULTINATIONALS AND DOMESTIC FIRMS IN BELGIUM

Abstract

This chapter aims to determine the financial performance impacts of environmental strategies. The chapter builds upon a sample of firms operating in Belgium and includes both domestic firms and affiliates of foreign multinational enterprises. It appears that an environmental leadership approach is associated with an increase in financial performance, much in line with the mainstream literature on this subject. The surprising result is that a clear linkage can be established between environmental strategy and financial performance for Belgium-based companies, but not for affiliates of foreign multinational enterprises. In contrast, the industry growth rate does not appear to affect the linkages between environmental leadership and financial performance.

Citation

Buysse, K. and Verbeke, A. (2003), "ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY CHOICE AND FINANCIAL PROFITABILITY: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MULTINATIONALS AND DOMESTIC FIRMS IN BELGIUM", Lundan, S.M. (Ed.) Multinationals, Environment and Global Competition (Research in Global Strategic Management, Vol. 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 43-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1064-4857(03)09003-X