Beyond Ethical Intentions
Environmental Management, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Quest for Sustainability in Emerging Markets
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12307440 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hicham Nachit (0000-0002-7403-820X, ESCA Ecole de Management, Casablanca Finance City (CFC) Casablanca Morocco, corresponding author), Miguel Matos Torres (0000-0002-6963-1199, Kent Business School University of Kent Canterbury Kent UK), João Bento (0000-0002-2220-4739, Lisbon Accounting and Business School Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal), El Mehdi Es‐Sbaa (ESCA Ecole de Management, Casablanca Finance City (CFC) Casablanca Morocco) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sustainable Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0968-0802 • E-ISSN: 1099-1719 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sd.70703 |
| OpenAlex | W7127060000 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 109 |
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) increasingly encounter intricate demands to align their ethical commitments with sustainability performance (SP), especially in emerging economies that feature institutional gaps, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Drawing on stakeholder theory, this study investigates how ethical practices (EP) and environmental management practices (EMP) influence SP, while examining the adoption of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Using data from 560 MNEs, this study suggests that while EP reflects important moral commitments, they do not necessarily lead to better sustainability outcomes unless translated into concrete environmental actions. SDGs adoption presents both promise and risk. When carefully integrated into governance, SDGs strengthen the impact of EP. When pursued superficially, they can diffuse managerial attention and strain capacity. These findings advance stakeholder theory by emphasizing the need for operational strategies that convert ethical intentions into tangible outcomes, integrating Attention‐Based View (ABV) as a micro‐foundational complement and recognizing MENA's institutional heterogeneity as a critical context shaping our results. The study also advances understanding of how global frameworks like the SDGs interact with firm capabilities in complex environments. Practically, it highlights the importance of balancing global ethical aspirations with local operational realities through focused, context‐sensitive strategies
Context (archaeology · Emerging markets · Stakeholder · Stakeholder engagement · Stakeholder Theory · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Sustainability and Innovation in Business
Stakeholder Theory
Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R
Instrumental Stakeholder Theory
The Intention–Behavior Gap
Capturing Collaborative Challenges
Does It Pay to Be Green? A Systematic Overview
The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation
Stakeholder Theory
The Influence of Firm Size on the ESG Score
Cross-Validatory Choice and Assessment of Statistical Predictions
Multinational enterprises and the Sustainable Development Goals
How Applying Instrumental Stakeholder Theory Can Provide Sustainable Competitive Advantage
A predictive approach to the random effect model
Leaders, Values, and Organizational Climate
Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis
A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling
When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM
Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error
Stakeholder participation for environmental management
Global South States’ Views on Building Partnerships with Corporations
Doing Good and Doing Well? CSR Climate as a Driver of Team Empowerment and Team Performance
SDG Platforms as Strategic Innovation Through Partnerships
Effect of CSR and Ethical Practices on Sustainable Competitive Performance
A Decision Theory Perspective on Wicked Problems, SDGs and Stakeholders
Multi-stakeholder Engagement for the Sustainable Development Goals
A Paradox of Ethics
Corporate Social Performance and the Likelihood of Bankruptcy
Rainbow Wash or Rainbow Revolution? Dynamic Stakeholder Engagement for SDG-Driven Responsible Innovation
Ethical Climates Across National Contexts
Organizations’ Management Configurations Towards Environment and Market Performances
CB-SEM vs PLS-SEM methods for research in social sciences and technology forecasting
Tokenizing Innovation
Environmental justice and the SDGs
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |