The Engagement of Firms in Environmental Collaborations: Existing Contributions and Future Directions

Business and Society

Volumn 53, Issue 6, 2014, Pages 754-786

  Wassmer, Ulrich ^a   Paquin, Raymond ^b   Sharma, Sanjay ^c  

^a EMLYON BUSINESS SCHOOL   (France)

^b Civil and Environmental Engineering   (Canada)

^c UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT   (United States)

Author keywords

environmental collaborations; environmental sustainability; natural environment; research agenda

Indexed keywords

EID: 84908138017     PISSN: 00076503     EISSN: 15524205     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0007650312439865     Document Type: Article

References (134)

1. Ählström J.,Sjöström E.CSOs and business partnerships: Strategies for interaction.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2005;14:230-240
2. Agrawal A. K.University-to-industry knowledge transfer: Literature review and unanswered questions.International Journal of Management Reviews. 2001;3:285-302
3. Ammenberg J.,Hjelm O.Tracing business and environmental effects of environmental management systems–a study of networking small and medium-sized enterprises using a joint environmental management system.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2003;12:153-174
4. Amundsen A.Networking among companies represents a potential for CO2 reduction.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2000;8:495-501
5. Andersen A. N.,Lund H.New CHP partnerships offering balancing of fluctuating renewable electricity productions.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2007;15:288-293
6. Andonova L. B.Public-private partnerships for the earth: Politics and patterns of hybrid authority in the multilateral system.Global Environmental Politics. 2010;10:25-53
7. Aragón-Correa J. A.Strategic proactivity and firm approach to the natural environment.Academy of Management Journal. 1998;41:556-567
8. Aragón-Correa J. A.,Sharma S.A contingent resource-based view of proactive environmental strategy.Academy of Management Review. 2003;28:71-88
9. Arora S.,Gangopadhyay S.Toward a theoretical model of voluntary overcompliance.Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 1995;28:289-309
10. Arts B.“Green alliances” of business and NGOs. New styles of self-regulation or ‘dead-end roads’?.Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 2002;9:26-36
11. Arya B.,Salk J. E.Cross-sector alliance learning and effectiveness of voluntary codes of corporate social responsibility.Business Ethics Quarterly. 2006;16:211-234
12. Austin J. E.The collaboration challenge: How nonprofits and business succeed through strategic alliances. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2000:
13. Austin J. E.Strategic alliances: Managing the collaboration portfolio.Stanford Social Innovation Review. 2003;1:49-55
14. Bäckstrand K.Multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development: Rethinking legitimacy, accountability and effectiveness.European Environment. 2006;16:290-306
15. Barney J.Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage.Journal of Management. 1991;17:99-120
16. Baron D. P.Integrated strategy: Market and nonmarket components.California Management Review. 1995;37:47-65
17. Berger I. E.,Cunningham P. H.,Drumwright M. E.Social Alliances: Company/nonprofit collaboration.California Management Review. 2004;47:58-90
18. Berger I. E.,Cunningham P. H.,Drumwright M. E.Identify, identification, and relationship through social alliances.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 2006;34:128-137
19. Bonardi J.-P.,Keim G. D.Corporate political strategies for widely salient issues.Academy of Management Review. 2005;30:555-576
20. Chan S. H.,Kensinger J. W.,Keown A. J.,Martin J. D.Do strategic alliances create value?.Journal of Financial Economics. 1997;46:199-221
21. Chertow M. R.,Lombardi D. R.Quantifying economic and environmental benefits of co-located firms.Environmental Science & Technology. 2005;39:6535-6541
22. Christmann P.,Taylor G.Firm self-regulation through international certifiable standards: Determinants of symbolic versus substantive implementation.Journal of International Business Studies. 2006;37:863-878
23. Clark I.,Woodrow W.Partnerships in creating agile sustainable development communities.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2007;15:288-293
24. Clarke S.,Roome N.Sustainable business: Learning action networks as organizational assets.Business Strategy and the Environment. 1999;8:296-310
25. Crane A.Exploring green alliances.Journal of Marketing Management. 1998;14:559-579
26. Daily M.Dow, GM launch largest commercial fuel cell.Reuters News. 2004;:
27. Delmas M.,Keller A.Free riding in voluntary programs: The case of the US EPA Wastewise program.Policy Sciences. 2005;38:91-106
28. Delmas M.,Marcus A.Firms’ choice of regulatory instruments to reduce pollution: A transaction cost approach.Business and Politics. 2004;6 (3): 1-20
29. Delmas M. A.,Montes-Sancho M. J.Voluntary agreements to improve environmental quality: Symbolic and substantive cooperation.Strategic Management Journal. 2010;31:575-601
30. Delmas M. A.,Terlaak A.A framework for analyzing environmental voluntary agreements.California Management Review. 2001;43:44-63
31. Delmas M. A.,Toffel M. W.Organizational responses to environmental demands: Opening the black box.Strategic Management Journal. 2008;29:1027-1055
32. Governance for the environment: New perspectives. Delmas M.Young O. R., ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2009:
33. Dussauge P.,Garrette B.,Mitchell W.Learning from competing partners: Outcomes and durations of scale and link alliances in Europe, North America, and Asia.Strategic Management Journal. 2000;21 (2): 99-126
34. Dutton G.Green partnerships.Management Review. 1996;85:24-28
35. Dyer J. H.,Kale P.,Singh H.How to make strategic alliances work.MIT Sloan Management Review. 2001;42 (4): 37-43
36. Dyer J. H.,Singh H.The relational view: Cooperative strategy and sources of inter-organizational competitive advantage.Academy of Management Review. 1998;23:660-679
37. Ehrenfeld J. R.,Gertler N.Industrial ecology in practice: The evolution of interdependence at Kalundborg.Journal of Industrial Ecology. 1997;1:67-79
38. Etzion D.Research on organizations and the natural environment, 1992-present: A review.Journal of Management. 2007;33:637-664
39. Fischer K.,Schot J.Environmental strategies for industry. Washington, DC: Island Press; 1993:
40. George G.,Zahra S. A.,Wood D. R.The effects of business-university alliances on innovative output and financial performance: A study of publicly traded biotechnology companies.Journal of Business Venturing. 2002;17:577-609
41. Gimeno J.Competition within and between networks: The contingent effect of competitive embeddedness on alliance formation.Academy of Management Journal. 2004;47:820-842
42. Glasbergen P.,Biermann F.,Mol A. P. J.Partnerships, governance, and sustainable development: Reflections on theory and practice. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar; 2007:
43. Glasbergen P.,Groenenberg R.Environmental partnerships in sustainable energy.European Environment. 2001;11:1-13
44. Gombault M.,Versteege S.Cleaner production in SMEs through a partnership with (local) authorities: Successes from the Netherlands.Journal of Cleaner Production. 1999;7:249-261
45. Gotschall M. G.Making big money from garbage: How companies are forming international alliances to recycle trash for profits.Columbia Journal of World Business. 1996;31 (3): 101-107
46. Gray B.Conditions facilitating inter-organizational collaboration.Human Relations. 1985;38:911-936
47. Gray B.Cooperative strategy: Economic, business, and organizational issues. Faulkner D.De Rond M., ed. London: Oxford University Press; 2000:243-260.
48. Gray B.,Wood D. J.Collaborative alliances: Moving from practice to theory.Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 1991;27:3-22
49. Griesse M. A.Caterpillar’s interactions with Piracicaba, Brazil: A community-based analysis of CSR.Journal of Business Ethics. 2007;73:39-51
50. Gulati R.Network location and learning: The influence of network resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation.Strategic Management Journal. 1999;20:397-410
51. Gulati R.Managing network resources: Alliances, affiliations, and other relational assets. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2007:
52. Gulbrandsen L. H.,Andresen S.NGO influence in the implementation of the Kyoto protocol: Compliance, flexibility mechanisms, and sinks.Global Environmental Politics. 2004;4:54-75
53. Gunningham N.Green alliances: Conflict or cooperation in environmental policy. Canberra, Australia: Australian Centre for Environmental Law; 2001:
54. Gunningham N.,Sinclair D.Partnerships, management systems and the search for innovative regulation in the vehicle body shop industry.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2002;11:236-253
55. Hagedoorn J.,Schakenraad J.The effect of strategic technology alliances on company performance.Strategic Management Journal. 1994;15:291-309
56. Harrison K.Is cooperation the answer? Canadian environmental enforcement in comparative context.Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. 1995;14:221-244
57. Hart S. L.,Sharma S.Engaging fringe stakeholders for competitive imagination.Academy of Management Executive. 2004;18:7-18
58. Hartman C. L.,Hofman P. S.,Stafford E. R.Partnerships: A path to sustainability.Business Strategy and the Environment. 1999;8:255-266
59. Hartman C. L.,Stafford E. R.Green alliances: Building new business with environmental groups.Long Range Planning. 1997;30:184-196
60. Hartman C. L.,Stafford E. R.Crafting “enviropreneurial” value chain strategies through green alliances.Business Horizons. 1998;41:62-72
61. Helby P.EKO-Energi A public voluntary program targeted at Swedish firms with ambitious environmental goals.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2002;10:143-151
62. Hendry J. R.Environmental NGOs and businesses: A grounded theory of assessment, targeting, and influencing.Business & Society. 2003;42:267-276
63. Hills P.,Man C. S.Environmental regulation and the industrial sector in China: The role of informal relationships in policy implementation.Business Strategy and the Environment. 1998;7:53-70
64. Hodge G. A.,Greve C.Public-private partnerships: An international performance review.Public Administration Review. 2007;67:545-558
65. Hoffman A. J.Institutional evolution and change: Environmentalism and the U.S. chemical industry.Academy of Management Journal. 1999;42:351-371
66. Hoffman A. J.,Bertels S.Good cop/bad cop: Environmental NGOs and their strategies towards business. Lyon T. P., ed. Washington, DC: RFF Press; 2010:48-69.
67. Howard-Grenville J.Organizations, policy, and the natural environment: Institutional and strategic perspectives. Hoffman A. J.Ventresca M. J., ed. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press; 2002:291-310.
68. Jacobsen N. B.,Anderberg S.Economics of industrial ecology: Materials, structural change, and spatial scales. van den Bergh J. C. J. M.Janssen M. A., ed. Cambridge: MIT Press; 2005:313-336.
69. Judge W. Q.,Douglas T. J.Performance implications of incorporating natural environmental issues into the strategic planning process: An empirical assessment.Journal of Management Studies. 1998;35:241-262
70. Kale P.,Dyer J. H.,Singh H.Alliance capability, stock market response, and long-term alliance success: The role of the alliance function.Strategic Management Journal. 2002;23:317-343
71. Kale P.,Singh H.Managing strategic alliances: What do we know now, and where do we go from here?.Academy of Management Perspectives. 2009;23:45-62
72. Khanna T.,Gulati R.,Nohria N.The dynamics of learning alliances: Competition, cooperation, and scope.Strategic Management Journal. 1998;19 (3): 193-210
73. King A.Cooperation between corporations and environmental groups: A transaction cost perspective.Academy of Management Review. 2007;32:889-900
74. King A.,Lenox M.,Terlaak A.The strategic use of decentralized institutions: Exploring certification with the ISO 14001 management standard.Academy of Management Journal. 2005;48:1091-106
75. Kolk A.,van Tulder R.,Kostwinder E.Business and partnerships for development.European Management Journal. 2008;26:262-273
76. Koontz T. M.,Steelman T. A.,Carmin J.,Smith Korfmacher K.,Moseley C.,Thomas C. W.Collaborative environmental management: What roles for government?. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future; 2004:
77. Kourula A.,Laasonen S.Nongovernmental organizations in business and society, management and international business research: Review and implications from 1998 to 2007.Business & Society. 2010;49:35-67
78. LaFrance J.,Lehmann M.Corporate awakening—why (some) corporations embrace public-private partnerships.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2005;14:216-229
79. Le Ber M. J.,Branzei O.(Re)Forming strategic cross-sector partnerships: Relational processes of social innovation.Business & Society. 2010;49:140-172
80. Livesey S. M.McDonald’s and the environmental defense fund: A case study of a green alliance.The Journal of Business Communication. 1999;36:5-39
81. London T.,Hart S. L.Reinventing strategies for emerging markets: Beyond the transnational model.Journal of International Business Studies. 2004;35:350-370
82. London T.,Rondinelli D.,O’Neill H.Handbook of strategic alliances. Shenkar O.Reuer J. J., ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 2005:353-366.
83. Long F. J.,Arnold M. B.The power of environmental partnerships. Fort Worth, TX: Dryden; 1995:
84. May S. K.,Cheney G.,Roper J.The debate over corporate social responsibility. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 2007:
85. McEvily B.,Marcus A.Embedded ties and the acquisition of competitive capabilities.Strategic Management Journal. 2005;26:1033-1055
86. Mendleson N.,Polonsky M. J.Using strategic alliances to develop credible green marketing.Journal of Consumer Marketing. 1995;12:4-18
87. Milne G. R.,Easwar S. I.,Gooding-Williams S.Environmental organization alliance relationships within and across nonprofit, business, and government sectors.Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. 1996;15:203-215
88. Newig J.,Fritsch O.Environmental governance: Participatory, multi-level—and effective?.Environmental Policy & Governance. 2009;19:197-214
89. Oliver C.,Holzinger I.The effectiveness of strategic political management: A dynamic capabilities framework.Academy of Management Review. 2008;33 (2): 496-520
90. Paquin R.,Howard-Grenville J.The evolution of facilitated industrial symbiosis.Journal of Industrial Ecology. 2012;16:83-93
91. Perez-Aleman P.,Sandilands M.Building value at the top and the bottom of the global supply chain: MNC-NGO partnerships.California Management Review. 2008;51:24-49
92. Perkmann M.,Walsh K.University-industry relationships and open innovation: Towards a research agenda.International Journal of Management Reviews. 2007;9:259-280
93. Polonsky M. J.,Rosenberger P. J.Reevaluating green marketing: A strategic approach.Business Horizons. 2001;44 (5): 21-30
94. Pratt D. J.Corporations, communities, and conservation: The Mountain Institute and Antamina Mining Company.California Management Review. 2001;43:38-43
95. Rangan S.,Samii R.,Van Wassenhove L. N.Constructive partnerships: When alliances between private firms and public actors can enable creative strategies.Academy of Management Review. 2006;31:738-751
96. Regeczi D.Limited partnership: The lack of sustainable development in relation to participation in Hungarian public-private partnerships.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2005;14:205-215
97. Rivera-Santos M.,Rufin C.Odd couples: Understanding the governance of Firm-NGO alliances.Journal of Business Ethics. 2010;94:55-70
98. Rondinelli D.,London T.How corporations and environmental groups cooperate: Assessing cross-sector alliances and collaborations.Academy of Management Executive. 2003;17:61-76
99. Roy R.,Whelan R. C.Successful recycling through value-chain collaboration.Long Range Planning. 1992;25:62-71
100. Russo M. V.,Fouts P. A.A resource-based perspective on corporate environmental performance and profitability.Academy of Management Journal. 1997;40:534-559
101. Sagawa S.,Segal E.Common interest, common good: Creating value through business and social sector partnerships.California Management Review. 2000;42:105-122
102. Sarkis J.A strategic decision framework for green supply chain management.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2003;11:397-409
103. Schaeffer P. V.,Loveridge S.Toward an understanding of types of public-private cooperation.Public Performance and Management Review. 2002;25:169-189
104. Scott W. R.Institutions and organizations. London: Sage; 2000:
105. Seitanidi M.,Crane A.Implementing CSR through partnerships: Understanding the selection, design and institutionalisation of nonprofit-business partnerships.Journal of Business Ethics. 2009;85:413-429
106. Selsky J. W.,Parker B.Cross-sector partnerships to address social issues: Challenges to theory and practice.Journal of Management. 2005;31:849-873
107. Sharma S.Managerial interpretations and organizational context as predictors of corporate choice of environmental strategy.Academy of Management Journal. 2000;43:681-697
108. Sharma S.,Ruud A.On the path to sustainability: Integrating social dimensions into the research and practice of environmental management.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2003;12:205-214
109. Sharma S.,Vredenburg H.Proactive corporate environmental strategy and the development of competitive valuable organizational capabilities.Strategic Management Journal. 1998;19:729-753
110. Sharma S.,Vredenburg H.,Westley F.Strategic bridging: A role for the multinational corporation in Third World development.Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 1994;30:458-476
111. Sinh B. T.Government and NGO partnership in managing community-based water resources in Vietnam: A case study of Thai Long Dam Project.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2002;11:119-129
112. Stafford E. R.,Hartman C. L.Green alliances: Strategic relations between businesses and environmental groups.Business Horizons. 1996;39:50-59
113. Stafford E. R.,Polonsky M. J.,Hartman C. L.Environmental NGO-business collaboration and strategic bridging: A case analysis of the Greenpeace-Foron alliance.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2000;9:122-135
114. Starik M.,Heuer M.Strategic inter-organizational environmentalism in the US: A multi-sectoral perspective of alternating eco-policy roles.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2002;11:221-235
115. Starik M.,Marcus A.Introduction to the special research forum on the management of organizations in the natural environment: A field emerging from multiple paths, with many challenges ahead.Academy of Management Journal. 2000;43:539-547
116. Steger U.,Ionescu-Somers A.,Salzmann O.,Mansourian S.Sustainability partnerships: The manager’s handbook. London: Palgrave-Macmillan; 2009:
117. Steward F.,Conway S.Situating discourse in environmental innovation networks.Organization. 1998;5:479-502
118. Tombs S.Business and the environment: Implications of the new environmentalism. Smith D., ed. London: Paul Chapman Ltd; 1993:131-149.
119. Vachon S.,Klassen R. D.Green project partnership in the supply chain: The case of the package printing industry.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2006;14:661-671
120. Vermeulen W. J. V.,Ras P. J.The challenge of greening global product chains: Meeting both ends.Sustainable Development. 2006;14:245-256
121. Videras J.,Alberini A.The appeal of voluntary environmental programs: Which firms participate and why?.Contemporary Economic Policy. 2000;18:449
122. von Malmborg F.Conditions for regional public-private partnerships for sustainable development—Swedish perspectives.European Environment. 2003;13:133-149
123. von Malmborg F.Networking for knowledge transfer: Towards an understanding of local authority roles in regional industrial ecosystem management.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2004;13:334-346
124. von Malmborg F.Stimulating learning and innovation in networks for regional sustainable development: The role of local authorities.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2007;15:1730-1741
125. Waddock S. A.Building successful social partnerships.Sloan Management Review. 1988;29:17-23
126. Wassmer U.Alliance portfolios: A review and research agenda.Journal of Management. 2010;36:141-171
127. Wassmer U.,Dussauge P.Value creation in alliance portfolios: The benefits and costs of network resource interdependencies.European Management Review. 2011;8:47-64
128. Wassmer U.,Dussauge P.Network resource stocks and flows: How do alliance portfolios affect the value of new alliance formations?.Strategic Management Journal. 2012;33:871-883
129. Wernerfelt B.A resource-based view of the firm.Strategic Management Journal. 1984;5:171-180
130. Westley F.,Vredenburg H.Strategic bridging: The collaboration between environmentalists and business in the marketing of green products.Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 1991;27:65-90
131. Yaziji M.Turning gadflies into allies.Harvard Business Review. 2004;82 (2): 110-115
132. Young W.Editorial: Partnerships for sustainable development.Business Strategy and the Environment. 2005;14:203-204
133. Zhu Q.,Cote R. P.Integrating green supply chain management into an embryonic eco-industrial development: A case study of the Guitang Group.Journal of Cleaner Production. 2004;12:1025-1035
134. Zineldin M. A.Towards an ecological collaborative relationship management: A “co-opetive” perspective.European Journal of Marketing. 1998;32:1138-1164