Florian Jaeger
RWTH Aachen University (PhD Candidate/Research Assistant)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Visiting Research Fellow)
Integrating Institutional And Resource-Based Perspectives: An Empirical Reexamination Of Corporate Sustainability.
Relying on institutional and resource-based arguments, I hypothesize that organizational capabilities, such as market-oriented and technological competences, enhance a firm’s commitment to sustainable development; that tangible and intangible resources, such as firm performance and acquisition activities, strengthen this relationship; that environmental and social issues are more affected by governmental infractions than the economic value of a firm; and, ultimately, that external legitimacy is positively associated with all three principles underpinning corporate sustainability. Using cross-sectional data on 313 privately and publicly owned firms in Europe and the United States, I empirically reinforce the theoretical framework of prior research that draws on an integration of institutional and resource-based perspectives. Contrary to my expectations, I find no significant linkage between corporate sustainability and regulatory stringency. The inclusion of the interacting effect of capital intensity reverses my finding, suggesting that particular industry characteristics play a fundamental role.
Biography
Florian Jaeger is a PhD student and Research Assistant at RWTH Aachen University (Germany). He has also been a Visiting Research Fellow at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research primarily focuses on the business-related issues of sustainability. He is particularly interested in examining how organizational and institutional determinants influence the economic, environmental, and social principles of corporate sustainability. Prior to his academic career, Florian Jaeger worked in the private sector as the assistant to the CEO and in corporate development of a German multinational technology company. Florian holds a Master’s in mechanical engineering and management from RWTH Aachen University and Imperial College London.