Reference no: EM133248795

Below are the title and abstract of an article which was published in January 2020 in the Business Strategy and the Environment Journal, Vol. 29, Issue 1, page 1 - 16. Critically reflect on the abstract and answer the questions that follow

Chief executive officer attributes, sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting: New insights from upper echelons perspective 4

Yasir Shahab, Collins G. Ntim, Yugang Chen, Farid Ullah, Hai-Xia Li and Zhiwei Ye 

Abstract 

This study examines the impact of chief executive officer (CEO) attributes on sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting, which are motivated by institutionally driven environmental policies, regulations, and management in the context of Chinese listed firms. With the use of a comprehensive dataset of 2,854 Chinese listed firms over the 2010-2017 period (i.e., making over 16,000 individual firm-year observations), our findings are fourfold. First, our overall findings reveal that CEOs with research background tend to engage more in activities that improve sustainable performance, environmental performance, and environmental reporting than do those without research background. Second, CEOs with financial expertise are positively linked with increased sustainable performance and environmental reporting. Third, CEOs with foreign exposure are more eager to engage in activities that enhance sustainable and environmental performance than do those without foreign exposure. Fourth, young CEOs tend to take actions that reduce both sustainable and environmental performance than do their older counterparts. We interpret our results within upper echelons theoretical perspective. The results are robust to alternative measures, potential endogeneities, and sample selection problems.

2.1 By deducing evidence from the abstract, substantiate the research paradigm and research design. Interrogate the abstract in order to identify the paradigmatic stance of the researchers who undertook this study. The methodological choices made by the researchers (i.e., the sampling approach, the methods of data underpinning Shahab et al.'s (2020) study. collection, and the methods of data analysis) are discernible from the abstract. 

2.2 Elaborate on the motivation for Shahab et al.'s (2020) study, highlighting the focus of inquiry (i.e. the broad question of interest). The motivation of the research study relates to what compelled the researchers to undertake the study (a gap in the body of knowledge? an inconsistency in previous findings?, a questioning/challenge of what is generally accepted?, etc.). Specify the novelty of the focus employed by the researchers. 

2.3 Highlight the four CEO attributes that constituted the independent variables of Shahab et al.'s (2020) study. Identify in full all the variables highlighted in the abstract. 

2.4 Specify the level or scale at which the four CEO attributes in question 2.3 were measured. State the levels of measurement for the IVs. 

2.5 Based on the findings highlighted in the abstract alone, provide a comprehensive set of practical recommendations to the boards of directors of the Chinese listed firms on how to hire CEOs who would execute the environmental policies, regulations, and management in the context of Chinese listed firms. The recommendations should be informed by the findings and conclusions of the researchers.