Big egos can be green: A study of CEO hubris and environmental innovation
Date
2017-11-15Author
Arena, C
Michelon, G
Trojanowski, G
Date issued
2017-11-15
Journal
British Journal of Management
Type
Article
Language
en
Publisher
Wiley for British Academy of Management
Rights
© 2017 British Academy of Management
Embargo
2019-11-15
Reason for embargo
Publisher policy
Abstract
This paper examines whether and to what extent CEO personal traits (hubris, in particular) affect firm environmental innovation. Using the overarching theoretical framework of upper-echelons theory, the paper builds on the insights from corporate strategy, innovation, and corporate social responsibility literatures. We also examine the moderating role of firm-specific features (e.g. organizational slack) and the external environment (e.g. market uncertainty) in this context. Based on a sample of UK companies operating in sensitive industries, we find that CEO hubris facilitates the engagement in green innovative projects. We also find that CEO hubris does not have a uniform effect: its effect on environmental innovation increases with the organizational slack, but weakens with the extent of environmental uncertainty. Our findings suggest that availability of resources per se is not enough to produce environmental innovation. Instead, it requires a stable external environment that enables the CEO with a hubristic personality to make a correct use of them.
Description
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.
Citation
Published online 15 November 2017
ISSN
1045-3172