Over the past four decades, the results of the debates about the relationship between corporate environmental performance and corporate financial performance have remained inconclusive, due to the lack of theoretical underpinning and availability of data. This paper examines the impact of green research and development investment for eco-innovation on environmental and financial performance. The research is based on the resource-based view and the natural resource-based view, which explicitly recognize the importance of resources and capabilities. Using a sample of Japanese manufacturing firms during the period of 2001–2010, the study focuses on green research and development investment as a key proxy of eco-innovation and carbon emissions in environmental performance. Our results show the presence of a negative relationship between green research and development and carbon emissions, while green research and development is positively related to financial performance at the firm level. Our findings explicitly support that, in order for firms to adopt a proactive environmental strategy to manage their environmental and financial performance to the best advantage, they urgently need to organise unique resources and capabilities. The findings of this study provide valuable insights and basis of scientific debate on how firms to engage unique organizational resources and capabilities for superior corporate environmental and financial performance.Griffith Business School, Department of International Business and Asian StudiesFull Tex

The "Blue Economy (BE)" is an increasingly popular concept as a strategy for safeguarding the world's oceans and water resources. It may emerge when economic activity is in balance with the long term capacity of ocean ecosystems to support the activity in a sustainable manner. Importantly, the concept of BE posits the inherent conflicts between two discourses-growth and development, and protection of ocean resources. The inherent conflicts require solutions to embrace the opportunities associated with the ocean economy while recognizing and addressing its threats. The potential solutions on a global scale are advocated by the United Nations in their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, we notice that the identification of the scope and boundaries of the BE in line with the UN's SDGs is vague even challenging, and the key stakeholders and their interests and roles in the BE are also vague. This review examines the scientific evidence of the association between the BE and the UN's SDGs, and relevance and alignment of stakeholders on the link between the BE and SDGs. Based on a literature survey between 1998 and 2018, we find that BE is highly associated with SDGs 14-17. Notably, we find that stakeholders prefer SDG 3 Good Health & Well-Being and SDG 8 Decent Work & Economic Growth in the BE context. As stakeholder involvement shows some differences and variations in the relationship between the BE and SDGs, we consider that stakeholders can play some roles directly or indirectly in the BE-SDGs context. In order to set achievable goals and targets in BE-SDGs, we support that key stakeholders should be identified to play several important roles in prosperous economic, societal development and setting tolerable ranges for the ocean biosphere.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the process of green management adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The study used the qualitative methods of case study, in-depth interviews and document analysis to collect data from two companies, one in the acoustic equipment, the other in the electronics industry. Findings – The paper finds that the extant literature in the field of business and management has largely ignored green management practices within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study finds that SMEs can make themselves greener by making strategic and organizational changes. For greener management, the factors of organizational structure, innovation capability, human resources, cost savings and competitive advantage can influence organizational change. The outcomes of the case studies confirmed this. The paper argues that further research is needed in order to identify how management practice might reduce negative sustainability impacts. The paper argues that such research can benefit from the methodological and theoretical insights of other disciplines. Originality/value – The paper is of benefit to academics and managers by providing a new way to consider green management and strategies of SMEs. Since green sustainability is obviously challenging to all companies, to increase understanding of how to cope with green management is necessary, but has been rarely researched in SMEs.