Organizational membership and environmental ethics : a comparison of managers in state-owned firms, collectives, private firms and joint ventures in China

摘要

This study empirically examines the relationship between organizational type and the environmental, ethical orientation of managers in the People's Republic of China (PRC) on three dimensions-stewardship and long- and short-term utilitarianism. It was found that Chinese managers uniformly self-report strong ethical commitments to environmental protection. In addition, organizational type was found to be a significant predictor for the different ethical dimensions. Overall, managers in state-owned firms uniformly reported the strongest values. Managers in private firms, on the other hand, self-reported lower values and appeared relatively more skeptical of emergent utilitarian arguments that economic performance and environmental performance are compatible in the short term.