Editors
- Nuttawuth Muenjohn, Murdoch University
- Chris Rowley, University of Oxford
- Nirma Jayawardena, Bradford University
- Amy Huang, Murdoch University
Description
This special issue explores how global ESG pressures interact with local institutions and governance structures in Asia-Pacific economies. Most ESG frameworks are grounded in Western perspectives and often overlook the unique institutional features of APAC regions, including developmental states, government-linked companies, family-owned businesses, and concentrated ownership. The issue seeks research examining how firms interpret, adopt, and adapt global ESG standards within their specific institutional contexts.
The special issue welcomes diverse methodological approaches including qualitative, quantitative, comparative case studies, multi-country analyses, mixed-methods research, and policy-oriented studies. Submissions should address themes such as global ESG pressures and local translation, adaptation of reporting frameworks, investor and supply-chain influences, state-business relations, ownership structures, and corporate responses to sustainability challenges specific to Asia-Pacific contexts.
Potential topics
- How do firms in Asia-Pacific economies interpret and translate global ESG norms within their local institutional environments?
- To what extent do national institutional systems shape organisational responses to global ESG pressures?
- How do firms reconcile global sustainability expectations with local regulatory and cultural contexts?
- How are global ESG reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, TCFD, ISSB) adapted by firms operating in different Asia-Pacific institutional contexts?
- What factors influence the depth and credibility of ESG disclosures among APAC firms?
- Do firms in emerging APAC economies adopt global ESG standards symbolically or substantively?
- How do foreign investors and multinational buyers influence ESG adoption among local firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
- To what extent do global supply-chain sustainability requirements reshape environmental and labour practices among APAC suppliers?
- How do firms balance external stakeholder pressures with domestic institutional constraints?
- How do state-business relationships influence corporate sustainability strategies in Asia-Pacific economies?
- To what extent do institutional arrangements shape ESG governance and corporate accountability?
- How do variations in institutional development affect ESG outcomes across APAC economies?
- How do developmental states in Asia shape corporate ESG practices?
- What role do industrial policies and state-led sustainability initiatives play in promoting ESG adoption among firms?
- Do state-led sustainability policies generate genuine environmental and social outcomes or primarily symbolic compliance?
- How do different ownership structures influence ESG adoption and sustainability performance in Asia-Pacific firms?
- To what extent does ownership concentration shape long-term sustainability strategies?
- How do governance mechanisms influence ESG accountability in APAC corporations?
- How do ESG practices differ between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and privately owned firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
- To what extent do political objectives influence ESG disclosure and sustainability performance in SOEs?
- How does government ownership affect corporate accountability for environmental and social impacts?
- How do family-controlled firms approach ESG practices compared with non-family firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
- Do family ownership structures promote long-term sustainability orientation or entrench resistance to ESG reforms?
- How do diversified business groups integrate sustainability across multiple affiliated firms?
- How do ESG practices influence labour conditions and decent work outcomes in Asia-Pacific firms?
- To what extent do corporate sustainability initiatives improve employee wellbeing and job quality?
- How do multinational supply chains shape labour standards in developing APAC economies?
- How do corporate environmental strategies influence regional sustainability outcomes in Asia-Pacific economies?
- What role do firms play in advancing low-carbon transitions in emerging Asian markets?
- How do industrial clusters and regional ecosystems shape corporate environmental performance?
- How do firms strategically integrate ESG considerations into their core business models?
- What organisational capabilities enable firms to move beyond compliance-driven ESG strategies?
- How do firms in Asia-Pacific markets build sustainability capabilities under institutional constraints?