Pastures Green: Corporate Investments in Green Skills and Toxic Chemical Releases

• DOI: 10.1111/1467-8551.12909
• Publication Date: 2025-03-23T08:19:08Z
• Authors: Jens Hagendorff; Duc Duy Nguyen; Vathunyoo Sila

Abstract Firms face pressure to improve their environmental performance. However, in addition making substantive investments that enhance outcomes, firms may also engage are green but mostly symbolic and not effective improving To examine whether the skill make enhancing performance, we analyse detailed job posting data from 2010 2020 micro‐level on toxic chemical emissions plants. We find an increased demand for skills is associated with subsequent reductions releases at plants, especially toxins harmful humans. Further analyses reveal more pronounced when direct towards local establishments rather than headquarters. By integrating a resource‐based view concepts of market failure organizational legitimacy, show can simultaneously serve legitimacy‐seeking performance‐improvement purposes.