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Frequent changes in economic policy pose challenges to normal business production and operations. However, little is known about the non-market strategies adopted by firms in emerging economies, such as China, in response to economic policy uncertainty. This study proposes that firms in China respond to high levels of economic policy uncertainty by increasing philanthropic donations and bribery. In addition, this study argues that private firms and state-owned firms implement different strategies to cope with economic policy uncertainty. Specifically, the study suggests that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are more likely, than non-SOEs, to respond to economic policy uncertainty by increasing corporate philanthropy, and less likely to respond by increasing expenditure on bribes. This study obtained empirical evidence to support these views, based on an analysis of a dataset of 2,904 listed Chinese firms from 2008 to 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether and when differentiation strategies affect firms' environmental, social and governance (ESG) involvement remains unclear. Based on resource‐based view and behavioral theory of the firm, we propose that as the degree of differentiation strategies increases, firms' motivation to engage in ESG increases. Additionally, we propose that performance shortfalls moderate the relationship between differentiation strategies and a firm's ESG involvement. Specifically, we argue that historical performance shortfalls enhance this relationship, whereas social performance shortfalls weaken it. Using a large longitudinal dataset constructed from empirical data on Chinese listed companies from 2011 to 2020, we find strong support for these theoretical arguments. This study extends the differentiation strategies, and ESG literature by providing the first large sample of evidence that differentiation strategy is a key factor in facilitating firms' ESG involvement. The findings of this study also help firms to enhance their ESG practices by revisiting their existing strategies and relative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the special background of transition economies, in which governments play a particularly important role in firms' survival and development, we discuss the impact of performance shortfall on firms' tax avoidance, which is a behavior that is considered unethical and irresponsible by the public. Drawing upon performance feedback theory and institutional theory, we propose that performance shortfall will drive firms to reduce tax avoidance to enhance their political legitimacy, thereby gaining more government support to solve current performance problems. We also argue that the relationship between performance shortfall and firms' tax avoidance is likely nuanced and may vary by institutional logics (e.g., state-owned enterprises (SOEs)), and regional marketization degree). Specifically, we argue that SOEs will strengthen the above-mentioned relationship, and the regional marketization degree will weaken the above-mentioned relationship. After testing listed companies in China as the research object, we find that most of our theoretical views are supported by empirical evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation is an important way for manufacturing enterprises to achieve green and high-quality development. The existing literature has ignored the heterogeneous motivations for enterprise green innovation. The strategic green innovation behavior (SGIB) aiming at seeking strategic differences and building core competitiveness is the necessary measure for enterprises to realize green transformation. Furthermore, the existing research studies the influencing factors of green innovation from a single perspective, ignoring the interaction of institutional and resource factors. Based on this, this study uses QCA to identify the driving mechanism of enterprise SGIB. The research collected questionnaire data from 199 manufacturing enterprises in China. The main results show that a single factor will not constitute a necessary condition for positive SGIB, but the not-high green dynamic capability is a necessary condition for negative SGIB. Positive SGIB includes four configuration paths: institution-ethics synergy, normative pressure oriented, environmental ethics oriented, and institutional incentive oriented. Lack of institutional pressure is the only configuration path that leads to negative SGIB. Further analysis found that environmental ethics and institutional pressure are the main forces to promote SGIB. After a series of robustness tests, the above basic conclusions did not change significantly. Based on the above conclusions, we believe that government departments, industry associations, and enterprises should form a joint force to enhance the level of institutional pressure and enterprise environmental ethics, promoting the implementation of strategic green innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of returnee executives on top management teams' (TMTs') unethical management behavior (e.g., excess perquisite consumption). Synthesizing insights from upper echelons theory and the psychological entitlement literature, this study proposes that returnee executives cause TMTs to generate a high degree of psychological entitlement, which subsequently leads to a high degree of excess perquisite consumption in their firms. In addition, this study proposes that returnee chief executive officers, product diversification, and regional institutional development moderate the aforementioned relationships by influencing managerial discretion. This study provides empirical evidence for the above view using a dataset that was constructed based on 1960 listed Chinese manufacturing companies from 2010 to 2019. From a psychological entitlement perspective, this study confirms, for the first time, that the introduction of returnee executives may have unintended negative consequences, for example, in promoting the excess perquisite consumption activities of TMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Whether and when the innovation aspiration shortfall (e.g. innovation performance lower than aspirations) will affect emerging economy firms (EEFs)' international expansion remains an important unanswered theoretical and practical question. Design/methodology/approach: Based on performance feedback theory, this study explores the impact of innovation aspiration shortfall on EEFs' international expansion and the moderating role of CEO origin. Findings: This study finds that innovation aspiration shortfall has a positive impact on EEFs' international expansion. This study also uncovers that EEFs are less likely to implement international expansion in response to innovation aspiration shortfall when the CEO is a founder than when the CEO is a non-founder, and EEFs are more likely to implement international expansion in response to innovation aspiration shortfall when the CEO is an outsider-CEO than when the CEO is an insider-CEO. Originality/value: This study proposes that the interaction between innovation aspiration shortfall and CEO origin can be a useful predictor of EEFs' international expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure is an unavoidable part of the innovation process. Previous studies have explored the impact of innovation failures on a variety of strategic actions. However, to date, whether and when firms – especially those in emerging economies – adopt overseas research and development (R&D) strategies in response to innovation failures remains unexplored. By integrating insights from the behavioural theory of the firm (BTOF) and springboard theory, our study theoretically analyzes and empirically examines the impact of continuous innovation failure on the overseas R&D activities of companies in emerging economies. Using a dataset comprised of Chinese listed manufacturing firms, we find that continuous innovation failure is positively related to the overseas R&D activities of companies in emerging economies. After considering the moderating effect of top management team (TMT) relational capital, we also find that TMT financial relational capital weakens the above relationship, while TMT government relational capital strengthens it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the characteristics, source apportionment, and regional transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone (O 3 ) in a typical city with severe air pollution in central China, we observed and analyzed 115 VOC species at an urban site in Zhengzhou from 29 July to 26 September 2021. During this period, observation- and emission-based approaches revealed that Zhengzhou was in a VOC-limited regime. The average concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs) was 162.25 ± 71.42 μg/m 3 , dominated by oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs, 34.49%), alkanes (24.29%), and aromatics (19.49%). Six VOC sources were identified using positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, including paint solvent usage (25.32%), secondary production (24.11%), industrial production (19.22%), vehicle exhaust (16.18%), biogenic emission (8.87%), and combustion (6.30%). To assess the regional contribution and source apportionment of VOCs and O 3 , Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) with the Ozone Source Apportionment Technology (OSAT) was used for simulation. Results showed that the VOCs were significantly affected by local emissions (about 70%), while O 3 was mainly attributed to regional and super-regional transport. Regarding multi-directional regional transport of VOCs and O 3 , dominant contributions were from the northeast and east-northeast directions, and O 3 contributions were also predominantly from the east and east-southeast directions. In terms of source apportionment, the transportation and industrial sectors (including solvent usage) were the major contributors to O 3 and VOCs. To alleviate VOCs and O 3 pollution, transportation and industrial emission reduction should be strengthened, and regional coordination, especially from the northeast to east-southeast directions, should be emphasized in addition to local management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can reflect the pollution status of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) pollution. Here, matched influent, effluent, and sludge samples were collected from 58 municipal WWTPs in China, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Kenya. Target and suspect screening of PFASs was performed to explore their profiles in WWTPs and assess removal efficiency and environmental emissions. In total, 155 and 58 PFASs were identified in WWTPs in China and Africa, respectively; 146 and 126 PFASs were identified in wastewater and sludge, respectively. Novel compounds belonging to per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids (PFECAs) and sulfonic acids (PFESAs), hydrogen-substituted polyfluorocarboxylic acids (H-PFCAs), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (PFSMs) accounted for a considerable proportion of total PFASs (ΣPFASs) in Chinese WWTPs and were also widely detected in African samples. In China, estimated national emissions of ΣPFASs in WWTPs exceeded 16.8 t in 2015, with >60 % originating from emerging PFASs. Notably, current treatment processes are not effective at removing PFASs, with 35 of the 54 WWTPs showing emissions higher than mass loads. PFAS removal was also structure dependent. Based on machine learning models, we found that molecular descriptors (e.g., LogP and molecular weight) may affect adsorption behavior by increasing hydrophobicity, while other factors (e.g., polar surface area and molar refractivity) may play critical roles in PFAS removal and provide novel insights into PFAS pollution control. In conclusion, this study comprehensively screened PFASs in municipal WWTPs and determined the drivers affecting PFAS behavior in WWTPs based on machine learning models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The multi-scale chemical characteristics and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analysed in Tianjin, China, using 1-hr resolution VOC-species data between November 1, 2018 and March 15, 2019. The average total VOC (TVOC) concentration was 30.6 ppbv during the heating season. The alkanes accounted for highest proportion of the TVOC, while the alkenes were the predominant species forming ozone, especially ethylene. Compared to the clean period, the concentration of acetylene during the haze events showed highest increase rate, followed by the ethane; and the concentrations and proportions of alkanes and alkenes were highest during the growth stage (GS) of haze events. The multi-scale apportionment results suggested petrochemical industry and solvent usage (PI/SU, 31.2%), vehicle emissions and liquefied petroleum gas (VE/LPG, 20.5%), and combustion emissions (CE, 19.1%) were the main VOC sources during the heating season. Compared to the clean period, the contributions of PI/SU, VE/LPG, CE, and refinery emissions notably increased during the haze events, while that of gasoline evaporation decreased. The contributions of PI/SU and RPI showed significantly increase during the GS of haze events, whereas most sources decreased during the dissipation stage of haze events. Diurnal-variations in source contributions during the haze events were clearer than the clean period, and the contributions of PI/SU, VE/LPG, and CE during the haze events were markedly higher at night. These findings provide valuable information to inform effective VOC control and prevention measures with specific relevance for the control of ozone pollution in Tianjin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mud volcanoes (MVs) emit globally significant quantities of methane into the atmosphere, however, methane cycling in such environments is not yet fully understood, as the roles of microbes and their associated biogeochemical processes have been largely overlooked. Here, we used data from high-throughput sequencing of microbial 16S rRNA gene amplicons from six MVs in the Junggar Basin in northwest China to quantify patterns of diversity and characterize the community structure of archaea and bacteria. We found anaerobic methanotrophs and diverse sulfate- and iron-reducing microbes in all of the samples, and the diversity of both archaeal and bacterial communities was strongly linked to the concentrations of sulfate, iron and nitrate, which could act as electron acceptors in anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The impacts of sulfate/iron/nitrate on AOM in the MVs were verified by microcosm experiments. Further, two representative MVs were selected to explore the microbial interactions based on phylogenetic molecular ecological networks. The sites showed distinct network structures, key species and microbial interactions, with more complex and numerous linkages between methane-cycling microbes and their partners being observed in the iron/sulfate-rich MV. These findings suggest that electron acceptors are important factors driving the structure of microbial communities in these methane-rich environments., (© 2018 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)