From Trash to Treasure: The Moderating Role of Sustainability Governance Between Firm Strategy and Waste Management

This study examines whether firm strategy is significantly associated with waste management and if sustainability governance moderates the relationship between firm strategy and waste management. Our investigation is based on an international sample from 47 countries over 20 years (i.e., 2002–2021). We find that as cost leadership focus increases, firms tend to generate more waste in tons. However, when a firm's operational intensity is considered in assessing waste production (i.e., waste in tons/total sales ratio), cost leadership is negatively associated with waste production. In addition, a cost leadership focus is positively associated with waste recycling in both tons and waste recycling ratios. On the other hand, although differentiation strategy is positively associated with waste production (i.e., waste in tons/total sales ratio), it is not significantly associated with waste recycling metrics. Moreover, the moderation analyses revealed that environmental management teams and sustainability committees enhance waste management for followers of both firm strategies in a similar and differing way.