(Elsevier, 2023) Arocena Garro, Pablo; Orcos Sánchez, Raquel; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
This research contends that MNEs from polluting and emerging countries are subject to liabilities of origin that
compel them to signal that they differ from the stereotypes of their home countries to attain environmental
legitimacy. ISO 14001 adoption, which signals a commitment to environmental protection, may help MNEs from
polluting and emerging countries overcome their legitimacy deficits. The wider the scope of ISO 14001 adoption,
the greater its power to signal environmental awareness, and therefore, the greater its efficacy in counteracting
liabilities of origin. Accordingly, this research proposes that the scope of ISO 14001 adoption by MNEs from the
considered countries is wider than that of MNEs that are not subject to liabilities of origin. This contention is
tested in a multisector sample of 733 MNEs over the period 2002–2019.