Abstract
Using resource dependence and institutional theories, we examine how minority state ownership affects firm’s environmental performance across different national contexts. Minority state ownership is increasingly common globally as a form of government control over business. We propose that it makes firms more dependent on governments and responsive to home country institutional pressures and state expectations for environmental protection. We find empirical support for our model—minority state owned firms have better environmental performance, especially in countries with stronger pro-environmental regulatory and normative institutions and weaker pro-environmental cultural-cognitive institutions. Our study contributes to research on how minority state ownership affects corporate environmental behavior by developing a novel integration of resource dependence and institutional theories, and uncovering nuances in how different institutional pillars influence organizations."