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The Impact of Institutional Pressures on the Implementation of Environmental Management Accounting: A Case Study of Listed Companies in Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Dung

Abstract

This study employs Institutional Theory to explain the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures on the implementation of Environmental Management Accounting in listed companies in Vietnam. Through a qualitative case study methodology in three representative companies from high-environmental-impact industries, combining semi- structured interviews with key managers and documentary analysis, the study deeply explores the drivers and mechanisms behind EMA adoption. The findings reveal that EMA implementation is not the product of a single pressure but a complex interplay of all three. Coercive pressure serves as a fundamental driver, initiating initial compliance activities. Meanwhile, mimetic pressure helps disseminate best practices, and normative pressure from supply chains, investors, and leadership vision is the most powerful driver, promoting the substantive integration of EMA into business strategy. The study not only illuminates an evolutionary path of EMA adoption in an emerging economy—from passive compliance to strategic integration—but also offers significant implications for managers in using EMA as a competitive tool and for policymakers in fostering an institutional environment conducive to sustainable development.

Keywords

Environmental Management AccountingInstitutional Theorycoercive pressuremimetic pressurenormative pressurelisted companies in Vietnam.

References

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