Norms Over Threats and Trends: A Managerial Perspective on the Role of Normative Pressures in Motivating Sustainable Strategies and Positive Outcomes

This study investigates the effectiveness of institutional pressures in motivating two contrasting sustainability strategies, symbolic and substantive, and their subsequent impact on the triple bottom line (TBL). Using data from 388 US supply chain professionals, this research applies institutional theory and structural equation modeling to examine key informants' perceptions of the antecedents–strategies–results paradigm. Findings reveal that normative pressures uniquely drive symbolic and substantive strategies, while coercive and mimetic pressures lack significant influence. Substantive strategies are positively associated with all TBL dimensions—economic, social, and environmental—while symbolic strategies show limited benefits, impacting only economic performance. This study contributes to institutional theory by highlighting the primacy of internal norms over external pressures in driving meaningful sustainability outcomes and questions the efficacy of compliance and imitative pressures. The insights provide valuable implications for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the need to cultivate sustainability-oriented organizational cultures and strategies to achieve TBL performance.