Sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the Asia-Pacific Businesses: Global Pressures, Local Responses, and Institutional Governance
DETAILS
Call for Papers
Sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the Asia-Pacific Businesses: Global Pressures, Local Responses, and Institutional Governance
Journal: Asia Pacific Business Review
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Group
Special Issue
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 26 February 2027
Asia Pacific Business Review invites submissions for a Special Issue examining how global sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) pressures interact with local institutions, governance arrangements, ownership structures, and business practices across Asia-Pacific economies.
About the Special Issue
ESG has become an increasingly multidisciplinary area connecting corporate governance, strategy, sustainability, finance, human resources, operations, and other business functions. However, ESG adoption and outcomes differ substantially across the Asia-Pacific region because firms operate within diverse political, regulatory, cultural, and institutional environments.
The Special Issue seeks context-sensitive research that moves beyond predominantly Western ESG frameworks. It particularly encourages examination of developmental states, government-linked and state-owned enterprises, family-controlled businesses, concentrated ownership, informal institutions, regulatory enforcement, and other characteristics shaping sustainability practices across APAC economies.
Topics of Interest
Submissions may address, but are not limited to:
Global ESG pressures and their translation into local APAC contexts
National institutions and organizational responses to ESG
Global sustainability expectations and local regulatory environments
Adaptation of GRI, TCFD, ISSB, and other reporting frameworks
Quality and credibility of ESG disclosures
Symbolic versus substantive ESG adoption
Foreign investor influence on ESG practices
Multinational buyers and sustainability requirements
ESG pressures within global supply chains
State-business relationships and sustainability
Institutional arrangements and corporate accountability
Developmental states and ESG practices
Industrial policies and state-led sustainability initiatives
Ownership structures and sustainability performance
Ownership concentration and long-term ESG strategies
Corporate governance and ESG accountability
ESG in state-owned and state-linked enterprises
Political objectives and sustainability disclosure
ESG in family-owned businesses
Family ownership and long-term sustainability
ESG within diversified business groups
Decent work and social sustainability
Employee wellbeing and job quality
Labor standards within multinational supply chains
Corporate environmental strategies
Low-carbon transitions in emerging Asian markets
Industrial clusters and regional sustainability
ESG integration into core business models
Sustainability-oriented organizational capabilities
ESG strategies under institutional constraints
Preferred Article Types and Methods
The Special Issue welcomes a broad range of methodological and scholarly approaches, including:
Qualitative Studies
Quantitative Studies
Comparative Case Studies
Multi-Country and Cross-Regional Analyses
Mixed-Methods Research
Policy-Oriented Studies
Interdisciplinary Research
Conceptual Papers
Review Papers
Key Research Themes
Global ESG Standards and Local Responses
How organizations across Asia-Pacific interpret, adapt, or challenge global ESG expectations within distinct institutional, regulatory, and cultural settings.
Institutions, Governance and State-Business Relations
How political institutions, regulatory systems, developmental states, and relationships between governments and businesses affect sustainability strategies and accountability.
Ownership and Corporate Governance
How family ownership, concentrated ownership, state ownership, business groups, and governance structures influence ESG adoption and sustainability performance.
Social and Environmental Sustainability
How ESG practices affect labor conditions, employee wellbeing, decent work, environmental performance, regional development, and low-carbon transitions.
Business Strategy and Organizational Capabilities
How firms integrate ESG into business models and develop capabilities that move sustainability strategies beyond regulatory compliance.
Special Issue Conference
The Special Issue is organized in conjunction with the international conference:
Leading Sustainable Futures: Global Business Transformation in an Era of Complexity
Dates: 25–27 November 2026
Host: University of Bradford
Co-hosts: University of Bradford, University of Greater Manchester, and Murdoch University
A dedicated Special Issue session will allow prospective authors to present their work and receive feedback from the editors.
Conference participation is entirely voluntary and is not required for submission to the Special Issue.
Submission Information
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 26 February 2027
All manuscripts must follow Asia Pacific Business Review submission requirements. In particular:
The target country or countries must appear in the article title.
Manuscripts must contain distinct implications sections addressing:
Theory or theory development
Business and management practice
Manuscripts must end with a dedicated conclusion section.
Authors must indicate that the manuscript is intended for this Special Issue.
All submissions will undergo the journal's double-blind peer-review process.
Submit to Asia Pacific Business Review
Asia Pacific Business Review – Instructions for Authors
Asia Pacific Business Review – Journal Page
Guest Editors
Nuttawuth Muenjohn
Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Australia
Email: nuttawuth.muenjohn@murdoch.edu.au
Chris Rowley
Kellogg College, University of Oxford; Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London; and Head of the Research Group, King's Business School, United Arab Emirates
Email: chris.rowley@kellogg.ox.ac.uk
Nirma Jayawardena
Bradford University, UK
Email: n.jayawardena@bradford.ac.uk
Amy Huang
Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Australia
Email: A.Huang@murdoch.edu.au
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