KNOWLEDGE INTERESTS IN CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Abstract

We know from earlier studies that corporate environmental management is a young discipline, not yet integrated in general management and organization studies, but that researchers take an increasing part in the ongoing scientific conversation. However, the underlying knowledge interests characterizing the field of corporate environmental management is yet empirically unsubstantiated. One way to find out what elements make up the field is to analyze the contents of the most influential writings in the field. The present article identifies the 10 most cited works in Business Strategy and the Environment in 1992 - 2000 and explores the content of these texts. We conceptualize a typology for analyzing corporate environmental management theory and formulate a characterization of the dominating knowledge interests. Our findings show that the theoretical fundament of corporate environmental management lacks a hermeneutic knowledge interest.