 Mutual scrutiny and information exchange: Uncovering R&D Partners’ impact on ESG performance in the biopharmaceutical industryYahan Hu and Qinqin Zheng Journal of Business Research, 2025, vol. 195, issue C Abstract: Advocacy for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is shaping the biopharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, the impact of certain stakeholder groups within the industry, such as research and development (R&D) partners, remains largely underexplored. As risk and resources are two key dimensions in understanding R&D alliance activities, we propose that R&D partners may influence focal firms’ ESG performance through two forces: mutual scrutiny driven by risk considerations and information exchange reflecting resource access. Our investigation of strategic R&D alliances in the global biopharmaceutical industry from 2001 to 2020 supports the proposed enhancement effect of R&D partnerships on ESG performance. Moreover, this effect is stronger when focal firms perceive R&D partners as a more salient stakeholder group. Our study contributes to ESG research by integrating stakeholder theory with the strategic alliance literature and emphasising the non-financial effects of interorganisational relationships. Keywords: R&D partners; ESG performance; Stakeholder salience; Biopharmaceutical industry (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:195:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325002310 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115408 Access Statistics for this article Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier |
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