An integrated analysis of greenhush

Joshua Hilton

Innovation and Green Development, 2025, vol. 4, issue 2

Abstract: Greenhushing, the strategic under-reporting of sustainability initiatives by corporations, is a recent phenomenon that challenges traditional assumptions about corporate sustainability communication. Through a systematic analysis of existing literature and the application of institutional theory, this paper develops an integrated theoretical framework to explain the causes of greenhush. Drawing on a combination of qualitative case studies and empirical evidence from multiple industries, the research reveals that greenhush emerges as a strategic response to institutional complexity, particularly when firms face competing stakeholder demands and regulatory uncertainty. The paper makes three key contributions: First, it surveys the recent literature and explore the implications of greenhush for corporate sustainability progress, stakeholder relations, and policy development. Second, it develops a multi-level theoretical framework integrating insights from institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and behavioral economics to explain why and how firms greenhush. Third, it provides suggestions for managers and stakeholders about how to avoid or reverse this decoupling, and align communication with action. These findings have important implications for understanding how organizations navigate institutional pressures while maintaining legitimacy in complex institutional environments.

Keywords: Greenhush; Institutional theory; Decoupling; ESG; CSR (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ingrde:v:4:y:2025:i:2:s2949753125000190

DOI: 10.1016/j.igd.2025.100222

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