China’s Triple Bottom-line (TBL) Challenge: Exploring How Demographics and Values Shape Preferences of Future Managers and Engineers toward Profit, People and Planet

Abstract

More recently, scandals of corporate malpractices, human rights exploitation and use of high-impact materials, ecological degradation are now becoming serious threats to China’s TBL initiatives for sustainable economic growth. Some argue that such disruptions are linked to changing demographics and altering value systems in Chinese society. Despite practical and theoretical significance, current literature offers no empirical study that examines potential micro-antecedents to TBL preferences of Chinese professionals, especially those in working in the domain of natural sciences. Responding to such knowledge gaps, the current study analysed data from self-reports of 383 business and engineering students. Results indicated that demographic factors effects materialism, which in turn, generates favourable attitude towards TBL (profit), but negatively relates to socio-environmental values and TBL (people and planet). Practical implications are discussed for policy makers, educators and business leaders.