Unveiling environmental decision-making logic: the joint impact of affective and deliberative information processing mechanisms

Purpose – Although many antecedents of influencing decision-making have garnered significant attention, research about decision-making logic in the environmental management field is still rare. According to dual-process approaches, we explore the configurations driving firms’ environmental decision-making logic by considering affective and deliberative information processing mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach – To investigate the configurations, we utilized fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methods and data from 329 Chinese manufacturing firms. Findings – We identify three configurational patterns driving firms’ causation logic (CL), i.e. deliberative, integrative and balanced information processing mechanisms. We also identify one configurational pattern driving firms’ effectuation logic (EL): cautious information processing mechanism. Moreover, we reveal causal asymmetry for both CL and EL. Originality/value – This study extends decision-making studies by introducing decision-making logic into the environmental context, and reveals the configurations of strategic and emotional factors that drive environmental decision-making logic.