Environmental Management Accounting and Financial Competitive Advantage Affecting Corporate Sustainability of Thai Companies

This study examined environmental management accounting (EMA) practices and financial competitive advantages (FCA) affecting corporate sustainability of a company (CSC) certified by the ISO 14001 in Thailand. A set of questionnaires was created to collect data from accounting managements of 272 companies. Multiple linear regressions were employed for data analysis. The results revealed that EMA practices and FCA had a positive influence on the CSC. The companies focused on EMA create cost management effectiveness and build strengths of higher returns. Thus stakeholders were able to recognize the information from the operational performance reports when making investment decisions. In addition, EMA also had a positive influence on FCA. Sample companies presented accounting practices in the annual reports to keep stakeholders informed about return on investment and good performance. Moreover, EMA also had a positive influence on CSC through their FCA when companies focus on accounting practices for environmental management. By having EMA and FCA, companies are able to create financial competitive advantages to attract investors and allow stakeholders to recognize the intention of the companies in being environment friendly. As a result, a companies are seen as sustainable by the stakeholders