Influence of social network participation, regional density, and customer interaction on the adoption of sustainability initiatives

This study extends the extant literature on sustainability adoption by investigating the influence of business network participation, regional density, and the channels for customer interaction on companies’ adoption of sustainability initiatives. Data were collected from 311 wineries in Oregon. The results suggest that participating in a business network is a significant and positive determinant of wineries’ adoption of sustainability programs. Regional density also has a significant impact on sustainability adoption, such that wineries operating in less dense regions are more likely to adopt sustainability initiatives. Interestingly, the winery density of a region also moderates the impact of business networks on sustainability adoption. Specifically, the effect of business networks on sustainability decisions is stronger for wineries in dense regions. The research results also suggest that wineries with more channels for direct customer interactions are more likely to adopt sustainability initiatives.