社会资本嵌入视角的电子废弃物回收治理研究

本文首先分析了电子废弃物回收行为的演化进程,指出由政府主导型向企业主导型,最后向利益相关者共同治理型转变的趋势。进而将社会资本划分为结构维与认知维两个变量,运用聚类分析、方差分析与回归分析对假设进行初步验证,并运用结构方程模型探究社会资本、治理行为与持续参与意愿三者间的整体关系。结果表明,社会资本对治理行为与持续参与意愿均有正向影响,三种治理行为均起到正向中介作用。特别地,缺乏政策强制力的认知维社会资本与激励行为对持续参与意愿的正向影响有限,而具有强制力性质的结构维社会资本与指导行为则作用明显。最后,结合政策强制力比号召性行为更有助于提高持续参与意愿的特点,本文指出电子废弃物回收产业发展的管理启示:管理者应及时发布行业发展指导意见,规范产业链主体经营行为;产业链主体需注重社会资本的积累与运用;利益相关者必须树立价值共创的理念,实现利益相关者共同治理。

Study on the governance of e-waste recycling from the perspective of social capital embeddedness

Affected by factors such as rapid economic growth,technological innovation,and shortened product life cycles,the volume of e-waste has surged,posing a major threat to the environment and health,as well as a huge challenge to environmental governance.Along with recognition of the serious hazards of electronic waste,in 2017,the Chinese government proposed to fully implement the producer extension responsibility system in high-pollution industries.However,due to many obstacles,including low public awareness and low participation,most companies have very low expectations for the EPR system.This paper argues that a well-functioning e-waste management system requires close cooperation among all industry chain participants.However,through literature review,it is found that less research has focused on the synergy of social capital.Therefore,as a“coagulant”to amalgamate the relationship between participants in the e-waste industry chain,this paper introduces the theory of social capital to explore the relationship among social capital,governance practices,and the willingness of agents to participate in e-waste recycling.It is the essence of the relationship and cooperation between organizations.In order to achieve the research objectives,this paper first outlines the governance and recycling behavior of the e-waste industry,and presents trends of e-waste recycling behavior,from government-led to enterprise-led,and finally stakeholders'co-governance.Subsequently,this paper subdivides social capital into two types:structural dimension social capital and cognitive dimension social capital,and uses the cross-sectional data of China's electronic waste industry for empirical analysis.After pre-processing the data,this paper uses cluster analysis,variance analysis,and regression analysis to verify the research hypothesis and then establish a structural equation model to test the overall relationship among social capital,governance practices,and the willingness to participate in e-waste recycling.The research study shows that social capital has a positive impact on the three governance behaviors and the willingness to participate in e-waste recycling;the three governance practices play an active intermediary role in social capital influence and willingness towards continuous participation.At the same time,it brings attention to a new conclusion:that is,that the positive influence of cognitive dimension social capital on guiding behavior is limited,and that the positive influence of incentive practice on willingness to participate is also limited.However,due to the characteristics of mandatory force,structural dimension social capital and guidance have more pronounced positive behavioral impacts on the willingness to continue to participate.Therefore,combining policy coercion is more helpful than calling for action to improve the willingness to continue to participate.This paper proposes management inspiration from the perspectives of government,enterprises,and participation agents.This paper emphasizes that e-waste management and recycling is not a single family or individual activity,but a coordinated action amongst all participation agents.This paper will study subjects from the individual to the public,further explore the relationships between social capital,governance practices,and the willingness of agents to participate in recycling,and compensate for the lack of deep focus on social capital in the existing literature on the recycling of electronic waste.Relevant research provides methodological reference;at the same time,the newly drawn research conclusions offer significant theoretical guidance for relevant departments to improve environmental control methods and for enterprises to develop business strategies.