Stances on Environmental Sustainability: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Sustainability Reports by US and Chinese Energy Giants
Yang Zhang et al.
What the paper says
This study investigates the stances of US and Chinese energy giants on environmental sustainability through a corpus-assisted analysis of their sustainability reports (2016–2023). Three stances are identified in both corpora, with subtle cross-cultural differences. First, both groups adopt a supportive stance on environmental governance. US companies emphasize international frameworks, whereas Chinese firms align more closely with national policies. Second, a confident stance on corporate competence is evident in both, but with differing rhetorical styles. US companies express confidence through personal and reasoned claims, whereas Chinese companies use assertive, target-driven language. Third, both display an implicit stance of obscuring environmental responsibility by deflecting blame, generalizing responsibility, and downplaying their own environmental impact. This study not only applies the corpus-assisted stance analysis in comparative, cross-cultural corporate environmental discourse, but also extends the theoretical scope of stance analysis by refining the analytical framework and identifying both explicit and implicit stances. It provides a practical tool for business communication scholars to critically evaluate corporate sustainability discourse.
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
| M · momentum | 0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.