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Supply chain washing: Strategic disclosure of corporate suppliers

delete2026-02-28
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PRE
AI
Y
Yilin Shi
J
Jing Wu
Y
Yu Zhang
Y
Yuqing Zhou *
DOI:10.1016/j.jacceco.2026.101883delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
This paper investigates how firms manage supplier disclosures to project a greener supply chain. We show that firms selectively reveal relationships with high-ESG suppliers while withholding ties to low-ESG ones. A shift in the supplier’s environmental score from the 10th to the 90th percentile increases disclosure probability by 4.4% relative to the mean disclosure rate. Our analysis suggests this selective disclosure reflects greenwashing rather than genuine communication of supply-chain ESG improvements. In a U.S. subsample, firms are more likely to disclose green suppliers in the 10-K Business section and ESG reports, while low-ESG suppliers appear more frequently in the 10-K Risk Factors section. Strategic disclosure declines as environmental transparency regulations tighten. Finally, firms that strategically disclose green suppliers experience higher short-term stock returns, though these effects diminish over time. Our results highlight the importance of supply chain environmental disclosure and its potential to reduce capital misallocation.
Keywords:
greenwashing
supplier disclosure
ESG performance
strategic communication
supply chain transparency

Journal

Journal of Accounting and Economics cover
Journal of Accounting and Economics
IF:
6.8
Papers:
1.5K
Citations:
1.7W

Organization

F
fudan university
Scholars:
11.3W
Papers: 7.6W
Citations: 121
T
the chinese university of hong kong
Scholars:
3.4K
Papers: 1.6K
Citations: 0
P
Peking University
Scholars:
1.0W
Papers: 3.8K
Citations: 14.7W
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