Theoretical framework and formation mechanism of the green development system model in China

Journal Pre-proof Theoretical framework and formation mechanism of the green development system model in China Xingwei Li, Jianguo Du, Hongyu Long PII:

S2211-4645(19)30029-6

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2019.100465

Reference:

ENVDEV 100465

To appear in:

Environmental Development

Received Date: 24 January 2019 Revised Date:

5 October 2019

Accepted Date: 18 October 2019

Please cite this article as: Li, X., Du, J., Long, H., Theoretical framework and formation mechanism of the green development system model in China, Environmental Development (2019), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2019.100465. This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. © 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.

2

Theoretical Framework and Formation Mechanism of the Green Development System Model in China

3

Xingwei Lia, Jianguo Dua∗, Hongyu Longb

4 5 6

a School of Management, Jiangsu University, No.301, Xuefu Road, Jingkou District, Zhenjiang, China b School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Southwest Petroleum University, No.8, Xindu Avenue, Xindu District, Chengdu, China

1

ARTICLE INFO

ABSTRACT

Keywords:

Green development (GD) is a complex adaptive system (CAS) closely related to the social,

Green

economic, and natural environment. Facing environmental degradation due to the rapid

development

economic and social development, the Chinese government has made important strategic

system

decisions about GD. This study thus proposes a theoretical framework to explain the GD

Complex

system (GDS) in China and its formation mechanism. First, it identified the components of the

adaptive system

Chinese GDS in the literature. Second, using a mathematical model, the theoretical framework

Knowledge

of the GDS model in China was constructed based on CAS and knowledge element (KE)

element

theory and tested using 1999–2017 panel survey data. Finally, based on Maslow's hierarchy of

Green behaviour

needs (MHN), the formation mechanism of the GDS was explained. The results are as follows.

Green technology

The presence of GDS in China has a significant positive correlation with mountains (M), water

innovation

(W), forests (Fo), farmland (Fa), lakes (L), grassland (G), human (H), production subsystems (PS), living subsystems (LS), and legal institutions and policy subsystem (LIPS). The more important the GD concept, the higher the level of GDS in China. The proposed theoretical framework is congruent with China's contextual background and explains the approach to the environment based on China's development strategy. The study's conclusions are as follows. (1) The GDS model in China is a knowledge-complex massive dynamic system with the characteristics of people-oriented and harmonious coexistence of M-W-Fo-Fa-L-G. GD concepts are included in the model in terms of PS, LS, and LIPS. (2) Human beings drive, maintain, and operate GDS throughout China. (3) Chinese GDS began with the need for black development (BD) and progressed due to BD's negative consequences. Further, the need for GD emerged, promoting the formation of Chinese GDS through the growth of green behaviour.

Nomenclature

PS

production subsystem

GD

green development

LS

living subsystem

CAS

complex adaptive system

H

human

GDS

green development system

M

mountains

KE

knowledge element

W

water

MHN

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Fo

forests

BD

black development

Fa

farmland

MKD

mapping knowledge domains

L

lakes

HN-LC

human and natural-life community

G

grassland

LIPS

legal institutions and policy subsystem

LIP

legal institutions and policy

∗ Corresponding author. [email protected] E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Long). https://doi.org/ Received ; Received in revised form ; Accepted

(X.

Li),

[email protected]

(J.

Du),

8

1. Introduction

9

Development is the common pursuit of human societies, and preservation of the environment is

10

a basic prerequisite for the survival and development of the human society (Barbier, 2014). In this

11

context, China's remarkable reform, which began in 1978 and has been characterized by rapid

12

economic and social development, has attracted worldwide attention (Perkins, 2018). Along with this

13

rapid development have come serious environmental problems, such as climate change anomalies

14

(e.g. extreme weather events, frequent occurrences of natural disasters), excessive resource

15

consumption (e.g. reduction and degradation of forests, grassland, land, and water resources) and the

16

expansion of various pollution problems (e.g. air, water, and soil pollution). History shows us that

17

development is an unyielding phenomenon. During the early stages of the industrial revolution, some

18

countries pursued black development (BD). In China, BD refers to the development patterns of

19

extensive industrialized economies with low efficiency and high levels of consumption, pollution

20

and emissions (Hu, 2017, 2018; Xu, 2014). This approach towards development allows individuals

21

to attain as much wealth as possible to satisfy individual material desires (Lu, 2016). While adopting

22

BD in some industries can deliver benefits to stakeholders in the short term, it has undoubtedly

23

resulted in increasing environmental problems.

24

As such, the question is whether development is necessarily at the expense of the environment.

25

To solve the pressing environmental problems that accompany economic and social development,

26

the idea of green development (GD), which simultaneously considers economics, resources, ecology,

27

and the environment, came into existence (Wang et al., 2018). Most researchers maintain that green

28

economy theories provide the conceptual foundation for GD (He et al., 2019; Pearce et al., 1989).

29

However, over time, ideas about GD, green growth, sustainable development, social responsibility, 2

30

production, and life have become increasingly interconnected. Therefore, to fully capture GD is a

31

complex task. The main GD bodies include government, enterprises, and individual inhabitants, as

32

representatives of an evolutionary process from a ‘matter-oriented concept’ to a ‘people-oriented

33

concept’ (Shi, 2018). In China, long-term economic development has exploited natural resources and

34

the ecological environment. The Kuznets theory proves that there is an "inverted U" relationship

35

between China's economic development and the state of the ecological environment (Liang & Yang，

36

2019). These objective realities have stressed the necessity of GD. The Chinese government has

37

already achieved results by using industrial GD as a springboard and promulgating green agriculture,

38

construction, transportation, and manufacturing (Ding et al., 2018; Kong et al., 2016; Li, 2016; Zhao,

39

2012). Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, a new era has

40

emerged, in which GD is a must. In 2018, the State Council was reorganized, creating the Ministry

41

of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Today, not only has GD

42

attracted the attention of party and government leaders, but has also received full recognition from

43

Chinese researchers.

44

Researchers have pointed out GD is a social system that includes the economy and natural

45

environment (Sun, 2018). However, few scholars have studied it from the perspective of complex

46

adaptive systems (CAS), such that GDS composition and formation mechanism have not yet been

47

fully elucidated. To bridge this gap, this paper answers the following two questions (i) what are the

48

determinants of GDS in China from the CAS perspective and (ii) what is the formation mechanism

49

of GDS in China? These questions are both significant for the enrichment of GD theory and practice.

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Although the view that GDS contains many factors has been widely accepted by researchers, most of

51

the findings seem inconclusive. Prior studies, surprisingly, neglect an in-depth description of the 3

52

implications and formation mechanism of GDS. This feature is particularly reflected in the need for

53

GDS to adjust the degree of GD concept in various subsystems in order to meet the GD needs of the

54

dynamic GDS. This paper incorporates this key feature in its parameter estimation. The innovation of

55

this paper is not only to construct and verify the Chinese GDS model based on CAS and KE theory,

56

but also to reveal the formation mechanism of the model through MHN. Therefore, this study

57

provides evidence on both the implications and functioning mechanism of GDS. In addition, the

58

Chinese GDS model proposed in this paper provides a reliable theoretical basis for subsequent

59

research, which will contribute to the expansion of GDS research. It also enriches the theoretical

60

concept of GD and sheds light on the laws of GDS operation in China. To the best of our knowledge,

61

this paper applies CAS, KE, and MHN theory to GDS research for the first time, expanding the

62

scope of the application of CAS, KE, and MHN theories. In addition, specific strategies for GD in

63

daily living and production are provided from a practical perspective.

64

The overarching goal of this paper is to respond to the questions (i) and (ii) by constructing a

65

theoretical framework for the Chinese GDS based on the CAS and KE theories and reveal the

66

formation mechanism of the Chinese GDS based on MHN.

67

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. The second section systematically reviews

68

the related literature as to introduce the research achievements and gaps in the area of GDS. The

69

third section presents the data and research method based on the literature and the proposed

70

mathematical models and theories. The fourth section presents the results based on GDS components

71

inspired by the literature and the proposed models, which simplify the modelling of Chinese GDS to

72

verify the rationality of the theoretical model to describe the formation of Chinese GDS. The fifth

73

section discusses the results, further explaining the rationality of the research results and their 4

74

limitations. The last section concludes the paper and presents future research prospects.

75

2. Literature Review

76

This paper reviews studies from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database from

77

2000 to 2019, selected based on a search of ‘green development system’. The reviewed studies in

78

English were selected from the Web of Science, using the same search terms. The first step was to

79

import the information from the literature into the statistical software and remove duplicated data and

80

invalid papers. In the second step, all retrieved papers were reviewed and irrelevant ones were

81

removed based on content relevance. In the third step, by using the citation rate, journal impact factor,

82

and author reputation factor (this paper measures the author reputation factor by the h-index in

83

Scopus (2019)), the 30 most representative papers were selected as analysis sample. Through this

84

systematic literature review, the manner in which the research on this topic evolved was identified

85

(Table 1).

86 87

Table 1 shows the research topics of the 30 selected papers (two papers are repeated).

88

Specifically, 26 papers were analysed regarding the evolution of GD research, including 12 Chinese

89

studies, 12 foreign ones, and two literature reviews by Chinese scholars (Li et al., 2018c, 2019b). Six

90

papers present the evolution of GDS research, including five Chinese studies and an international

91

one. In addition, two papers were mentioned twice, because Li et al. (2018c) compared the

92

characteristics of green development between China and foreign countries and Li et al. (2018a)

93

referred to both GD and GDS.

94

Chinese research on GD began in 2005. Early research focused on sustainable development,

95

low-carbon economies, and environmental protection (Li et al., 2018c). Recently, related research 5

96

has been expanding, being mainly concentrated in 10 areas: (1) green innovation (Li et al., 2018a), (2)

97

climate change (Li et al., 2019a,c), (3) ecological restoration (Xu et al., 2018), (4) ecological

98

civilization (Jiang et al., 2019), (5) green economy (He et al., 2019), (6) industrial structure (Yuting

99

et al., 2019), (7) urbanization (Bai et al., 2018), (8) industrial agglomeration (Zheng and Lin, 2018),

100

(9) resource exploitation and utilization (Gao et al., 2019), and (10) green development efficiency

101

(Xie et al., 2018). Li et al. (2018c) visually analysed China's GD research using the mapping of

102

knowledge domains (MKD). They found that, since 2016, related research on China's GD has

103

increased significantly both in terms of quantity and focus. Research interests during this period

104

tended to fall into four categories: (1) development conceptualizations, (2) regional and urban

105

development, (3) ecological environment, and (4) others. Chinese researchers have been more active

106

in analysing the GD index system, influencing factors, and local GD in recent years. Although these

107

studies lay the theoretical foundation for further GDS research, they did not clearly explain the

108

implications of Chinese GDS.

109

Additionally, international research on GD flourished from 2000 to 2002, with early research

110

focusing on green chemistry, climate, environment, systems, management, and other subjects

111

(Amundsen and Mortensen, 2001; Barrow, 2001; Kitazume, 2000; Metz, 2002). From 2003, related

112

research became richer, mainly on sustainable development, energy, plants, water resources etc.

113

(Mariolakos, 2007; Sæbø and Ferrini, 2006; Swart, 2003; Zamzam et al., 2003). Since 2010, topics

114

such as the green economy, cities, supply chain management, and frameworks have been favoured

115

by international GD researchers (Artmann et al., 2019a, b; Tseng et al., 2019; Unay-Gailhard and

116

Bojnec, 2019). Li et al. (2018c, 2019b) used MKD to analyse the research perspectives of

117

international green development and found that these perspectives include behaviour, strategy, 6

118

identity, innovation, quality, among others.

119

Previously, relevant research mostly explored GD conceptualizations, with some scholars more

120

recently analysing GD from a systems perspective. After studying GDS characteristics, Liu et al.

121

(2018) proposed that GD is a whole, organic system from a structural viewpoint. They described it as

122

a three-dimensional coordination system in terms of space, with intergenerational sustainability as a

123

relevant factor in terms of time. In his research on GDS simulation, Yang (2017) employed system

124

dynamics simulation modelling technology and concluded that regional GDS consists of three

125

subsystems: economic population, resource energy, and environmental assessment. Within the

126

international academic community, there has also been research on green product development (De

127

Medeiros et al., 2018), green technology (Bai et al., 2017), and green behaviour (Li et al., 2018a,b)

128

from a systematic perspective. However, these studies lack an in-depth description of the

129

implications and formation mechanism of Chinese GDS.

130

In sum, both domestic and international researchers have conducted extensive research on GD,

131

with the common observation that GD is a system that includes multiple factors. Therefore, GDS is a

132

CAS that incorporates (1) both natural resources and socio-economic factors, as well as (2) green

133

product development, green technology, and green behaviour. However, few researchers have

134

studied GDS from the CAS perspective. Moreover, GDS composition and formation mechanisms

135

have yet to be fully analysed and identified. Therefore, clarifying these issues with respect to GDS in

136

China will enrich the theoretical research on GDS.

137

3. Research Method

138 139

The main methods used in this paper are literature and mathematical model analyses. The 7

140

literature analysis method is widely used in theoretical framework studies, and it is suitable for

141

constructing a theoretical framework in the early research stages on a specific topic (Makino, 2018;

142

Ritter and Schanz, 2019), while mathematical models are effective for describing a system (Hilpert,

143

2018). Figure 1 shows our research framework. First, we conducted a systematic literature review,

144

using literature analysis to identify the relevant theories and identify the key elements of Chinese

145

GDS. Then, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for the Chinese GDS based on the CAS and

146

KE theories. The Chinese GDS model is derived using a mathematical model, while panel data from

147

the Chinese government are used as case studies to prove the model's rationality (section 4.1).

148

Finally, based on MHN theory, the formation mechanism of GDS in China is clearly identified

149

(section 4.2).

150

3.1. Literature analysis method

151

Holland (1995) proposed the CAS theory which refers to systems with a large number of

152

subjects who interact and adapt. The core idea of the theory is that adaptability creates complexity

153

(Lansing, 2003). Further, CAS is ubiquitous in people's lives, for example in politics (Bone, 2016),

154

corporate innovation and management (Roundy et al., 2018), supply chain management (Akgün et al.,

155

2014), and other areas. Despite the limited research on GD, a theoretical framework for the GDS

156

model and its formation mechanisms have been considered. Since GDS is expected to evolve over

157

time to adapt to the changing environment and is, thus, a complex system, it is necessary to propose

158

a composite modelling framework to better explain it. Hence, in this study, we approach GDS as a

159

CAS.

160

Further, this paper uses MHN to explain GDS’ formation mechanism. MHN was developed by

8

161

Maslow (1943) as an important theory in psychology that describes how various needs affect human

162

behaviour (Gratton, 1980; Wahba and Bridwell, 1973). Some researchers have successfully applied

163

MHN to corporations (Rasskazova et al., 2016) and social management (Chen and Wang, 2013). To

164

reveal the formation mechanism for GDS, this study first conducted literature analysis and then used

165

insights from MHN to characterize the formation mechanism of green behaviour. Then, after

166

applying MHN theory to the GDS model and to the formation mechanism of green behaviour, the

167

formation mechanism of GDS in China is revealed.

168

A central question of this research is how to identify the internal elements of GDS from the

169

perspective of CAS. According to KE theory (from scientometrics), a complete knowledge system

170

consists of knowledge structures, units, and elements. A knowledge structure is a collection of

171

knowledge units, where a knowledge unit comprises knowledge elements (Chen, 2005). KE theory

172

has been widely used across disciplines, for example on environmental emergencies (Li and Wang,

173

2016), information science, education, and product design (Aihong et al., 2018). As GDS is a CAS

174

with multiple interior subsystems, this paper treats each subsystem as a discrete knowledge unit,

175

using KE to explain each subsystem's implications.

176

3.2. Mathematical model analysis method

177

This study uses mathematical model analysis to construct a model for the GDS in China. After

178

proposing the mathematical equations, GDS is decomposed into subsystems and the corresponding

179

mathematical expressions are proposed. Finally, through a simultaneous equation system, the

180

equations are solved to obtain the final GDS model for China. To confirm the rationality of the

181

model, panel data from the China Statistical Yearbook (National Bureau of Statistics, 2019a) and

182

China Rural Statistical Yearbook (National Bureau of Statistics, 2019b) from 1999 to 2017 were 9

183

utilized as a case study. In the case study, the correlations between the various elements in the GDS

184

model were verified to test the reliability of the model.

185

4. Results

186

Through the interpretation of the results obtained from the literature analysis, GDS in China was

187

shown to comprise the following elements: (1) legal institutions and policy subsystem (LIPS), (2)

188

living subsystem (LS), (3) production subsystem (PS), (4) human (H), (5) mountains (M), (6) water

189

(W), (7) forests (Fo), (8) farmland (Fa), (9) lakes (L), (10) grassland (G), and (11) GD concept (Table

190

2).

191 192

4.1. Analysis of GDS in China

193

4.1.1 Composition of GDS in China

194

GD is a path that China must take, as it offers the best solution for people to live in harmony

195

with the natural environment. Drawing on CAS, this paper constructs the model of GDS (Figure 2)

196

according to the results of the studies in Table 2. In the model, GD is considered as a CAS centred on

197

the human and natural-life community (HN-LC). Under the GD umbrella, the legal institutions and

198

policy subsystem (LIPS), production subsystem (PS), and living subsystem (LS) interact with each

199

other. Integrating ideas from KE theory, one can think of GDS as a complex system of knowledge

200

with the structure GDS ={LIPS，PS，LS，HN-LC，GD}. According to the model in Figure 2, the GDS

201

in China consists of three interacting subsystems (LIPS, PS, and LS). All three subsystems are

202

related to the human and natural-life community (LN-LC) and to GD concepts.

203

The model is simplified as a mathematical equation:

10

SG = α × S HN-LC × ( S P + SL +SLI P) ,

(1)

204

where SG represents the GDS model, SP PS, SL LS, SLIPS LIPS, SHN-LC HN-LC, and α the GD concept.

205

Based on the concept of knowledge units, the three subsystems can be described as: SLIPS ={ legal

206

institution and policy system of green production, legal institution and policy system of green

207

consumption etc.}, SP={clean production industry, clean energy industry, environmental protection

208

industry, green agriculture, green building, green transportation, green mining, green supply chain,

209

green food, green construction, green manufacturing, green building materials, green chemistry,

210

green power, green energy etc.}, and SL ={green schools, green family, green economy, green living,

211

green communities, green finance, green tourism, green consumption etc.}.

212

Therefore, equation (1) indicates that SG is affected by α, SHN-LC, SP, SL, and SLIP.

213

214

4.1.2. Decomposition of the GD subsystems in China

215

In October 2017, the report of the 19th National Congress of the People's Republic of China

216

declared that people and nature are a community with a common destiny and proposed that one of

217

the basic strategies of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era is to coordinate the

218

systems of mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland and governance. A premise of this paper

219

is that HN-LC is essentially a human (H)-based, complex and diverse ecosystem that involves

220

mountains (M), water (W), forests (Fo), farmland (FA), lakes (L), and grassland (G). Therefore,

221

HN-LC as a knowledge unit can be described as: HN-LC = {human, mountain, water, forests,

222

farmland, lake, grassland}. The model in Figure 2 shows that the three GDS subsystems are related

223

to the HN-LC and GD concepts.

11

224 225

The HN-LC system can be simplified as a mathematical equation according to the results of Table 2 and Figure 2:

6

SHN−LC = xH ×∑xi .

(2)

i=1

226 227

SHN-LC is the HN-LC system, xH represents human, x1 mountains, x2 water, x3 forests, x4 farmland, x5 lakes, and x6 grassland.

6

228

Therefore, equation (2) indicates that SHN-LC is affected by xH and ∑ xi . i =1

229 230 231

4.1.3. Model construction To arrive at a more concise mathematical model, the solution is achieved by a system of simultaneous equations. In the first step, simultaneous equations (1) and (2) give the GDS model as:

6

SG = α × xH × ∑ xi × ( SP + SL +S LI P) ,

(3)

i =1

6

232

Equation (3) indicates that the SG is affected byα, xH,

∑ x , SP, SL, and SLIP. i

i =1

233

The second step is simplifying equation (3) to obtain the final GDS model as:

6

6

6

i =1

i =1

i =1

SG = α × xH × ∑ xi × S P + α × xH × ∑ xi × SL +α × xH × ∑ xi × S LI P 6

234

Equation (4) indicates that SG is affected by (1) α, xH,

∑ xi , and SP; (2) α, xH, i =1

(4) 6

∑ x , and SL; i =1

i

6

235

and (3) α, xH,

∑ x , and SLIP. i =1

i

236

The GDS model is related to people-oriented, mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland,

237

harmonious symbiosis, and GD through the PS, LS, and LIPS subsystems. From this, the

238

implications of the equation are as follows: 12

239

•

First, the relationship between human beings and nature takes the form of a community

240

in which humans are in harmony with mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland.

241

In 2005, Xi proposed the important ‘Two Mountains’ theory, calling lucid waters and

242

lush mountains invaluable assets (The State Council Information office the People’s

243

Republic of China, 2018). People should thus reflect on the importance of the scientific

244

content of this theory. That is, forests and grassland provide ecological benefits such as

245

wind and sand stabilization, water conservation, and soil and water conservation. Soil

246

resources allow for plant survival in forests, grassland, and farmlands. Wetland resources

247

support the replenishment of underground water resources and plant growth. Moreover,

248

the aforementioned natural and water resources are necessary for human survival and are

249

directly

250

mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland are interdependent and harmonious

251

CAS. As such, people must respect the laws of nature and implement scientific

252

guidelines, recognizing that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.

or

indirectly

related

to

people's

health.

253

•

Second, LIPS should be established around HN-LC as soon as possible.

254

•

Third, PS around HN-LC should be perfected on a day-to-day basis.

255

•

Finally, LS around HN-LC should be more abundant.

256

Humans

and

4.1.4. Testing the theoretical framework

257

To confirm the rationality of the model proposed in this paper, panel data from the National

258

Bureau of Statics and China Rural Statistical Yearbook from 1999 to 2017 (2019a, b) were selected

259

for testing the theoretical framework. In June 1998, the Chinese government officially set up a

260

government agency responsible for national environmental protection work, called the State

13

261

Environmental Protection Administration of China (now the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

262

of the People's Republic of China). This proves that since the middle of 1998, the Chinese

263

government's thinking (Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China,

264

2019) as well as institutional and individual behaviours (Li et al., 2019d) has begun to trend towards

265

green directions. Considering the availability and integrity of the data, the time range of panel data

266

onto this paper is from 1999 to 2017. Specifically, the correlations between M-W-Fo-Fa-L-G, and xH,

267

∑(SP+SL+SLIP) were analysed to test whether the proposed GDS model is adequate. From the

268

database, the natural reserve areas from 1999 to 2017 were selected to represent M; total water

269

resources are W; forestland is Fo; cultivated area is Fa; wetland area is L; total grassland is G; the per

270

capita GDP (PCGDP) is xH; gross domestic product (GDP) is ∑(SP+SL+SLIP); and M, W, Fo, Fa, L,

271

and G are ∑xi.

272

Since the analysis period spanned 19 years, early individual indicator data were missing. To

273

make the results more credible, this paper approached the data according to the following three steps.

274

First, averaging was used for missing data. Second, all indicators were normalized, as shown by

275

equation (5). Therefore, the sample includes eight indicators (i.e. M, W, Fo, Fa, L, G, PGDP, and

276

GDP). Table 3 shows the descriptive statistics of the original data for the relevant indicators. Third,

277

after the normalized process, SPSS 21.0 was used to test the correlations between index values. Table

278

4 shows the correlation statistics after all indicators were normalized. y=

279

x − xmin , xmax − xmin

where y represents the normalized index value and x represents the raw data.

280



281

14

(5)

282

The results show N is 19 and the Pearson correlation between ∑xi and PCGDP is 0.936,

283

indicating a highly significant positive correlation between ∑xi and PCGDP. The Pearson correlation

284

between ∑xi and GDP is 0.937, indicating a highly significant positive correlation between ∑xi and

285

GDP (i.e., ∑xi has 6 different values for M, W, Fo, Fa, L and G; and the positive correlation is

286

between the sum total of the six categories and SG.). The Pearson correlation between PCGDP and

287

GDP is 1, indicating a positive correlation between PCGDP and GDP. This means that

288

M-W-Fo-Fa-L-G, PCGDP, and GDP have significant positive correlations in China. Therefore, the

289

subsystems of GDS in China include SP, SL, SLIP, and SHN-LC.

290

GD concept is an abstract term that takes a numerical value between 0 and 1 to indicate the

291

degree of green development (Qu et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2019). Therefore, when the GD concept is

292

1, it means it is strongest and weakest when 0. To visualize the influence of the different degrees of

293

GD concept on GDS in China, this paper considered the highest, high, medium, and low degrees of α

294

(when α is 0, the Chinese GDS will have no meaning, so this paper does not consider the case when

295

α is 0) and calculated according to the following steps. First, the degrees of α were considered as 1,

296

0.75, 0.5, and 0.25 respectively, which reflect the highest, high, medium, and low degrees according

297

to the literature (Qu et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2019); second, all indicators were normalized according

298

to equation (5); finally, the data were substituted into the model of Chinese GDS for calculation.

299

Figure 3 shows the evolution of the GDS level in China under different GD concept values. The

300

results show that the higher the GD concept value, the higher the level of GDS, and vice versa.

301

Therefore, GD concept is an important determinants of the GDS level in China.

302 303

In summary, by testing the theoretical framework of related Chinese GDS indicators from 1999 15

304

to 2017, it was confirmed that the presence of GDS in China has a significant positive correlation

305

with M-W-Fo-Fa-L-G, H, PS, LS, and LIPS. As shown by the evolution of the GDS level in China

306

under different GD concept value, the higher the GD concept value, the higher the GDS level.

307

4.2. Reveal the formation mechanism of GDS in China

308

This section presents the formation mechanism of green behaviour through MHN theory and the

309

formation mechanism of GDS in China.

310

4.2.1. Formation mechanism of green behaviour

311

The well-known American psychologist Maslow (1943) made significant contributions to the

312

field of humanistic psychology. According to the MHN theory (Ye, 2009), needs give rise to

313

demands, which then coalesce into motivation. Motivation is complex and heterogenous and

314

ultimately generates behaviours. In sum, the formation mechanism of behaviours progresses through

315

needs, demands, and motivations (Figure 4).

316



317

Green behaviour is a pro-environmental approach that encompasses actions (Li et al., 2019b)

318

such as the cleaner production of goods, energy saving behaviour, green consumption, recycling,

319

disposal of household waste, and voting for green parties. With the advent of increasingly severe

320

environmental problems, green behaviour has become an important topic for governments,

321

enterprises, and people worldwide (Kronrod et al., 2012). This trend toward GD is most likely not a

322

coincidence and the contribution of green behaviour to GD cannot be ignored (Chase and Levine,

323

2017). Some researchers have studied the factors that affect green behaviour, including green

324

information (Wang et al., 2018), green faith (Kahn and Morris, 2009), and environmental education

325

(Varela-Candamio et al., 2018). Although these studies reveal the underlying influences of green

326

behaviour, they do not directly address its formation mechanism. 16

327

Until now, people have generally ignored the need to protect the natural environment and

328

address the overconsumption of natural resources, instead favouring GDP growth. Consequently, the

329

GDP has increased, but natural resources have been wasted and the environment has been seriously

330

damaged, people worldwide being now faced with persistent smog, climate anomalies, increased

331

desertification, and reduced water resources, all of which can seriously affect their quality of life and

332

health. It is true that BD can meet the temporary needs of investors and managers to maximize

333

corporate profits but following this path will over time leads to the emergence of non-green

334

behaviours. To shed light on this process, this paper introduces a behavioural formation mechanism

335

and proposes a formation mechanism for green behaviour. When people become aware that the

336

environment is being destroyed, natural resources are being wasted, and human health is imperilled,

337

it gives rise to GD, stimulating the demand for green products and services. This process intensifies

338

and spills over into the domain of enterprises, prompting them to pursue green technology innovation.

339

Therefore, green behaviour is being produced.

340

4.2.2. GDS formation mechanism

341

Any development is ultimately for the purpose of serving the human society. Thus, GD should

342

be more people-oriented. The speed of China’s development over the past few decades has been

343

staggering and the achievements made remarkable. However, some of these achievements have been

344

made at the expense of the natural environment, making this approach unsustainable. Now, China

345

must temper its economic growth rate and identify mechanisms to sustain both social and economic

346

development and the protection of the natural environment.

347 348

In the GDS model in Figure 2, the core is represented by humans, showing that people play the

349

leading role in GDS. Humans not only drive the entire GDS operation, but they also maintain and

350

operate it. The ideologies of human beings are then reflected in production and daily life, and 17

351

behaviour is ultimately the manifestation of those practices. GDS formation begins with people's BD

352

needs and progresses to the consequences of BD. This introduces the need for GD and inspires green

353

behaviour, which builds and loops back on itself, leading to the proliferation of the entire GDS.

354

However, green behaviour is human behaviour, and the human need for GD is the root cause of

355

people beginning to practice this green behaviour. Figure 5 illustrates these processes, which

356

together constitute the formation mechanism for GDS.

357

5. Discussion

358

GD is a major achievement for China on its path towards sustainable development and

359

responding to global climate change, being supported by the Party’s Central Committee, headed by

360

President Xi Jinping in (Li et al., 2018b). The GDS formation mechanism described in this paper

361

outlines the path from its roots to the operation of the system. This effort contributes to the enrichment

362

of GD theory by highlighting GD laws and specific practical strategies in daily life and production.

363

CAS theory explains the problems of complex adaptive systems and is often used to construct

364

theoretical frameworks for complex systems (Akgün et al., 2014; Bone, 2016). Since GD has the

365

characteristics of a complex adaptive system (Amundsen and Mortensen, 2001; Bai et al., 2017; De

366

Medeiros et al., 2018), using this theory to construct the GDS theoretical framework is reasonable. In

367

addition, KE theory has popularized the notions of knowledge units and structures within the academic

368

community (Aihong et al., 2018; Li and Wang, 2016; Li and Yu, 2014). This study applies KE theory

369

to conceptualize GDS as a knowledge unit composed of multiple knowledge elements, with a complex

370

structure that involves relationships between the overall system (the knowledge unit) and its

371

subsystems (the knowledge elements). Finally, MHN theory has been recognized by researchers for its

372

usefulness in revealing the formation mechanism of behaviour (Gratton, 1980; Li et al., 2018c; Wahba

373

and Bridwell, 1973). In the GDS framework proposed in this paper, HN-LC serves as the core and 18

374

human green behaviour serves as the foothold of the theoretical framework. Using MHN theory to

375

reveal the formation mechanism of green behaviour and shed light on the formation mechanism of

376

GDS is thus reasonable and appropriate.

377

The results show that LIP, production, and living have important impacts on Chinese GDS. In

378

the following, these ideas are discussed in more depth.

379

5.1 LIP and GDS in China

380

Recognizing that LIP is conducive to social stability, China has strived to adhere to the rule of

381

law. To encourage people to pay more attention to GD, the country has established a series of LIPs in

382

the recent years. Although these LIPs are not perfect (Wang et al., 2019), they include environmental

383

regulation (Yang et al., 2018), government subsidies (Xiong and Yang, 2016), and environmental

384

taxes (Niu et al., 2018). The LIPs also incorporate incentives and penalties and have generally been

385

beneficial to the stable operation of China's GDS. On the one hand, the Chinese government issued

386

some policies in favor of pollution control in 2017, requiring 28 cities (i.e. Beijing and Tianjin, etc.)

387

to minimize pollution by shifting from coal to natural gas (Ministry of Ecology and Environment of

388

the People’s Republic of China，2017). On the other hand, the Chinese government has made some

389

policies to minimize environmental violations (Zhejiang Provincial Department of Ecology and

390

Environment，2018). In addition, the government introduced performance measures for state and

391

local governments that emphasize environmental and social aspects in addition to GDP and other

392

economic indicators (National Development and Reform Commission, 2016). It is safe to conclude

393

that China's GDS cannot survive without the government's LIPs.

394

5.2 Production and GDS in China

395

The production function is a basic function of the production enterprise (Baumgartner and 19

396

Rauter, 2017). Production enterprises stimulate and promote economic growth, but should also

397

minimize their impact on the environment (Arscott, 2004). As such, the strategic business model of a

398

production enterprise tends to focus on creating value for the enterprise, which is often subject to

399

social, environmental, and economic constraints (Lloret, 2016). When production enterprises

400

participate in GD, their most important goals are to reduce uncertainty and expand stability, and it is

401

important to take this perspective into consideration when reflecting on the overall Chinese GDS. By

402

the same token, production enterprises should understand and embrace their role in the Chinese GDS

403

model, that is, to achieve green production by formulating and implementing specific measures.

404

Presently, it is not easy for production enterprises to implement green production in every aspect of

405

their operations, but they at least must acknowledge the LIPs and consider how their activities affect

406

people's living conditions. Then, they can gradually move towards fuller GD implementation to

407

ensure sustainable operations. In sum, GDS in China depends on green production within production

408

enterprises.

409

5.3 Living and GDS in China

410

In addition to work, people also engage in learning, consumption, tourism, and financial

411

planning in the course of their lives. Depending on their attitudes towards the environment, people's

412

behaviour in these areas can be green or non-green (Li et al., 2019b). For the continued healthy

413

development of China's social, economic, and natural environments, it is not enough to solely rely on

414

the mandate of LIPs or on production enterprises' unilateral efforts. Individual people's attitudes must

415

also be considered. The theory of planned behaviour argues that attitudes affect behaviour (Ajzen,

416

1991). Based on this idea, if people's positive attitudes towards green behaviour are cultivated, these

417

should spill over into support for green behaviour in other areas of life, such as green schools 20

418

(Meiboudi et al., 2018), consumption (Al Mamun et al., 2018), tourism (Votsi et al., 2014), and

419

finance (Ng et al., 2018). Therefore, to ensure China's GDS, green living is also important.

420

China's development has entered a new era, with environmental problems moving to the forefront

421

but continuing to exist. However, GD provides a solution to the conflict between environmental issues

422

and economic development. During the operation and maintenance of the GDS model, people drive

423

the system and are its most important beneficiaries. Relevant government departments should fully

424

exercise their duties and power to clear obstacles for subsystem operations under the GDS model. As

425

development must be the main concern, from now on, we should implement GD ideas and engage in

426

green behaviours.

427

The opportunities and challenges presently faced by China are complex. In 2015, the Fifth

428

Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee put forth five major development priorities

429

centred on people: innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing. In the complex

430

environment that is GDS, enterprises should maintain their commitment to green technology

431

innovation and strive to coordinate the operations of GDS subsystems. Remaining open to and learning

432

about advanced green behaviours at home and abroad is also important, as is the sharing and

433

dissemination of such new information.

434

6. Conclusions

435

Although a further evaluation of GDS operational effects is needed, the case study showed that

436

the model is in line with China's background and shed light on the Chinese development strategy's

437

response to the environment. The conclusions are as follows:

438

(1) Theoretical framework of the GDS model: The proposed theoretical and mathematical

439

models were based on CAS and KE theory and accurately reflect China's background. Furthermore,

440

LIP, production, and living have important impacts on GDS in China. First, the study identified the

441

elements of GDS in China through literature analysis: living, production, H, M, W, Fo, Fa, L, G, and 21

442

GD concepts. Second, the study found that the model of GDS in China is a knowledge-complex

443

massive

444

mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland, harmonious symbiosis, and GD running through

445

the PS, LS, and LIPS subsystems. Finally, after the model is built and tested, the study found that the

446

relationship between humans and nature is a community in which humans are in harmony with

447

mountain-water-forests-farmland-lake-grassland.

dynamic

system

with

the

concepts

of

people-oriented,

448

(2) Formation mechanism: This paper reveals the formation mechanism of green behaviour

449

through MHN theory and further the formation mechanism of GDS in China. The analysis found that

450

the formation process of GDS is as follows: in the beginning, BD needs produce negative

451

consequences and incite GD needs, promoting the formation of the entire GDS through green

452

behaviour.

453

This research makes a theoretical contribution to existing GDS research and also has practical

454

value. Although the view that GDS contains many factors has been widely accepted by researchers,

455

previous studies lacked the use of mathematical models to reveal and verify the connotation of GDS

456

based on CAS and KE theory. Although Maslow said nothing about shifts in development trends,

457

MHN theory not only explains the level of human needs from the perspective of behavioural science,

458

but also provides a theoretical basis for the formation mechanism of human behaviour. Starting from

459

the formation mechanism of behaviour, this paper reveals the formation mechanism of green

460

behaviour. In addition, evidence from China confirms that the green development of industrial

461

enterprises is embodied in green behaviour (Li et al.,2019d). Therefore, on the one hand, MHN

462

theory provides a theoretical basis for this paper. On the other hand, this paper reveals the GDS

463

formation mechanism in China through MHN theory. This not only proves that the viewpoint of this

464

paper is supported by MHN theory, but also expands the application scope of MHN theory on shifts

465

in development trend. The Chinese GDS model proposed in this paper based on CAS and KE theory

466

has been verified, and the formation mechanism of the model is revealed by MHN. Therefore, this 22

467

study provides evidence on both the implications and functioning mechanism of GDS. In addition,

468

the Chinese GDS model proposed in this paper provides a reliable theoretical basis for subsequent

469

research, which will contribute to the expansion of GDS research. It also enriches the theoretical

470

concept of GD and sheds light on the laws of GDS operation in China. To the best of our knowledge,

471

this paper applies CAS, KE, and MHN theory to GDS research for the first time, expanding the

472

scope of the application of CAS, KE, and MHN theories. As a result, specific strategies for GD in

473

daily living and production are provided from a practical perspective. Therefore, to maintain the

474

normal operation of GDS in China, this paper makes the following recommendations: LIPS in the

475

area of HN-LC should be established as soon as possible, HN-LC should be perfected day-by-day,

476

and LS for HN-LC should be more abundant.

477

However, this study has some limitations. Although this study clarifies the formation mechanism

478

of GDS, it does not evaluate the operational effects of the system. In future research, the operational

479

effects of the system can be evaluated through computer simulation experiments. Further, researchers

480

can explore the impact of LIP, production, and living on the GDS in China from an empirical

481

research perspective (Reavley and Pallant, 2009). To improve the theoretical contribution of the

482

GDS model in the international environmental field, scholars can also take other countries as

483

research objects and explore their GDS components and formation mechanisms.

484

Acknowledgements

485

This work was supported by the Special Funds of the National Social Science Fund of China

486

(18VSJ038).

487

Conflicts of interest

488

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

23

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Table Captions

731

Table 1 Evolution of GDS research 33

Evolution from GD to GDS research Evolution Chinese of GD studies research

Research topics

sustainable development, low-carbon economy, and environmental protection green innovation climate change ecological restoration ecological civilization green economy industrial structure urbanization industrial agglomeration resource exploitation and utilization green development efficiency International green chemistry, climate, studies environment, systems, management, and other subjects sustainable development, energy, plants, water resources, etc. green economy, city, supply chain management, and framework

732

behaviour, strategy, identity, innovation, quality, etc. Evolution of GDS characteristics of GDS research GDS simulation green product development, green technology, and green behaviour from a systematic perspective Table 2 GDS components in China Element Explanation legal institutions and policy LIPS is a subsystem of subsystem (LIPS) legal institutions and policy in the context of GD. living subsystem (LS) LS is a living system based on the GD background. production subsystem (PS) PS is a subsystem of the production based on GD background. 34

Source papers Li et al. (2018c)

Li et al. (2018a) Li et al. (2019a,c) Xu et al. (2018) Jiang et al. (2019) He et al. (2019) Yuting et al. (2019) Bai et al. (2018) Zheng and Lin (2018) Gao et al. (2019) Xie et al. (2018) Kitazume (2000), Metz, (2002), Barrow (2001), Amundsen and Mortensen (2001) Swart (2003), Zamzam et al. (2003), Sæbø and Ferrini (2006), Mariolakos (2007) Unay-Gailhard and Bojnec (2019) Tseng et al. (2019), Artmann et al. (2019a, b) Li et al. (2018c, 2019b) Liu et al. (2018) Yang (2017) (De Medeiros et al., 2018; Bai et al., 2017; Li et al., 2018a, c)

Source papers Cui et al. (2018), Li et al. (2018c, 2019b)

Yang (2017), Liu et al. (2018)

Bai et al. (2017), Yang (2017), De Medeiros et al. (2018), Li et al. (2018a), Zheng and Lin,

human and human (H) natural-life community mountain (M) (HN-LC) water (W)

forests (Fo)

farmland (Fa)

HN-LC is a human and natural-life community based on the GD background. HN-LC includes seven elements, that is, human, mountain, water, forests, farmland, lake and grassland. The HN-LC is at the intersection of three subsystems (i.e. LIPS, LS, and PS) and exists in various parts of the GDS.

lake (L)

grassland (G)

GD concept

733

GD concept refers to the degree of ideological understanding of human society development in the of GD.

Table 3 The descriptive statistics of the original data for M, W, Fo, Fa, L, G, PGDP and GDP N

Minimum

Maximum

PCGDP 19 7229.00 59660.00 GDP 19 90564.40 827121.70 M 19 8815.00 15188.20 W 19 23256.70 32466.40 Fo 19 26329.00 31259.90 Fa 19 130040.00 135384.60 L 19 38485.50 53602.60 G 19 392832.70 400000.00 Valid N (listwise) 19 Note: All data are original that have not been summed up. 734

(2018), He et al. (2019), Yuting et al. (2019), Unay-Gailhard and Bojnec (2019) Li et al. (2018a,b), Liu et al. (2018) Zamzam et al. (2003). Li (2018), Liu et al. (2018), Gao et al. (2019) Sæbø and Ferrini (2006), Mariolakos (2007), Liu et al. (2018), Gao et al. (2019) Sæbø and Ferrini (2006), Mariolakos (2007), Liu et al. (2018), Gao et al. (2019) Liu et al. (2018), Gao et al. (2019) Sæbø and Ferrini (2006), Mariolakos (2007), Gao et al. (2019) Sæbø and Ferrini (2006), Mariolakos, (2007), Gao et al. (2019) Pearce et al. (1989), Wang et al. (2018), Li et al. (2018c), He et al. (2019)

Table 4 The Correlation testing of PCGDP, GDP and ∑xi

35

Mean 27404.63 368944.73 14041.57 27376.64 29009.90 132896.97 43524.53 396140.69

Std. deviation 17451.89 243497.53 1770.61 2280.90 1972.74 2378.13 6505.36 3036.49

PCGDP Pearson correlation 1 PCGDP Sig. (two-tailed) N 19 Pearson correlation 1.000** GDP Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 N 19 Pearson correlation 0.936** ∑xi Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000 N 19 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749

36

GDP

∑xi

1.000** 0.000 19 1

0.936** 0.000 19 0.937** 0.000 19 1

19 0.937** 0.000 19

19

750

Figure Captions

751

Figure 1 Proposed research framework.

752 753

Figure 2 Model of GDS in China. Note: H stands for human, M for mountains, W for water; Fo

754

for forests, Fa for farmland, L for lakes, and G for grassland. The water mentioned in this paper

755

refers to freshwater.

M W

G H L

Fo LIPS

Fa

GD

GD HN-LC PS GD

LS

756 757

Figure 3 The evolution of the GDS level in China under different GD concept values. 37

758 759

Figure 4 Formation mechanism of behaviour.

760 761

Figure 5 Formation mechanism of GDS.

762 38

Theoretical Framework and Formation Development System Model in China

Mechanism

of

Highlights:






CAS and KE theories can inform the construction of a model for GDS in China Applying MHN can help reveal the formation mechanism for Chinese GDS Legal institutions, policies, production, and human life impact GDS in China The higher the level of green development concept, the higher the level of GDS in China Human beings drive, maintain, and operate GDS throughout China

the

Green

Conflicts of interest January 24, 2019 Dr. Ishwaran Editor-in-Chief Environmental Development Dear Editor: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests. Sincerely, Jianguo Du School of Management, Jiangsu University No.301, Xuefu Road, Jingkou District, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Provence, 212013, China. +8613656137998 [email protected] cc. Xingwei Li and Hongyu Long