Green Silk Road: How stakeholders shape the ESG footprint of Chinese international contractors

Purpose – Understanding the impact of internal and external stakeholders on the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of Chinese International Contractors (CICs) is of great significance for enhancing their global competitiveness and promoting sustainable development. This study constructs a theoretical framework to examine how internal and external stakeholders influence the ESG performance of CICs by analyzing the interrelationships among employee participation in corporate social responsibility (CSR), customer expectations, partner expectations, government regulation, local community pressure, CSR practices, and ESG performance. Design/methodology/approach – By analyzing 351 valid questionnaires, this study utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the path relationships between variables and employed fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify the impact of different combinations of conditions on the outcomes. Findings – The analysis results indicate that factors such as employee participation in CSR, customer expectations, partner expectations, and government regulation indirectly have a positive impact on ESG performance through the mediating variable of CSR practices. Meanwhile, CSR practices themselves also have a positive impact on ESG performance. Originality/value – By adopting a stakeholder-centered perspective, this study advances existing ESG research by revealing how internal and external stakeholders jointly shape ESG performance through CSR practices in the context of CICs. Beyond theoretical insights, the findings are translated into concrete managerial tools – such as stakeholder salience matrices, CSR maturity assessments, supply-chain ESG scorecards, and community engagement protocols – that enable CICs to operationalize stakeholder governance and systematically enhance ESG performance across international projects. Highlights – By analyzing 351 valid questionnaires, this study conducted comprehensive modeling and empirical analysis using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methods. The analysis results indicate that factors such as employee participation in CSR, customer expectations, partner expectations, and government regulation indirectly have a positive impact on ESG performance through the mediating variable of CSR practices. Meanwhile, CSR practices themselves also have a positive impact on ESG performance. In addition, there is no precondition for establishing ESG. These conclusions provide theoretical, practical, and policy references for CICs to better formulate corporate strategies, improve ESG performance, and competitiveness from the perspective of stakeholders.