Impacts of Governors’ Early-life Heatwave Experiences on Local Environmental Performance

As a main outcome of climate change, heatwave events have increasingly caused both physical and psychological trauma to human beings. This research investigates the mental influence of early-life heatwave experiences on the personalities of top managers and the subsequent impact on organizational performance. Specifically, the study examines whether public sector governors with early-life heatwave exposure promote local environmental outcomes during their tenure. Employing an ordinary least-squares (OLS) approach, the empirical analysis utilizes two unique datasets comprising the biographical experiences of 4018 municipal governors over the past 50 years and the pollution levels of 288 cities between 2000 and 2016. This study provides clear and robust evidence that early-life heatwave exposure significantly reduces jurisdictional CO2 emissions by 1.1% and PM2.5 pollution by 2.1%, despite variations in heatwave criteria. These findings supplement the top management literature and challenge the current belief of the public unawareness of climate change.