IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v22y2013i3p173-186.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises and Sustainability: Managers' Values and Engagement with Environmental and Climate Change Issues

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Williams
  • Anja Schaefer

Abstract

This article reports on an in‐depth, qualitative study into the pro‐environmental engagement of small businesses in the east of England, with respect to climate change in particular. Managers of environmentally pro‐active small businesses were asked about the pro‐environmental measures they had implemented in their firms, their motivations for doing so, and their understanding of climate change. The managers in this study had a relatively good understanding of environmental issues in general and climate change in particular, and had implemented a range of pro‐environmental measures in their firms. Their understanding of climate change was a holistic one, which sat within their overall understanding of environmental and social issues. While economic arguments and external pressure played a role in their pro‐environmental engagement, perhaps the most notable motivation for managers in this study to engage with environmental and climate change issues was personal values and beliefs. Environmentally engaged managers exhibited an internal locus of control. Some of these findings contrast with the views of key informants in local government and business advice organisations, who tend to emphasise the business case and cost arguments when trying to encourage small businesses towards greater environmental engagement. These findings suggest that public policy and business advice in this area should perhaps focus more strongly on personal values and a sense of being able to contribute to environmental protection in their engagement with small businesses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Williams & Anja Schaefer, 2013. "Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises and Sustainability: Managers' Values and Engagement with Environmental and Climate Change Issues," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 173-186, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:22:y:2013:i:3:p:173-186
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1740
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1740
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.1740?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Hitchens & Samarthia Thankappan & Mary Trainor & Jens Clausen & Bruna De Marchi, 2005. "Environmental Performance, Competitiveness And Management Of Small Businesses In Europe," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 96(5), pages 541-557, December.
    2. Andrea Revell & Robert Blackburn, 2007. "The business case for sustainability? An examination of small firms in the UK's construction and restaurant sectors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(6), pages 404-420, September.
    3. S. R. Lawrence & E. Collins & K. Pavlovich & M. Arunachalam, 2006. "Sustainability practices of SMEs: the case of NZ," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 242-257, July.
    4. Mark Cordano & R. Marshall & Murray Silverman, 2010. "How do Small and Medium Enterprises Go “Green”? A Study of Environmental Management Programs in the U.S. Wine Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 92(3), pages 463-478, March.
    5. David Fritzsche & E. Oz, 2007. "Personal Values’ Influence on the Ethical Dimension of Decision Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 335-343, November.
    6. Mike Simpson & Nick Taylor & Karen Barker, 2004. "Environmental responsibility in SMEs: does it deliver competitive advantage?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 156-171, May.
    7. Pursey P. M. A. R. Heugens & Muel Kaptein & J. (Hans) van Oosterhout, 2008. "Contracts to Communities: A Processual Model of Organizational Virtue," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 100-121, January.
    8. Antony Paulraj, 2009. "Environmental motivations: a classification scheme and its impact on environmental strategies and practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 453-468, November.
    9. Anderson Gwanyebit Kehbila & Jürgen Ertel & Alan Colin Brent, 2009. "Strategic corporate environmental management within the South African automotive industry: motivations, benefits, hurdles," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(6), pages 310-323, November.
    10. David Gadenne & Jessica Kennedy & Catherine McKeiver, 2009. "An Empirical Study of Environmental Awareness and Practices in SMEs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(1), pages 45-63, January.
    11. Andrea Revell & David Stokes & Hsin Chen, 2010. "Small businesses and the environment: turning over a new leaf?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(5), pages 273-288, July.
    12. Jaryn Bradford & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2008. "Local authorities, climate change and small and medium enterprises: identifying effective policy instruments to reduce energy use and carbon emissions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 156-172, May.
    13. Martina Battisti & Martin Perry, 2011. "Walking the talk? Environmental responsibility from the perspective of small‐business owners," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(3), pages 172-185, May.
    14. Sue Cassells & Kate Lewis, 2011. "SMEs and environmental responsibility: do actions reflect attitudes?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(3), pages 186-199, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Matthew P. Johnson, 2015. "Sustainability Management and Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Managers' Awareness and Implementation of Innovative Tools," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(5), pages 271-285, September.
    2. Juan Felipe Reyes‐Rodríguez & John P. Ulhøi & Henning Madsen, 2016. "Corporate Environmental Sustainability in Danish SMEs: A Longitudinal Study of Motivators, Initiatives, and Strategic Effects," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(4), pages 193-212, July.
    3. Johan Graafland & Hugo Smid, 2016. "Environmental Impacts of SMEs and the Effects of Formal Management Tools: Evidence from EU's Largest Survey," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(5), pages 297-307, September.
    4. Kate V. Lewis & Sue Cassells & Hernan Roxas, 2015. "SMEs and the Potential for A Collaborative Path to Environmental Responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 750-764, December.
    5. Parisa Salimzadeh & Jerry Courvisanos, 2015. "A Conceptual Framework for Assessing Sustainable Development in Regional SMEs," Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(04), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Gilberto Cassoli de Oliveira Junior & Jefferson de Souza Pinto & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Walter Leal Filho & Milena Pavan Serafim & Rosley Anholon, 2021. "Insertion of Sustainable Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Companies: Analysis of the Main Barriers in the Brazilian Metalworking Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-10, October.
    7. Sam Hampton, 2018. "‘It’s the soft stuff that’s hard’: Investigating the role played by low carbon small- and medium-sized enterprise advisors in sustainability transitions," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 33(4), pages 384-404, June.
    8. Silvia Cantele & Alessandro Zardini, 2020. "What drives small and medium enterprises towards sustainability? Role of interactions between pressures, barriers, and benefits," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 126-136, January.
    9. David Talbot & Nicolas Raineri & Alain Daou, 2021. "Implementation of sustainability management tools: The contribution of awareness, external pressures, and stakeholder consultation," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 71-81, January.
    10. Chrisovalantis Malesios & Antonis Skouloudis & Prasanta Kumar Dey & Fouad Ben Abdelaziz & Apostolos Kantartzis & Konstantinos Evangelinos, 2018. "Impact of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises sustainability practices and performance on economic growth from a managerial perspective: Modeling considerations and empirical analysis results," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 960-972, November.
    11. Christian Dienes, 2015. "Energy and Material Efficiency Improvements, Compliance Strategies, and Investments in Resource Efficiency: A Cross-Country Study," Schumpeter Discussion Papers SDP15004, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    12. Gabriel Eweje, 2020. "Proactive environmental and social strategies in a small‐ to medium‐sized company: A case study of a Japanese SME," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(7), pages 2927-2938, November.
    13. Stephen Brammer & Stefan Hoejmose & Kerry Marchant, 2012. "Environmental Management in SMEs in the UK: Practices, Pressures and Perceived Benefits," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(7), pages 423-434, November.
    14. Jacob Hörisch & Matthew P. Johnson & Stefan Schaltegger, 2015. "Implementation of Sustainability Management and Company Size: A Knowledge‐Based View," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 765-779, December.
    15. Chege, Samwel Macharia & Wang, Daoping, 2020. "The influence of technology innovation on SME performance through environmental sustainability practices in Kenya," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    16. Maria Jesus Bonilla‐Priego & Juan‐José Nájera‐Sánchez & Xavier Font, 2022. "Beyond ethics: The transformational power of overlapping motivations in implementing strategic sustainability actions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 685-697, March.
    17. Silvia Cantele & Silvia Vernizzi & Bettina Campedelli, 2020. "Untangling the Origins of Sustainable Commitment: New Insights on the Small vs. Large Firms’ Debate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, January.
    18. Jean-Marie Courrent & Sonia Chassé & Waleed Omri, 2018. "Do Entrepreneurial SMEs Perform Better Because They are More Responsible?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 317-336, December.
    19. Francisco J. Sáez-Martínez & Cristina Díaz-García & Ángela González-Moreno, 2016. "Factors Promoting Environmental Responsibility in European SMEs: The Effect on Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-14, September.
    20. Sue Cassells & Kate Lewis, 2011. "SMEs and environmental responsibility: do actions reflect attitudes?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(3), pages 186-199, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:22:y:2013:i:3:p:173-186. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.