IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v109y2012i4p411-429.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Beyond Size: Predicting Engagement in Environmental Management Practices of Dutch SMEs

Author

Listed:
  • Lorraine Uhlaner
  • Marta Berent-Braun
  • Ronald Jeurissen
  • Gerrit Wit

Abstract

This study focuses on the prediction of the engagement of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in environmental management practices, based on a random sample of 689 SMEs. The study finds that several endogenous factors, including tangibility of sector, firm size, innovative orientation, family influence and perceived financial benefits from energy conservation, predict an SME’s level of engagement in selected environmental management practices. For family influence, this effect is found only in interaction with the number of owners. In addition to empirical research on SMEs’ environmental behavior, this article draws on the ecological modernization literature as well as the theory of planned behavior. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Lorraine Uhlaner & Marta Berent-Braun & Ronald Jeurissen & Gerrit Wit, 2012. "Beyond Size: Predicting Engagement in Environmental Management Practices of Dutch SMEs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 411-429, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:109:y:2012:i:4:p:411-429
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-011-1137-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10551-011-1137-x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-011-1137-x?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Williamson & Gary Lynch-Wood & John Ramsay, 2006. "Drivers of Environmental Behaviour in Manufacturing SMEs and the Implications for CSR," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 317-330, September.
    2. Sharma, Pramodita & Sharma, Sanjay, 2011. "Drivers of Proactive Environmental Strategy in Family Firms," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 309-334, April.
    3. Cohen, Boyd & Winn, Monika I., 2007. "Market imperfections, opportunity and sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 29-49, January.
    4. Parrish, Bradley D., 2010. "Sustainability-driven entrepreneurship: Principles of organization design," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 510-523, September.
    5. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    6. Judith Petts & Andrew Herd & Simon Gerrard & Chris Horne, 1999. "The climate and culture of environmental compliance within SMEs," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(1), pages 14-30, January.
    7. Jan Lepoutre & Aimé Heene, 2006. "Investigating the Impact of Firm Size on Small Business Social Responsibility: A Critical Review," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 257-273, September.
    8. Ven van de, B. & Graafland, J.J., 2006. "Strategic and moral motivation for corporate social responsibility," MPRA Paper 20278, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Heledd Jenkins, 2006. "Small Business Champions for Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 241-256, September.
    10. Francesco Perrini, 2006. "SMEs and CSR Theory: Evidence and Implications from an Italian Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 305-316, September.
    11. W. Gibb Dyer Jr. & David A. Whetten, 2006. "Family Firms and Social Responsibility: Preliminary Evidence from the S&P 500," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 785-802, November.
    12. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    13. Ted Fuller & Yumiao Tian, 2006. "Social and Symbolic Capital and Responsible Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Investigation of SME Narratives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 287-304, September.
    14. 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.
    15. Shalit, Sol S & Sankar, Ulaganathan, 1977. "The Measurement of Firm Size," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 59(3), pages 290-298, August.
    16. Enno Masurel, 2007. "Why SMEs invest in environmental measures: sustainability evidence from small and medium‐sized printing firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(3), pages 190-201, March.
    17. Spence, Laura J. & Jeurissen, Ronald & Rutherfoord, Robert, 2000. "Small Business and the Environment in the UK and the Netherlands: Toward Stakeholder Cooperation," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 945-965, October.
    18. Hall, Jeremy K. & Daneke, Gregory A. & Lenox, Michael J., 2010. "Sustainable development and entrepreneurship: Past contributions and future directions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 439-448, September.
    19. Francesco Perrini & Angeloantonio Russo & Antonio Tencati, 2007. "CSR Strategies of SMEs and Large Firms. Evidence from Italy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 285-300, September.
    20. György Pataki, 2009. "Ecological modernization as a paradigm of corporate sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(2), pages 82-91.
    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. Andrea Stübner & Svenja Jarchow, 2023. "Family oblige: the link between CSR and succession intention in small and medium family firms," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(3), pages 389-431, April.
    2. Gerrit de Wit & Lorraine Uhlaner & Marta Berent-Braun & Ronald Jeurissen, 2011. "Beyond Size: Predicting engagement in environmental management practices of Dutch SMEs," Scales Research Reports H201118, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    3. Brigitte Hoogendoorn & Peter van der Zwan & Daniela Guerra, 2014. "What drives environmental practices of SMEs?," Scales Research Reports H201405, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    4. Brigitte Hoogendoorn & Daniela Guerra & Peter Zwan, 2015. "What drives environmental practices of SMEs?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 759-781, April.
    5. Richard M. Crossley & Mohamed H. Elmagrhi & Collins G. Ntim, 2021. "Sustainability and legitimacy theory: The case of sustainable social and environmental practices of small and medium‐sized enterprises," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3740-3762, December.
    6. Leon Guillén & Afcha Sergio & Chu Manuel, 2022. "Research on social responsibility of small and medium enterprises: a bibliometric analysis," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(3), pages 857-909, September.
    7. Dongsoo Kim & Jongseon Lee & Nami Kim, 2023. "Engaging CSR in SMEs by exporting: The critical factors of CEOs and markets," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 1953-1964, July.
    8. Ana-Maria Zamfir & Cristina Mocanu & Adriana Grigorescu, 2017. "Circular Economy and Decision Models among European SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Suman Sen & James Cowley, 2013. "The Relevance of Stakeholder Theory and Social Capital Theory in the Context of CSR in SMEs: An Australian Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 413-427, December.
    10. Alvaro Rojas & Daniel Lorenzo, 2021. "Environmental and Social Goals in Spanish SMEs: The Moderating Effect of Family Influence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    11. 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.
    12. Christian M. Faller & Dodo zu Knyphausen-Aufseß, 2018. "Does Equity Ownership Matter for Corporate Social Responsibility? A Literature Review of Theories and Recent Empirical Findings," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 15-40, June.
    13. Dhahri, Sabrine & Omri, Anis, 2018. "Entrepreneurship contribution to the three pillars of sustainable development: What does the evidence really say?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 64-77.
    14. Guillén León, 2017. "Evaluation of the perception and application of social responsibility practices in micro, small and medium companies in Barranquilla. An analysis from the theory of Stakeholders," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 33(144), pages 261-270, August.
    15. Linda Westman & Christopher Luederitz & Aravind Kundurpi & Alexander Julian Mercado & Olaf Weber & Sarah Lynne Burch, 2019. "Conceptualizing businesses as social actors: A framework for understanding sustainability actions in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 388-402, February.
    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. Diego Matricano, 2017. "The influence of sustainable entrepreneurship culture on start-up expectations: A comparative analysis," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 71-89.
    18. Kuckertz, Andreas & Wagner, Marcus, 2010. "The influence of sustainability orientation on entrepreneurial intentions -- Investigating the role of business experience," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 524-539, September.
    19. 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.
    20. Florence A. Undiyaundeye & Julius. A. Basake, 2017. "Mentoring and Career Development of Academics in Colleges of Education in Cross River State Nigeria," European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 2, ejms_v2_i.

    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:kap:jbuset:v:109:y:2012:i:4:p:411-429. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.