Environmental performance and managerial involvement in SMEs: some empirical evidence

Author

Talbot, Stéphane ; Lefebvre, Elisabeth ; Lefebvre, Louis A. ; Bourgault, Mario

Author_Institution

Math. & Ind. Eng., Ecole Polytech. de Montreal, Que., Canada

fYear

2001

fDate

6/23/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

260

Lastpage

265

Abstract

This research paper investigates how managerial involvement in the formulation and implementation of environmental strategy affects the environmental performance of manufacturing SMEs. The paper analyzes firms´ environmental strategies along two dimensions: operations and products. The results of a survey of 241 firms indicate that, along the operations dimension, SMEs should seek everyone´s participation in the improvement of their operations´ environmental performance. However, along the products dimension, in order to improve the probability of success of their environmental product differentiation strategy, SMEs should favor the involvement of a limited number of technically skilled people, acting as technological champions and gatekeepers

Keywords

design for environment; manufacture; product development; research and development management; R&D management; environmental performance; environmental product differentiation strategy; environmental strategy; firms; gatekeepers; green product development; managerial involvement; manufacturing SMEs; technological champions; Environmental management; Flexible manufacturing systems; Industrial engineering; Mathematics; Measurement standards; Multidimensional systems; Pollution measurement; Samarium; Standards publication; Technology management;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Change Management and the New Industrial Revolution, 2001. IEMC '01 Proceedings.

Conference_Location

Albany, NY

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7260-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IEMC.2001.960532

Filename

960532