Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10494616 | Long Range Planning | 2005 | 16 Pages |
Abstract
What drives the environmental behaviour of companies is an under-researched and underdeveloped
area of study, particularly in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
This article investigates to what extent the responses by UK screen-printing companies to
pressures to improve their environmental performance represented a deliberate attempt
by senior managers to provide their organisations with a strategic competitive advantage.
Using both a quantitative and qualitative approach, the research shows that the
environmental responses of this sector tended to be reactive, defensive and driven by e
and frequently limited to e legislative compliance. Even though companies accepted that
there were potential commercial benefits to be gained from environmental action, there
was very little evidence to indicate that managerial decisions were motivated by strategic
intent or that managerial mindsets were tuned to the notion that a proactive
environmental response could offer a competitive edge. The article discusses the
management implications of this lack of strategic orientation and highlights how a more
innovative response by companies could provide both demand and supply side benefits.
Keywords
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Business, Management and Accounting
Business and International Management
Authors
Ian Worthington, Dean Patton,