Implementing Environmentally Sustainable Practices at Small and Medium Enterprises
Date
2010-04-30
Advisors
Gallagher, Deborah
Orbach, Michael
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Abstract
North Carolina is challenged to foster economic development while protecting environmental
assets under regulatory and legislative mandate. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
are the major economic drivers in North Carolina, and in the United States as a whole,
but existing support networks for small emterprises looking to pursue sustainable
practices are insufficient. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required
to ensure that its regulations do not unreasonably burden SMEs. The EPA is investigating
ways that it can assist SMEs that are voluntarily trying to improve their environmental
stewardship, specifically looking at the feasibility and appropriateness of using
environmental management systems (EMSs) and peer-to-peer mentoring to help small businesses
address their corporate practices. This report provides the results of the first phase
of work for the EPA. Analysis of qualitative data from SMEs in two North Carolina
cities shows that barriers and motivations for sustainable behavior in small organizations
are different than those for larger entities. Our analysis and recommendations for
tools to help SMEs improve their environmental footprints were aided by identifying
and analyzing the motivations that SMEs cite for implementing sustainable practices.
SMEs need a simple and flexible framework for developing and implementing EMSs. Introducing
SMEs to the newly-developed “EMS Guide for SME” tool may help smaller enterprises
at different level of EMS potential incorporate an informal environmental management
system into their daily business operations. The EMS Guide for SME separates SMEs
into three categories based on their EMS development potential and provides specific
guidance for entities across the potential range. This will help organizations customize
their environmental analysis and procedures to fit their capabilities, as well as
identify areas for future development and continuous improvement. Mentoring is another
feasible and appropriate strategy to help SMEs achieve sustainability goals. Based
on comments from respondents and literature review, initial recommendations for the
structure of a mentoring program were developed. These recommendations will be incorporated
into the next phase of the EPA research – establishing a peer-to-peer network in North
Carolina for small businesses interested in sustainability.
Type
Master's projectSubject
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)Motivating forces
Social norms
Environmental management systems (EMSs)
EMS guides/tools/templates
Peer-to-peer mentoring network
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/2188Citation
Friedlander, Minna; Meer, Vanessa; & Stenclova, Sona (2010). Implementing Environmentally Sustainable Practices at Small and Medium Enterprises.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/2188.Collections
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