Environmental performance and managerial involvement in SMEs: some empirical evidence

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.