Managing to be environmentally responsible: incentives and disincentives reported by small businesses

ABSTRACT The aim of the article is to explore the barriers and drivers to (and associated incentives and disincentives of) engaging with environmental management practices for small businesses. The data are derived from a sample of 148 small New Zealand manufacturing firms within one geographic region of New Zealand and analysed using non-parametric testing. Acknowledging the heterogeneity of small businesses, four categories of comparison are investigated, namely firm-focus, family-focus, firm size and age. Variable levels of engagement with environmental management practices are reported and disconnects between intention and action are evidenced. Despite a strong moral imperative for action being reported, this was not translated into firm-based practice. Further, lack of clarity as to the value of pursuing environmentally oriented change from a business perspective is evident. The article addresses a knowledge gap in respect of small firms and environmental management in this location and using these specific foci of empirical enquiry.