| Due to developments such as the propagation of the ISO 14000 series of standards, increased consumer awareness and the continuing search for greater efficiency, firms no longer have a choice regarding whether or not to become environmentally responsible. Rather than a question of “why” (should my firm become environmentally responsible), the question is now “how” (can my firm become environmentally responsible). There are three primary approaches that a firm can take in order to become more environmentally responsible. The first is tools-based (e.g., Life Cycle Analysis, Design for Environment). The second is to choose amongst various environmental options such as recycling and remanufacturing. The third is a more systematic approach, through the use of an environmental management system. This last option has recently become even more important in the competitive arena given the introduction of the ISO 14000 certification series, which is aimed at the certification of environmental management systems. Despite the importance of the competitive advantages that environmental responsibility offers and the introduction of the ISO 14000 series of standards, the environmental management system has only recently been the focus of the research literature. There are still many questions to be answered; chief among them are the issue of how to measure an environmental management system, the behavior of the environmental management system and how the environmental management system affects operational performance. Using the 1510 responses from a large-scale survey of American manufacturers, this study will attempt to answer those questions, while contributing to the literature a measurement model for environmental management systems and an understanding of how these systems work. |
