Small Business Owners on Compliance with Environmental Regulations in Utah's Manufacturing Industry: A Case Study

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are estimated to have a greater carbon saving potential than larger businesses in the US and Europe. Potentially two-thirds of global pollution is attributed to SMEs yet many of these entities do not recognize this potential. Businesses in the state of Utah in the US, of which 2,821 have been identified as Manufacturing SMEs (Small Business Administration, 2015), have been labeled as major greenhouse gas emitters since Utah is susceptible to the climatic phenomenon known as inversion, one that promotes formation of ammonium nitrate-based particulate matter (PM2.5) in the atmosphere. The specific problem addressed in this study is a majority of small manufacturing businesses in Utah, as in the US in general, remain non-compliant to air quality government regulations to collectively reduce the life-threatening emissions of PM2.5. Scholars have yet to agree on how entrepreneurs understand the role of their SMEs on climate issues, and compliance with air quality government regulations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to document and describe how small manufacturing business owners in Utah perceive compliance with government air quality regulations to reduce the life-threatening emissions of PM2.5 levels during the inversion climate phenomena. This multiple-case research design utilized criterion and snowball sampling methodologies. The researcher conducted seven in-depth face-to-face individual interviews with small manufacturing business owners in Utah. A cross-case synthesis provided compelling evidence of how small business owners perceive their understanding, responsibility, and willingness, as well as the value of complying with governmental air quality regulations. It is recommended that more research be conducted to gain an even greater understanding of how unique SMEs perceive air quality regulations and environmental regulations in general. Subsequently, because results from this study cannot guarantee to generate similar outcomes for other geographic regions, additional case studies should be conducted to explore, in more depth, the perceptions of SME owners on environmental regulations and climate change.