An analysis of environmental sustainability in small & medium‐sized enterprises: Patterns and trends

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges facing the world today is climate change. The need to consistently advance with environmentally sustainable practices in today's businesses is crucial, and businesses are demanded to be more environmentally sustainable every day. This study conducts an analysis of the literature on small and medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs) environmental sustainability by carefully examining 122 studies from 58 journals published from 2013 to 2019. We investigate the trends in drivers and barriers of sustainability adoption to inform both SMEs managers and policymakers. Our results also classify the reviewed studies on the basis of their methodologies and show the distribution of studies across industry sectors and locations in order to set directions for future research on sustainability practices of SMEs.

The Moderating Effect of Store Format on the Relationships Between ICT, Innovation and Sustainability in Retailing

“…This author states that business success will depend on the ability of companies to add environmental, social and economic values to their daily activities, including three key concepts around them: planet, people and profit. Therefore, taking into account these three pillars of sustainability, environmental value has been explained as the actions developed by companies to create products and services without causing harm to the environment ( Bakos et al, 2020 ). The social dimension is associated with the ability of companies to manage their businesses, improve quality of life and reinforce the relationships that organizations have with the various stakeholders that make up their environment ( Malak-Rawlikowska et al, 2019 ).…”

The effects of environmental, social and governance disclosure on the cost of capital in small and medium enterprises: The role of family business status

“…The practical relevance of bridging this gap is straightforward. SMEs represent 90% and 99% of worldwide (Bakos, Siu, Orengo, & Kasiri, 2020) and EU (Bartolacci, Caputo, & Soverchia, 2019) businesses, respectively, and their peculiarities in terms of structural, social, and functional factors (Russo & Perrini, 2010) make them very different from large firms. Indeed, SMEs are far from being “little big firms” (Tilley, 2000), and their specific characteristics (Dey et al, 2020), such as simpler management schemes, limited financial and human resources, and stronger social relations, may alter the effectiveness of ESG disclosure.…”

Responsible Innovation in SMEs: A Systematic Literature Review for a Conceptual Model

“…In the first internal driver, the values and principles proposed in the CSR strategy were driven gradually and according to the personal values of the business owner or manager, which means an internal drive, from an internal champion to the highest level of management [32]. In the analysis [105] management and stakeholder pressure were the main influences on a company's adoption of environmentally responsible practices. Also, the higher the position in SMEs, the greater the willingness to adopt environmentally responsible practices [106].…”

“…Another, external driver, which has to do with external pressure such as regulation is an important driver of socially responsible practices [94], similarly, regulation is an effective factor in driving the implementation of responsible research and innovation [6]. Additionally, SMEs will avoid fines if they do adapt their practices to regulation [105]. In contrast, external pressure from both clients and legislation is applicable but weak [32].…”