University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

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SUPPLY – CHAIN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT:
A CASE STUDY OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SMEs?
Abstract
Richard Howarth
School of Social Sciences,
The Nottingham Trent University
Although not vast there is an existing body of literature which addresses and investigates Small
and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and their environment related behaviour. This body of
work regularly highlights the impact SMEs have on the environment and the current ‘problem’ of
SMEs in this area (i.e. large overall/grouped impact and limited current activity).
When considering the overall change process, much of the current literature (and theory)
identifies the importance of external factors and, in particular, external ‘pressure’ (i.e. from
regulation and the supply-chain). The impacts of such ‘pressure(s)’ coming alongside other
factors such as external support and guidance and internal factors such as available resources,
champions, ethics and so on.
With the above in mind, and as a result of a specific knowledge transfer project (and case study
problem), this paper engages this overall area but focuses on SME behaviour and the practice of
environmental supply-chain management (ESCM). In doing so the author specifically considers
the case(s) for engagement in an ESCM context from theory and practice and the benefits of this.
Keywords: SMEs, Environmental Supply-Chain Management, Sense-Making, Dialogue
SMEs and the SME-Environment Behaviour Context
SMEs and why SMEs in a/the Supply-Chain Context
Storey (1994), whilst noting there are varied definitions and interpretations of what
SMEs are, suggests that SMEs account for the majority of businesses around the
globe and in the UK. The DTI (2005) identify that SMEs constitute over 99% of UK
business and of the organisations ‘captured’ by the EU definition of SMEs 18
98% have fewer than 50 employees and the grouping contributes just over 50% of
employment and just over a quarter of UK GDP. Graham (1996), amongst others
(E.g. Beaver and Jennings, 2000), supports this overall impact and both the
predominance and importance of SMEs and Storey (1994) further notes their
9 The European Union (EC, 2005: 14) defines an SME as a company: which is an independent enterprise (i.e. 25%
or more of the capital or voting rights can not be owned by a large enterprise, with fewer than 250 employees)
and has either: an annual turnover not exceeding 50m Euros or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding
43m Euros