Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The adoption of environmental and risk management practices: Relationships to environmental performance

  • Published:
Annals of Operations Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Strategic Goals Program sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency which focuses on the Metal Finishing Industry is used to investigate some pertinent issues related to small manufacturing enterprises' environmental performance. Results from the initial years of this program are used to evaluate a number of hypotheses related to the relationship between environmental performance and adoption of environmental and risk management practices, especially among smaller organizations. The methodology uses unique structuring of data to determine temporal environmental performance using data envelopment analysis. Results show that early and increased investment in these practices and programs may not provide for better performance benefits. The findings have implications for environmental managers in smaller organizations and policy makers overseeing these types of organizations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Annandale, D., A. Morrison-Saunders, and G. Bouma. (2004). “The Impact of Voluntary Environmental Protection Instruments on Company Environmental Performance.” Business Strategy and the Environment 13(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banker, R.D., A. Charnes, and W.W. Cooper. (1984). “Some Models for Estimating Technical and Scale Inefficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis.” Management Science, 30, 1078–1092.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brockett, P.L. and B. Golany. (1996). “Using Rank Statistics for Determining Programmatic Efficiency Differences in Data Envelopment Analysis.” Management Science, 42(3), 466–472.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmin, J., N. Darnall, and J. Homens. (2003). “Stakeholder Involvement in the Design of U.S. Voluntary Environmental Initiatives: Does Sponsorship Matter?” Policy Studies Journal, 31(4), 527–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cashore, B. and I. Vertinisky. (2000). Policy Networks and Firm Behaviors: Governance Systems and Firm

  • Charnes, C., W.W. Cooper, and E. Rhodes. (1978). “Measuring the Efficiency of Decision Making Units.” European Journal of Operational Research, 2, 429–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordeiro, J. and J. Sarkis. (1997). “Environmental Proactivism and Firm Performance: Evidence from Industry Analyst Forecasts.” Business Strategy and the Environment, 6(2), 104–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Castor, J.O. and J.J. Chrisman. (1995). “Order of Market Entry, Competitive Strategy, and Financial Performance.” Journal of Business Research, 33(2), 165–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiMaggio, P.J. and W.W. Powell. (1983). “The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields.” American Sociological Review, 48, 147–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerwin, D. and H. Kolodny. (1992). Management of Advanced Manufacturing Technology: Strategy, Organization and Innovation. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, J.T. and P.H. Birnbaum-More. (1996). “Innovation Timing Advantages: From Economic Theory to Strategic Application.” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management (JET-M), 12(4), 245–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grosskopf, S. and V. Valdmanis. (1987). “Measuring Hospital Performance: A Non-Parametric Approach.” Journal of Health Economics, 6(2), 89–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. and G. Ahuja. (1996). “Does it Pay to be Green? An Empirical Examination of the Relationship Between Emission Reduction and Firm Performance.” Business Strategy and the Environment, 5, 30–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, A. and M. Lenox. (2001). “Does it Really Pay to be Green?” The Journal of Industrial Ecology, 5(1), 105–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klassen, R.D. and C.P. McClaughlin. (1996). “The Impact of Environmental Management on Firm Performance.” Management Science, 42(8), 1199–1213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klassen, R.D. and D.C. Whybark. (1999). “Environmental Management in Operations: The Selection of Environmental Technologies.” Decision Sciences, 30(3), 601–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NCMS. (2000). Benchmarking Metal Finishing. National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nehrt, C. (1996). “Timing and Intensity Effects of Environmental Investments.” Strategic Management Journal, 17(7), 535–547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melnyk, S.A., R.P. Sroufe, and R. Calantone. (2003). “Assessing the Impact of Environmental Management Systems on Corporate and Environmental Performance.” Journal of Operations Management, 21(3), 329–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M.E. and C. van der Linde. (1995). “Green and Competitive: Ending the Stalemate.” Harvard Business Review, 73(5), 120–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, E.M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations. The Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbloom, R.S. and M.A. Cusumano. (1987). “Technological Pioneering and Competitive Advantage: The Birth of the VCR Industry.” California Management Review, 29(4), 51–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau, J.J. and J.H. Semple. (1995). “Radii of Classification Preservation in Data Envelopment Analysis: A Case Study of ‘Program Follow-Through.” Journal of the Operational Research Society, 46(8), 943–957.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russo, M. and P. Fouts. (1997). “A Resource-Based Perspective on Corporate Environmental Performance and Profitability.” Academy of Management Journal, 40, 534–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkis, J. and J.J. Cordeiro. (2001). “An Empirical Evaluation of Environmental Efficiencies and Firm Performance: Pollution Prevention Versus End-of-pipe Practice.” European Journal of Operational Research, 135(1), 102–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiford, L.M. and J. Zhu. (1999a). “An Investigation of Returns to Scale in Data Envelopment Analysis.” OMEGA, 27(1), 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiford, L.M. and J. Zhu. (1999b). “Profitability and Narketability of the Top 55 U.S. Commercial Banks.” Management Science, 45(9), 1270–1288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song, X.M., C.A. Di Benedetto, and Y.L. Zhao. (1999). “Pioneering Advantages in Manufacturing and Service Industries: Empirical Evidence from Nine Countries.” Strategic Management Journal, 20(9), 811–836.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szymanski, D.M., L.C. Troy, and S.G. Bharadwaj. (1995). “Order of Entry and Business Performance: An Empirical Synthesis and Reexamination.” Journal of Marketing, 59(4), 17–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tukker, A. (2004). “Eight Types of Product-Service System: Eight Ways to Sustainability? Experiences from Suspronet.” Business Strategy and the. Environment, 13(4), 246–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Q.H. and J. Sarkis. (2004).“Relationships Between Operational Practices and Performance among Early Adopters of Green Supply Chain Management Practices in Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises.” Journal of Operations Management, 22(3), 265–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Management, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA, 01610, U.S.A

    Joseph Sarkis

Authors
  1. Joseph Sarkis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph Sarkis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sarkis, J. The adoption of environmental and risk management practices: Relationships to environmental performance. Ann Oper Res 145, 367–381 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-006-0040-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-006-0040-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation