Improving the Environmental Effects of Business Practice Toward Corporate Social Responsibility

Leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fail to incorporate green practice, such as life-cycle analysis (LCA), because of a lack of resources and insufficient information on how to integrate such practice into the work stream. Research on environmentally sustainable practice within SMEs is minimal, and business leaders do not possess a clear understanding of how to link the implementation of green practice to the ultimate bottomline cost. The purpose of this study was to explore the opportunities to implement LCA into a SME. A qualitative case study, based on Epstein's theoretical framework of corporate sustainability, was conducted within a SME. The primary research question involved identifying the steps necessary to implement sustainable practice using LCA. Data collected from a purposeful sample of 7 structured interviews, direct observations and document review was coded and analyzed. Emergent themes described in the presentation of the findings highlight the lack of incentives for employers and employees to participate in green practices, the need for education, and the opportunity for SMEs to form partnerships with general contractors in the construction industry. These themes were used to address opportunities for improving environmental management systems at the SME, and the steps necessary to implement LCA were documented. The LCA which was developed as a result of this research provides a comprehensive examination of the ecological aspects of selected processes at the case-study site. Implications for positive social change include opportunities for leaders to integrate green methods such as LCA into business operations. This can lead to greater fulfillment of corporate social responsibility designed to reduce environmental waste.