Environmental management practices

Purpose-Firms are adopting strategies to advance product quality and environmental sustainability to achieve improved profitability and shareholders' wealth. The study investigates strategies that create a superior quality performance to competitors and improve both environmental and business performances. This paper explores the direct and indirect influence of lean management and environmental practices on relative competitive quality advantage, environmental performance and business performance. Design/methodology/approach-The study uses a quantitative method where data is gathered from 259 manufacturing firms in Ghana. The data is gathered through customized questionnaires. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.2.8) is used to analyze the data. Firm size, industry type and importance of environmental issues are used as control variables in this study. Findings-The findings of the study indicate that both lean management and environmental practices create relative competitive quality advantage and improve environmental performance and business performance. Environmental performance and relative competitive quality advantage mediate the influence of lean management and environmental practices on business performance. The results further indicate that lean management creates a higher relative competitive quality advantage than environmental practices, while environmental practices have more potency to enhance environmental performance than lean management. Originality/value-The study develops and proposes a comprehensive theoretical framework that examines the potency of environmental practices and lean management in creating a relative competitive quality advantage and improving environmental performance and business performance from a Ghanaian perspective, which is an emerging economy in Africa. Lean management and environmental practices may jointly help firms create relative competitive advantage and improve environmental performance to enhance business performance.

Abstract
This paper explores the role of environmental management practices on sustainable development. To promote corporate
environmental management practices and green economic development, governments enact legislation aimed at
curtailing damage to the environment; in addition to government regulation, some firms apply voluntary self-regulatory
measures to limit their impact on local environments. This paper will critically review literature on current environmental
management practices and their role on sustainable development. Based on the literature review of different
sections of society, preliminary findings suggest that current environmental management practices have dissimilar
effects on sustainable development. These practices in the fields of health and law are more indicative of policy based
practices, while those in engineering and industry are more hands on. This paper concludes by recommending that
these environmental management practices be harmonized across the different sectors of society which will result in
improved sustainable development and promote green economic development.
Keywords: environment, environmental management practices, green economic development, sustainable development.
JEL Classification: M11, M41

This research focuses on determining the factors that influencing the adoption of environment management practices in Malaysia logistics industry. The determinant factors are comprised of technological, organizational, environmental, and environmental awareness and attitudes dimensions. A pilot study of questionnaire survey on the environment management practices adoption of Malaysia logistics companies was conducted, and result from several interviews with the key player in logistic industries were examined. Research results reveal that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, organizational support, quality of human resources, company size, customer pressure, regulatory pressure, governmental support, environmental uncertainty, general awareness, cost benefit awareness and environmental attitudes have significantly positive influences on the adoption of environment management practices for Malaysia logistics companies. This research also suggests implications and opportunities for future research.

This study seeks to explore the influence of environmental awareness and attitudes factors towards environmental management practices in the logistics industry in Malaysia.  This factor is being introduced in the logistic industries because of the complexity of the attributes. It also explores the logistics companies’ willingness to adopt these practices. Based on an ongoing study, this paper proposes a research model that defines the inter-relationships between the factors mentioned above.
The paper is produced based on interviews, questionnaire survey and reviews significant journal papers, other documents and online sources, including documents which offer substantial and comprehensive reviews of environmental management practices to develop this model.
Based on ongoing research, although technological, organizational and environmental factors have been taken into account in several studies on environmental issues, the awareness and attitudes factors have not yet been considered in the studies of environmental management in the logistics industry. Much remains to be learned about how awareness and attitudes factors influence of environment management practices adoption for the logistics industry, and with increasing awareness of environmental issues, there has been rising demand for environmental-friendly business practices.  This paper is proposing a model that takes several ideas of the authors, plus the result of conducted interviews and proposed a model on the willingness on adopting Environment Management Practices.