Adoption and maintenance of environmental management systems: critical success factors

The implementation of various management systems and standards has become an important activity for organisations irrespective of their size, sector or nature of the business. Even with a history of implementing change across the organisation, managers continue to experience resistance and challenges when implementing and maintaining the systems/standards, whether they be in quality, occupational health and safety, environmental or any other area. Based on a major research project recently completed, this paper presents the critical success factors for successful implementation of an environmental management system. The project involved three phases of fieldwork: preliminary interviews, a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. A brief summary of the findings from each of these phases of research is presented. Based on the findings, the paper discusses the critical success factors for the successful implementation and maintenance of EMS.<br /

A framework for environmental management system adoption and maintenance : an Australian perspective

Purpose &ndash; The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for environmental management system (EMS) adoption which can be used by managers to enable them to achieve a faster, smoother, effective and sustainable EMS implementation. This is termed by the authors as &ldquo;successful&rdquo; EMS implementation.Design/methodology/approach &ndash; The framework presented is based on an extensive field study conducted in Australia that included a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews conducted with practitioners, the results of which have been reported in this and other journals.Findings &ndash; The framework presented covers three distinct phases, namely development, certification and maintenance and continuous improvement. Preliminary assessment of this framework by a group of Australian experts that included four senior managers, one academic and one consultant suggests that this framework is a useful tool for implementing an effective EMS.Practical implications &ndash; Each of the three phases of the framework provides a step-by-step approach and a sequential map towards a successful EMS implementation.Originality/value &ndash; The framework has been developed from extensive fieldwork and has been validated by a group of &ldquo;experts&rdquo; which comprised of four industry practitioners, one management academic, and one EMS consultant. The framework provides a detailed understanding of the steps involved in the implementation, certification, and maintenance of EMS. <br /

Stakeholder involvement in the EMS adoption process

This paper summarises the findings of the qualitative part of a large study aimed at exploring the extent of involvement of organisational stakeholders (employees and suppliers) during the environmental management system (EMS) adoption process. Interviews with nine senior/middle managers from Australian manufacturing and service organisations revealed the growing awareness of the impact of their products and processes on the ecological and social environments. Moreover, implementation of an EMS or waste management system (WMS) is accepted as a learning curve by both the organisation and its stakeholders, including its employees. Organisations at the same time are also contemplating the need for certifying their existing EMS against international standards such as ISO 14001 based on the cost-benefits resulting from the certification.<br /

Environmental management system adoption by government departments/agencies

Purpose: &ndash; This paper seeks to examine the adoption of an environmental management system (EMS) in government departments involved in one Australian state and identify the key factors that contribute to successful adoption.Design/methodology/approach: &ndash; Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with environmental coordinators involved in the EMS adoption. The external consultant appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority who provided the training on behalf of the government departments was also interviewed.Findings: &ndash; The results from the analysis shows that environmental coordinators valued the training as it enhanced their knowledge and skills. They experienced a combination of both tangible and intangible benefits. The lack of contribution and support from top management; difficulty in accessing resources; and resistance from employees were the main challenges experienced during EMS implementation. Recommendations made by the interviewees included: providing training to top management to increase their understanding of the EMS process and its benefits; selection of the right champion; provision of adequate resources; and, training of employees.Research limitations/implications: &ndash; The findings are based on interviews conducted in only one Australian state and no follow up interviews could be undertaken to track the progress made by various departments.Originality/value: &ndash; The findings of this paper are original as no other similar study has been undertaken in this Australian state documenting the experiences of environmental coordinators when implementing an EMS. Our findings have practical implications for public sector organisations and government departments implementing EMS. <br /

Consideration of selflessness and self-interest in outsourcing decisions

Purpose &ndash; The paper aims to discuss the need to balance selflessness and self-interest issues in outsourcing decisions. This discussion is timely given the tensions that currently exist between those who want off-shore outsourcing to continue as a means for increasing international trade, and those who only want to conduct business on-shore. Design/methodology/approach &ndash; A conceptual approach has been taken in this paper in order to highlight key considerations for ethical decision-making with respect to off-shore outsourcing. Findings &ndash; Considerations of selflessness and self-interest are embedded in outsourcing decisions. It is recommended that a balance between making profits and fulfilling social responsibilities is required, ideally, at each stage of decision-making. Hence, managers should think critically about the reasons behind off-shore outsourcing decisions, the process of arriving at decisions, and the impact of their decisions on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications &ndash; This is a conceptual paper and further empirical data to validate the stages of decision-making framework are required. Practical implications &ndash; Failure to take into account the selflessness and self-interest outcomes of off-shore outsourcing could potentially off-set strategic gains by leading to negative media publicity for a company. Social implications &ndash; Ethical considerations as part of outsourcing decisions should result in a transparent, fair and more humane working environment for both the host and the home country representatives involved in the process. Originality/value &ndash; This paper presents an original framework of selflessness and self-interest considerations when making off-shore outsourcing decisions. Both Eastern and Western business perspectives have been incorporated as part of the decision-making framework

Implementing lean management/Six Sigma in hospitals: beyond empowerment or work intensification?

This article analyses a process improvement project based on Lean Six Sigma (LSS) techniques in the emergency department (ED) of a large Australian hospital. We consider perspectives of the clinical and managerial staff involved in the project implementation, its implications for empowerment and work intensification. We find that the project appeared to improve patient flow from the ED to the wards and to have positive implications for some staff. However, these achievements tended to be the result of senior staff using the project to leverage resources and create desirable outcomes, rather than the result of the use of LSS, in particular. We found some evidence of work intensification, but this was attributable to wider systemic issues and budget constraints, rather than being a direct consequence of the use of LSS. We argue that translating LSS from a manufacturing context into the politicised and professionalised context of healthcare changes the usual questions about empowerment or work intensification to questions about the influences of powerful stakeholders