Core Values and Environmental Management: A Strong Inference Approach

Difficulty exists in explaining why firms differ in their levels of success in implementing management initiatives in operations, such as environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM), total quality management (TQM) and just-in-time manufacturing (JIT). It is even more difficult to explain why success varies among programmes within a firm. This paper reports on a large-scale empirical study of firms that have implemented both a quality management system (ISO 9000) and an environmental management system (ISO 14000). We study the relationships between the two and propose a new model, based on firm core values, which can help explain the differences in programme success. With further development, the model may be extended to explain between-firm differences with particular insights into EMS (environmental management systems) management.