중소기업의 환경관련 내․외부요인이 환경경영활동 및 환경

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effects of environmental concerns of chief executive officers as an internal factor, social issuing of environment as an external factor, and environmental sensitivity of consumers, environmental regulations of the government, and company monitoring by environmental groups on company's environmental internal activities, network building, implementation levels, and environmental management performance. In addition, the study investigated government and relevant organizations' moderating effect on company support to identify the effects of internal and external factors of small and medium-sized companies on environmental internal activities of companies and network building. Data was collected by surveying chief executive officers and managers of small and medium-sized companies involving biology which is closely related with environment. Of the representatives, executives and managers in charge of environmental management, only one person was interviewed in each company. A total of 210 questionnaires were distributed and collected on the spot, of which 207 questionnaires were used for the final analysis, excluding three with incomplete answers. The results of the study were as follows: First, the higher concerns chief executive officers had on environment, the more environmental internal activities were performed, but it did not have significant relations with cooperative network building with external organizations. The findings indicate that capabilities of the chief executive officers to manage their own companies were the most important, followed by their intention to use resources of the companies to the maximum. Therefore, for active environmental management of small and medium-sized companies, promotion and seminars should be organized so that chief executive officers can have more recognition and concerns for environment. The government and relevant organizations such as Small & Medium Business Administration should develop a variety of consulting or education programs to encourage the chief executive officers to have more concerns for environment, which will stimulate performances of internal activities of the companies directly and indirectly. Second, social issuing of environment and government regulations increased internal activities of environmental companies while environmental sensitivity of customers and monitoring levels of environmental groups had no effect on the internal activities. The results showed that environmental sensitivity of customers and monitoring levels of environmental groups increased network building with external organizations while social issuing of environment and government regulation did not have a significant effect on external network building. Such results indicate that the more social issues of environment occurred, the more actively the companies were engaged in discussion and data collection on environmental issues. It was found that environmental management of small and medium-sized companies was performed with strong pressure such as government regulations rather than by their voluntary efforts through monitoring of environmental groups. Therefore, small and medium-sized companies perceived environmental factors for higher competitive power as more government regulations and environmental issues being given, and they believed that investment in environment would bring more financial gains though it causes losses in a short-term perspective and intended to build integrated environmental management systems. It is suggested that they should consider environment in entire processes involving products by perceiving environmental regulation and pressure as a strategic means to secure competitive advantages. Third, social issuing of environment and government regulations did not have a significant effect on network building. However, the higher environmental sensitivity of customers and monitoring levels of environmental groups were, the stronger network building with external organizations they were engaged in. Network building with external relevant organizations for cooperation and exchanges was more active with higher levels of environmental sensitivity of customers and the monitoring of environmental groups. Social issuing and government regulations seem equally applied to the companies, but in respect to environmental sensitivity of customers and monitoring levels of environmental groups, companies should cooperate with relevant organizations as customers are important subjects to deal with and respond to. Fourth, the more internal activities environmental companies were engaged in, the more network building and environment activities were performed. The results indicate that building networks with companies involving the same kinds of products or relevant organizations is very effective to collect current information and to identify technology and market trends as well as to induce cooperation. Therefore, as creative ideas were more actively generated through collecting and sharing information from companies, they had more concerns for the importance of environment, more actively participating in network building with relevant organizations and environmental activities. Fifth, network building of companies had a significant effect on the performance of environmental activities, which indicates that small and medium-sized companies do not make a direct investment in environmental activities or development of technologies to produce green products although they build networks with other companies and relevant organizations. Therefore, network building by small and medium-sized companies did not contribute to performances of environmental management activities through acquisition of external resources, information collection, or cooperation with other companies. Finally, the performance levels of environmental activities had a positive effect on environmental management performances. The environmental management activities of small and medium-sized companies and development know-how contributed to higher quality of products and improved company images, which will provide sources to make products desired by customers. Based on such sources, environmental technology development processes are newly built to make products preferred by customers, management facilities are converted, or environmental creativity can be added to development of products. In conclusion, the environmental management results for environmental management activities had a positive effect on reinforcement of potential internal capability of the companies. Therefore, the government should support positive exchanges and informal gatherings such as joining in Industrial Association as well as emotional bilateral ties with companies of the same kinds to increase performances of environmental activities of small and medium-sized companies.