PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on the reality of environmental management as experienced by an Algerian company while in the process of being certified.Design/methodology/approachThe approach adopted focuses on how the environmental dimension is perceived by the wage earners of the company. The perception of the environmental dimension is highlighted by means of a statistical analysis supported by the use of data processing software.FindingsThe results show that all staff categories agree that the environmental aspect is to some extent neglected compared to other aspects and that production comes at the forefront.Practical implicationsThe analysis of the results highlights the course that should be followed by any Algerian company, such as the one selected in our study, in order to implement the ISO 14001 certification successfully.Originality/valueThe interesting focus of the paper is in the human aspect, which plays a major role in any successful environmental management system

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