The effects of pollution prevention on performance

Abstract

Purpose As pressure for companies to improve their environmental performance has intensified in recent years, research attention has shifted away from establishing a link between environmental practices and performance towards consideration of other factors that might facilitate performance improvements. The purpose of this paper is to: first, to investigate whether internal support processes interact with pollution prevention by positively moderating the relationship between pollution prevention and environmental performance; and, second, to assess whether the relationship between pollution prevention and cost performance is mediated by environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach It uses a cross-sectional survey of 1,200 UK-based food processing firms to gather information on environmental practices and performance. Regression analysis was conducted on a sample of 149 responding firms to assess the hypothesised relationships. Findings Support was found for two of the four moderated relationships hypothesised namely, suggesting that internal support processes support the environmental performance of some pollution prevention practices. Strong support for a mediated relationship between pollution prevention, environmental performance and cost performance was provided by the results. Originality/value This study provides an original contribution to the literature on the performance outcomes of environmental practices by considering a number indirect relationships between environmental practices and performance. This has implications for the interpretation of the relationship between environmental practices and performance.

The relationship between downstream environmental logistics practices and performance

“…The environmental impact that occurs within internal operations and broader supply chains has emerged as an important consideration for businesses today, generating a general increase in the level of implementation of environmental practices (Kumar et al, 2011;Akin-Ates et al 2012; Mitra and Datta 2014;Daily et al, 2015;Dubey et al, 2015;Kumar et al 2015). The increased pressure on companies to manage their environmental impacts and responsibilities prompts questions about the relationship between environmental management efforts and company performance (Dam and Petkova, 2014;Graham and McAdam, 2016). Over the past two decades, the question of whether or not it pays to be green has received substantial research attention (King and Lennox, 2001;Rao and Holt, 2005;Green et al, 2012).…”

“…Recent studies highlight the complexity of the relationship between environmental practices and performance, suggesting that there may be other factors that contribute to the successful adoption of these practices (De Burgos-Jiminez et al, 2014; Graham and McAdam, 2016). In other words, performance outcomes may improve further if certain supporting factors are in place during the implementation of environmental practices.…”

How supply chain choices affect the life cycle impacts of medical products

“…Research to date has demonstrated that these strategies do lead to improvements in overall ecological impact (see Graham et al (2016) and Bhupendra and Sangle (2017) for example).…”

Operational Excellence and the Implications for Health, Safety and Environmental Performance in the Oil and Gas Industry

“…The environment is comprised of the host communities where oil production activities are taking place, the animals, vegetation and the climate. According to Graham and McAdam, (2016) the efforts made by oil firms to reduce the effects of their operations on the environment (spillage, fires) is regarded as the environmental performance.…”