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Justifying environmental sustainability in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises: An analysis of complementary assets in the printing industry

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  • Juan Felipe Reyes‐Rodríguez
  • John Parm Ulhøi

Abstract

Contrary to large enterprises, the environmental impact from small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) has not, to the same extent, attracted stakeholder attention and engagement. A similar lack of attention seems to have dominated management scholars who seem to have predominantly focused on the competitive implications of environmental sustainability of large enterprises. To fill up some of that gap, this study draws on the resource‐based view of the firm and the innovation‐value‐capturing‐framework to identify and characterise complementary assets utilised to materialise the competitive advantage of environmental management practices (EMP) in SMEs. Based on a multifirm case study among Danish SMEs in the printing and graphic industry, we demonstrate why and how SMEs' strategic involvement in EMP can be justified. This research complements existing insights in the field by exposing how SMEs operating under conditions of weak appropriability can justify investment in EMP thus highlighting their role in pursuing corporate sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Felipe Reyes‐Rodríguez & John Parm Ulhøi, 2022. "Justifying environmental sustainability in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises: An analysis of complementary assets in the printing industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 59-75, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:31:y:2022:i:1:p:59-75
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2874
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