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Stakeholder relations and sustainability practices of US small and medium‐sized manufacturers

Gregory Theyel (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)
Kay Hofmann (Department of Corporate Management & Economics, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany)

Management Research Review

ISSN: 2040-8269

Article publication date: 26 October 2012

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adoption of sustainability practices by small and medium‐sized manufacturing (SMM) firms, the ways these firms work with their stakeholders for social and environmental purposes, and the relationships between the adoption of sustainability practices, stakeholder interaction, and product and process innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data from telephone interviews with 296 companies, a sustainability typology, and descriptive and statistical regression analysis.

Findings

The majority of the firms are adopting sustainability practices at least to some degree, stakeholders such as community advocacy groups, employees, suppliers, customers, and the local media are influencing the adoption of sustainability practices, and firms with high adoption rates of environmental practices are more successful in product and process innovation.

Practical implications

The results of this research can help firms and stakeholder groups with their joint efforts to develop sustainability strategies. Community advocacy groups, employees, suppliers, customers, and the local media are capable of motivating firms to give something back to the communities in which they conduct their business.

Originality/value

This paper contributes new understanding of the adoption of sustainability practices by SMM firms, the ways these firms work with their stakeholders for social and environmental purposes, and the relationships between the adoption of sustainability practices, stakeholder interaction, and product and process innovation.

Keywords

Citation

Theyel, G. and Hofmann, K. (2012), "Stakeholder relations and sustainability practices of US small and medium‐sized manufacturers", Management Research Review, Vol. 35 No. 12, pp. 1110-1133. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211281255

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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