Abstracts
Résumé
Pilier du développement durable, le volet environnemental demeure la préoccupation majeure des PME françaises. Le manque de moyens, notamment financiers, est l’un des freins récurrents à un engagement plus volontariste des PME en la matière. Afin de neutraliser ce facteur, notre étude se focalise sur une population spécifique, à savoir des PME rentables. Cet article analyse les pratiques de management environnemental des PME françaises rentables afin d’en relever les particularités. Une étude quantitative par questionnaire a été menée auprès de 84 PME françaises issues d’un classement publié par un magazine économique en juillet 2006. Globalement, les pratiques de management environnemental des PME rentables se déclinent en forces (pratiques de reporting environnemental, forte réduction des impacts environnementaux) et faiblesses (déficit d’information et de communication en matière environnementale). Ces résultats ouvrent la voie à de futures recherches portant sur la communication environnementale des PME ou soulignent la nécessité de l’évaluation financière des pratiques environnementales. Des efforts de communication sont indispensables afin de convaincre les dirigeants de PME de la nature stratégique du management environnemental.
Mots-clés :
- PME,
- Management environnemental,
- Engagement,
- Développement durable,
- Rentabilité,
- Pratiques environnementales
Abstract
This article focuses on one “pillar” of sustainable development, i.e. environmental management, by drawing an empirical research on profitable Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to identify their characteristics. Literature insists on the lack of financial resources of SMEs as the main barrier to a more voluntary commitment in environmental issues. A quantitative survey was carried out among 84 French most profitable SMEs (ranking from an economic magazine published in July 2006). The main findings are presented in terms of strengths (environmental reporting practices, high reduction of environmental impacts) and weaknesses (insufficient information and poor environmental communication). Tracks of further exploratory research could refer to the environmental communication of SMEs and the necessity of a financial assessment of their “green” practices. Practical recommendation consists in improving and redefining the environmental communication to SMEs and, so, convincing them of the strategic nature of environmental management.
Resumen
Fundamento del desarrollo sostenible, el medio ambiente sigue siendo una preocupación mayor de las PyMEs francesas. La falta de recursos, especialmente finan-cieros, es un freno a un compromiso mas voluntario por parte de las PyMEs en cuanto al tema. Con el fin de neutralizar ese factor, nuestro estudio se focaliza en una población especifica, las PyMEs rentables. Este articulo analiza las prácticas del management medio ambiental de las PyMEs francesas rentables con el motivo de identificar sus características. Un estudio cuantitativo por cuestionario ha sido realizado sobre un muestro de 84 PyMEs francesas salidas de una clasificación publicada por una revista económica en Julio del 2006. Por lo general, las prácticas del management medio ambiental de las PyMEs francesas rentables se destaca en fortalezas (prácticas de reporting medio ambiental, importante reducción de los impactos medio ambientales) y debilidades (déficit de información y de comunica-ción en cuanto al medio ambiente). Esos resultados abren el camino hacia futuras investigaciones sobre la comunicación medio ambiental de las PyMEs o más sobre la necesidad de evaluación financiera de las prácticas medio ambiental. Unos esfuerzos de comunicación son de mismo modo imprescindibles para convencer mas eficientemente los directivos de las PyMEs de la naturaleza estratégica del management medio ambiental.
Zusammenfassung
Als eine Säule der nachhaltigen Entwicklung sind die umweltrechtlichen Aspekte nach wie vor das Hauptanliegen der französischen KMU. Fehlende Mittel, nament-lich Finanzmittel, ist eines der Haupthindernisse für eine verstärkte, freiwillige Verpflichtung in diesem Bereich. Um dieses Faktum zu neutralisieren, fokussiert sich die vorliegende Studie auf eine spezifische Population, nämlich die rentablen KMU. Und analysiert dabei die umweltbezogenen Managementpraktiken, um die Besonderheiten zu identifizieren. Eine quantitative Studie mittels Fragebogen wurde bei 84 französischen PME durchgeführt. Die Stichprobe wurde aus einer in einem Wirtschaftsmagazin publizierten Liste erstellt. Global betrachtet können die umwelt-bezogenen Managementpraktiken der KMU in Stärken (Umweltreport, Reduktion der Umwelteinflüsse) und Schwächen (umweltbezogene Kommunikations- und Informationsdefizite) eingeteilt werden. Diese Resultate bereiten den Weg frei für weitere Studien im Bereich der Umweltkommunikation von KMU oder die finanzielle Auswertung der umweltrechtlichen Praktiken. Die Kommunikationsbemühungen in diesem Bereich sind unverzichtbar, um die Entscheidträger der KMU von der strategischen Bedeutung des Umweltmanagements zu überzeugen.
Appendices
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