Views on potential methods for raising environmental awareness in developing countries: a study on social responsibility engagement in Liberia

Abstract

Maintaining environmental standards is a challenging task that requires knowledge and an understanding of the impacts of unethical decisions on human well-being, especially in developing countries. Lack of knowledge, the pursuit of profits, and other factors are preventing leaders from making ethical decisions, which could have a direct and indirect influence on health, technology, and the economy – problems that are particularly acute in poor and developing countries. Some progress can act as a smokescreen for managers or leaders, who fail to see the general environmental issues that still exist and that should be of primary concern for governments, policymakers, and local communities. Climate change and some of the other major environmental challenges that have emerged over the past few decades represent major social responsibility concerns for developing communities. Abuses of power by key decision-makers have been and continue to be an endemic problem in many developing countries and beyond. The present study seeks to understand what affects the thought processes of leaders who make environmental management decisions, using Liberia as an example.

Keywords:

• environmental challenges
• decision-making
• social responsibility
• developing countries
• Liberia

Maintaining environmental standards is a challenging task that requires knowledge and understanding of the impacts of unethical decisions on human well-being, especially in developing countries. Lack of knowledge, the pursuit of profits, and other factors are preventing leaders from making ethical decisions, which could have a direct and indirect influence on health, technology, and the economy – problems that are particularly acute in poor and developing countries. In the twenty-first century, countries globally have begun to realize the price of neglecting environmental challenges and the consequences of environmental degradation on health and human well-being (Adler, 2006, 2007; Harjula, 2006; Mooney, 2006). This realization has led to the significant evolution of the concept of environmental protection. Countries have been urged to take serious steps toward improving the quality of services, resulting in the USA and other nations working to substantially improve air and water quality (Adler, 2006, 2007; Harjula, 2006; Mooney, 2006). Such progress can act as a smokescreen for managers or leaders who fail to see the general environmental issues that still exist and that should be of primary concern for governments, policymakers, and local communities (Adler, 2006, 2007). Climate change and some of the other major environmental challenges that have emerged over the past few decades represent major social responsibility concerns for developing communities. Unfortunately, it is no longer a secret that abuses of power by key decision-makers have been, and continue to be, an endemic problem in many developing countries and beyond. The present study, therefore, seeks to understand what affects the thought processes of leaders who make environmental management decisions, using Liberia as an example.

A phenomenological study approach was chosen to understand the shared meaning and conscious awareness that organizational leaders have of environmental management issues. The sample consisted of 21 managers of companies operating in Liberia with an average of 5 years' experience, and with different professional backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and experiences relating to environmental management. Participants all believed that corporate leadership should involve paying attention to factors that influence their decisions in relation to environmental management and raising awareness about protecting the environment, but without compromising organizational goals and profitability. Participants recognized that many factors exist which influence their decisions as leaders, including perceptions, knowledge, training, feasibility, the state of the economy, technology, ethics, and, in particular, the availability of government support.

Environmental challenges are having increasingly significant impacts on health, human well-being, the economy, and the direction of technological development (Harjula, 2006; Mumford et al., 2007; Schepers, 2010). Environmental management has come to be considered as one of the most important social concerns for communities because of its many direct and indirect impacts on human life (Stuart, Mudhasakul, & Sriwatanapongse, 2009). Social and political reform movements initiated by environmentalists are thus calling for the creation of responsible relationships based on integrity among human beings and between humans and nature (Morton, Boncour, & Laczko, 2007).

Business leaders, for the most part, have failed to respond to critical environmental issues created by their organizations (Brans & Kunsch, 2010; Janice & Elizabeth, 2009; York, 2009). The already substantial need for energy is still growing in many developing and developed countries (IEA, 2008; Rosenthal, 2007; UNEP, 2008), and maintaining environmental standards is a challenging task under these circumstances. It will require knowledge and an understanding of the impacts of current and past unethical decisions on human well-being (Rosenthal, 2007; UNEP, 2008). Especially in developing countries, the lack of environmental knowledge and the race to achieve profitability are preventing leaders from making ethical decisions, which could have direct and indirect influences on health, technology, and the economy in these countries (Gilleo, 2001). It is in this context that the present study hopes to make a contribution.

Environmental ethics and corporate social responsibility

Environmental problems have increased rapidly over the past few decades and they present serious challenges for companies and individual managers around the world (Jain & Chaudhuri, 2009). Health and environmental organizations, activists, and business leaders, all realize the adverse impact industrialization has had on the environment, and media reports on environmental issues have heightened public awareness. Public scrutiny then spurred research to discover alternative methods for conserving the environment (Almer & Goeschl, 2010; Basel Convention, 1992; Morton et al., 2007; UNEP, 2008).

Ethical leadership has become increasingly important since businesses are expanding to different countries around the world. Leaders have different perspectives on ethics when making decisions related to profit, growth, and environmental management (Jain & Chaudhuri, 2009; Singhapakdi, Karande, Rao, & Vitell, 2001). Running successful businesses that comply with environmental standards is a difficult task for leaders and requires a high level of professionalism and technical and environmental awareness (Bigham & Fisher, 2007; Harjula, 2006; Milfont, 2009). Managers have moral obligations toward their organizations to: adhere to laws and norms in their operations, increase profitability and growth, and satisfy stakeholders by driving organizations toward success (Beasley, 2008; Bert, 2007; Sandler, 2009). These obligations can come into conflict with the public or “social” responsibilities of corporations.

There are different factors that drive the moral values of leaders and influence their decisions on subjects related to environmental protection, and can explain the rationale behind leaders' decisions on environmental management. These include: technology and economic development, leadership and environmental protection, health and environment, centralized planning, and environmental education and awareness, as detailed below.

Technology and economic development

The battle for maintaining a pioneer position in the global energy market has encouraged some companies to ignore the negative impact that using their older, non-compliant technology has on current and future environmental health. There is also a growing need to produce energy to meet growing global demand, which can lead to a further increase in the volume and type of solid wastes (Punte, Repinski, & Gabrielsson, 2006). Jain and Chaudhuri (2009) found that the leaders of some companies in developing countries used old technology and concentrated mainly on achieving fast growth and profit, which has resulted in unethical decisions and adverse environmental impacts until now. Nevertheless, environmentalists have shared with managers their concerns for stopping waste and inefficiency to safeguard resources for the future, and this is slowly changing attitudes.

Leadership and environmental protection

Leaders of environmental organizations might not be cautious about the importance of preserving the environment, the impact of their decisions on future generations, or the availability of resources around the globe (Harjula, 2006). Global climate change is a serious environmental problem and represents a challenge that requires the interaction and cooperation of all nations worldwide (Wood, Pitta, & Franzak, 2008).

The focus on ethical leadership is the result of the persistent challenge to maintain and develop the economy and life of citizens, while balancing environmental protection and ethical decisions (Bert, 2007; Stainer & Stainer, 1997; Tamminen, 1999; Zikmund, 2010). There is evidence that indicates an existing gap between individuals' attitudes and their actions toward environmental management, which then creates a need to study the factors that influence these attitudes and behaviors (Adler, 2001).

Health and environment

Rapid increases in categories of dangerous and solid waste created through urbanization, industrialization, and economic growth have resulted in the reconsideration of managerial decisions on environmental issues, and the study of long-term impacts of hazardous wastes on health, human beings, and climate change (Gamble, Ebi, Grambsch, Sussman, & Wilbanks, 2008; UNEP, 2008). Unfortunately, there is a lack of commitment to prudent long-term goals, which can result in increased levels of serious diseases, incorrectly processed litter from uncontrolled burning, and poor quality disposal of waste (Grambsch, Hemming, & Weaver, 2009; UNEP, 2008; World Health Organization [WHO], 2008).

Centralized planning

Some environmentalists believe in having centralized planning for all environmental activities to overcome problems that increasingly threaten human survival (Harris & King, 1988; Kilgour & Levy, 2009). Corporations tend to have different opinions about environmental management than members of the general public and government officials who are meant to represent them, because their main intention is to maximize profit and use their businesses to generate more wealth and luxury (Harjula, 2006; Johnson, 2009; Singhapakdi et al., 2001; Van Staveren, 2007). It is therefore necessary to involve local and state governments in the planning of environmental strategies and to have at least some centralized authority over the uses and abuses of resources and land (Adler, 2006; Harjula, 2006).

Environmental education and awareness

Environmental education increases awareness of the ecological challenges we face, develops the ability to elucidate and minimize these challenges, and offers information so that everyone can prepare for and adapt to environmental challenges (Borck, Coglianese, & Nash, 2008; Fryer, 2009). Rapid development of industries, the race for developing advanced technologies in all areas of production and services, limited resources, and other factors have made it necessary for leaders and communities to take measures to address environmental challenges without delay (Garg, Shukla, & Menon-Choudhary, 2007; Jain & Chaudhuri, 2009).

It is important to increase public awareness and educate citizens about the impact of environmental challenges on their lives, build knowledge, experiences, and values, and provide additional skills that would help them to make better decisions (Carpenter, 2006; Fryer, 2009; Garcia, 2008; Hubbard, 2007; Maharaj & Herremans, 2008; Moslemi et al., 2009; Wright, 2009). Environmental education is essential for citizens and communities to gain the understanding, skills, values, experiences, and willpower to allow them to act individually and in groups so that they can resolve all outstanding environmental problems in the best possible way (Borck et al., 2008).

Method

A qualitative, phenomenological study design was adopted to examine the insights and perceptions that influenced decisions made by leaders on environmental issues in Liberia, a developing country. The research was an exploration of how leaders made decisions that impact on the environment and provides an indication of how organizations balanced ethical considerations and profit in often very complicated decision-making processes. The goal of the study was to address increasing concerns about appropriate environmental management by exploring the shared perspectives that influence leaders' morality and decisions (Harjula, 2006; McGarvey, 2008; Morton et al., 2007). Identifying managers working in Liberia with different socioeconomic backgrounds, experiences, and professions ensured the documentation of a broad spectrum of perspectives, and provided realistic information to integrate and compare with data from archives and the media in order to understand the evolution of the changing morality of leaders under different circumstances.

The participants in the study were environmental managers working for different businesses and organizations in Monrovia City, Liberia. The majority of Liberia's industries and services are concentrated around this primary urban location. Invited participants were at least 25 years of age with 5 years' working experience in a relevant field, related to environmental management. Twenty-one managers were selected to participate in the research because of their role and qualifications in the environmental management community.

A demographic survey was administered prior to interviewing the subjects. The participants represented diverse educational backgrounds, experiences, genders, and ages. The contributors were from 14 different companies and represented six different nationalities and four continents. Table 1 provides a summary of all participant information.

Table 1. Participants: demographic breakdown.

Field	Gender	Age <50	Age >50	Nationality	Number
Business	Female Male	3 7	1	Liberian Foreigner	5 6
Development	Female Male	1	2	Liberian Foreigner	3
Environment	Female Male	3	2	Liberian Foreigner	5
Social	Female Male	1	1	Liberian Foreigner	2

It was challenging to find female participants at the managerial level in Liberia who met the research criteria due to the gender gap in primary education and insufficient opportunities provided for women (Bekoe & Parajon, 2007; Hanna & Alfaro, 2012). Twenty-five percent of the research participants were females; the remaining 75% of the participants were males.

The interview questions were designed to elicit a discussion from research participants about the factors that influence leaders' decisions and ethical practices in environmental management pursuant to the primary research question. The discussions aided understanding about the experiences of business leaders in Liberia as they made decisions related to environmental management. Questions were designed to (a) determine the factors that may possibly influence leaders' perceptions on environmental issues, (b) measure the environmental management performance, (c) define what constitutes efficient management of environmental challenges, and (d) measure the fortification of environmental management processes in business. The interview questions were as follows:

1. What factors influence your decisions on environmental issues?

2. What experiences have you had as a leader in trying to make sound environmental decisions? Please elaborate on any barriers you have faced when implementing such decisions.

3. What steps do you take to manage environmental challenges without compromising the company's goals of growth and profitability?

4. How do you suggest leaders enforce an environmental management culture in their organizations?

5. How do you define good environmental management practices?

6. When presented with ethical decisions, what influences your decisions?

7. Are you satisfied with the results of your decisions on issues related to environmental management? Why?

Data collection and analysis

Basic information about potential candidates such as names, telephone numbers, and addresses were gathered through the business community of Liberia, the Ministry of Industry, and from organizing social events related to environmental management before participant selection occurred. Data were collected through the process of interviewing 21 managers from different organizations. During the interview, participants answered the open-ended questions, explained their perspectives, and described related environmental management experiences within their areas of responsibility. They also defined their role in reducing and eliminating modern environmental challenges.

The data analysis was based on results from the use of Dragon12^® transcription software, which was used to transcribe the audio recordings, which were subsequently coded for themes and patterns with NVivo8^® software. Notes written by the researcher during the interviews were included in the data analysis. Triangulation was engaged to ensure validity and reliability, which are discussed below. The open-ended questions were followed with probing and interacting questions to seek further clarifications, capture major data from the participants, and support the rationalization of common patterns and perspectives that were used later to endorse the conclusions of the study (Hamill & Sinclair, 2010; Husserl, 1931; Rubin & Rubin, 2005).

Findings

Five themes were identified after data were sorted for common words and phrases. These main themes were: (a) the need for better education on environmental concerns for business leaders and the community, (b) the need to consider the environment while planning economic and development strategies, (c) the allocation of funds to implement environmental standards, (d) profitability vs. protecting the environment, and (e) solutions for enforcing environmental management.

The need for better education on environmental concerns for both business leaders and the community

One of the problems business leaders noted was the lack of education about environmental issues. Subjects suggested that they did not have the knowledge required to make informed decisions, and that the community too was unaware of environmental issues. As some respondents stated, implementing technology that would increase management leaders' decision-making skills is of utmost importance. Several participants noted that protecting the environment through recycling is considered the social and ethical responsibility of management leadership. Specifically in Liberia, war and a lack of knowledge about how to handle environmental issues are problems for management leadership and change how they make decisions about environmental issues.

The need to consider the environment while planning economic and developmental strategies

Participants with a business background emphasized social, economic and environmental concerns, profitability, availability of funds and resources, and ethics as the major factors that influence their decisions on environmental issues. Three participants mentioned that environmental policies and social needs are linked to profitability and economic value, and represent the main drive for decisions. Some participants highlighted the government's role in setting and implementing appropriate environmental rules and regulations to preserve the environment.

The absence of strict environmental laws and strong leadership could lead to the same results, indicating the presence of corruption and bad ethics (Bassey, 2008; Kessler & Abaza, 2006). However, there were mixed opinions on how effective Liberia is when dealing with such issues. One participant noted policies and regulations are set aside when it comes to environmental management in Liberia. Yet another individual asserted that his company is phasing out the use of some harmful gases and other materials that could damage the environment. Further plans were being made to keep their technicians trained on the use of hazardous materials and recycling processes and they have adopted strict environmental regulations and procedures when using tools and materials. Another environmental manager noted that regardless of what organizations are doing, there is a need to develop training programs and share international standards to change the environmental paradigm in Liberia.

Allocating funds to implement environmental standards

As several participants noted, good environmental decision-making requires having the funds necessary to implement positive environmental governance. The availability of funds and engaging the community and developers in the process are major factors that contribute to finding a solution to environmental issues. One of the environmental managers asserted that there is a need to increase transparency on issues related to the environment and the availability of funds, to enable communities to plan and budget for the required machinery and resources needed to change the direction of environmental abuse. Another participant noted that controlling funds and monitoring the progress of implementing environmental standards are considered major challenges in Liberia.

Profitability vs. protecting the environment

Participants noted that one factor they must consider in any environmental decision is whether or not they can maintain profitability (Borck et al., 2008; Janice & Elizabeth, 2009). Some participants emphasized that profitability is their main motive to start any business, while others mentioned objectivity and the availability of resources as their focus. Three participants mentioned that environmental policies and social needs are linked to profitability and economic value, and together represent the main drive for decisions. The Liberian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one of the government bodies that guide policies on environmental management, was among the factors that influenced most the participants with an environmental background.

Solutions for enforcing environmental management

Two participants mentioned raising awareness among colleagues and peers to ensure compliance, which they believed was key to finding a solution to Liberian environmental issues. One of the managers claimed his organization disseminates environmental brochures and emphasizes the need to follow EPA standards on the disposal of hazardous materials, and frequently reminds employees of issues like paper and power saving, carpooling, and optimizing the usage of materials. Another participant believes company leaders must keep their employees informed and updated on the impact of their work on the environment. Their company believes that if employees are aware of their obligations to society then they will feel responsible and automatically share their ideas on how to reduce air and water pollution.

Factors such as experience, knowledge, health, people, planning, community benefits, ethics, leadership, and awareness were considered vital to participants with a background of social engagement. One environmental manager believes that environmental issues still seem like a foreign topic to the people of Liberia, so when managers are assigned to a given area, they should attempt to explain to their staff what an environmental issue is, and what the issues are in their particular area of company activity. However, educating people on environmental impacts is a lengthy process and requires resources to monitor progress and improve outcomes.

Government support to spread knowledge and educate citizens is crucial because this requires: planning for funds to educate people, facilitating recycling, developing infrastructure, reducing the taxes of companies with good environmental practices, and engaging the media to increase awareness and reduce resistance to change when it comes to negative cultural practices.

Table 2 shows the horizontalization of all five areas.

Table 2. Horizontalization of results.

Environmental education and awareness	Economic and development strategies	Finding funds and resources	Feasibility of protecting the environment	Policy and regulations
Awareness training and development programs were less than adequate. Spread environmental awareness and ethics training. Environmental awareness and ethics training programs are feasible and save resources. Using environmental friendly technology to reduce health hazards. Politics and regulations are set aside when it comes to environmental management. Keep employees informed about environmental standards. Revise environmental standards. Building a strong environmental culture. Waste reduction and recycling. Quality production.	Set clear environmental policies while planning economics and strategies. The lack of policies and strict rules have resulted in damaging the environment. Early environmental planning helps to avoid wasting resources with expensive solutions. Involving community leaders in decision-making processes would have positive impacts. Reinforce the environmental standards. Setting standards without follow-up can be chaotic. Introduce a systematic way to review and improve the environment. Reduce government taxes and provide incentives for compliance with environmental standards.	Protecting the environment requires proper planning, moral commitment, and availability of funds. Having enough money. No funds results in compromising environmental standards. Moral understanding of environmental challenges and their implications on health and prosperity. Transparency. Commitment to build the environmental culture. Ability to control funds. Corruption. Availability of expertise. Priorities change.	Ethical dilemma between profitability and protecting the environment. Fairness. High moral values and commitment to making the right decision. Engaging resources for environmental decisions is costly and time consuming. Leaders’ priorities are linked to social needs and environmental awareness. Feasibility of a project is linked to the availability of infrastructure and resources. Feasibility studies assist leaders in planning and allocating funds. Environmental assessments improve performance. Implement environmental laws to streamline costs and enhance efficiency. The EPA rules help to identify work standards and resources required to improve productivity.	Pragmatic solutions for dealing with environmental challenges. Highlight wrong practices and their impacts on health, and prosperity. Highlight potential opportunities arising from positive environmental practices. Motivate and educate people to take an interest in environmental subjects. Environmental training must be a prerequisite to the issuance of licenses and permissions to start a business. Disseminate environmental brochures and emphasize the importance of following EPA standards. Environmental standards should be clear to public, and leaders need to be accountable for their actions. Performance evaluation forms are highly recommended.

Implications

The emergent themes from the data revealed that there are different factors that influence leaders' decisions and perceptions about environmental issues in Liberia. The emergent themes further revealed that business leaders were not fully aware of how their decisions have or will change the environment. Participants agreed that current environmental awareness programs and training are less than adequate, and there is a need to have advanced tools and measures to deal with the environmental challenges without compromising business goals of growth and profitability.

An important factor that emerged in this study was that management experience and awareness of environmental standards in Liberia have a direct correlation to the decisions of the participants because they influence the tools, measures, and training necessary to build and safeguard the environmental protection culture.

Support and training

Although Liberian business leaders realized the impacts of their decisions on the environment and the need for change in leadership support, additional training, and building an environmental culture, accountability in monitoring and evaluating the environmental standards was not clear. In addition, making initial assessments of environmental challenges in Liberia could assist managers with planning strategies and finding resources to mitigate current environmental impacts, and set the base for future financial and social benefits from recycling, energy and cost saving, and optimizing resources.

Awareness of problems

The implications of the different factors that influence environmental management leadership were significant with regard to finding the source of the problems before designing solutions in business objectives. It was evident in the study that awareness was important to business leaders in Liberia as a prerequisite for discovering ethical and practical solutions for business issues with environmental impacts. Building an environmentally focused culture, participants thought, is a reflection of a leader's knowledge and awareness of environmental challenges.

Standards and rules

According to participants, the existence of concrete Liberian EPA standards and government regulations are essential to protect the environment. Many business leaders stated environmental protection would be more effective if there were clear and strict rules to define the duties and responsibilities of all stakeholders. With the absence of strict rules and environmental policies, business leaders found it easy to manipulate the rules and compromise the environment to achieve their goals.

Decision-making dilemma

Participants shared their quandary about making prudent choices to satisfy stakeholders, as opposed to sticking to their own ethics and allowing personal moral values to influence their behavior. Business leaders in the study believe their environmental problems are unique and must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, especially when expanding business has a direct link with the country's social or economic development.

Influence of leaders' decisions

The implications of factors that prompt leaders' choices regarding leadership decision-making in Liberia were significant. Data from the interviews suggested that leaders react differently to environmental challenges based on knowledge, circumstances, the existence of environmental laws, the availability of funds and resources, and the feasibility of environmental solutions related to profitability. Knowing what influences business leaders in Liberia can assist in the design of training programs that address common concerns and make decisions easier without compromising the environment.

Cultural influence

Culture and family play a big role in decision-making processes, especially when it comes to knowledge about the impacts of decisions on environmental management. Participants recognized the culture's influence on some practices that might affect the environment. Some participants highlighted the problem of “attitudes” and resistance to change that they have inherited from their ancestors, while others emphasized the government's role in reinforcing transparency and forming independent committees to follow up on the implementation of environmental policies, and highlighting the impacts of wrong environmental cultural practices on health, community, and development.

Raising funds

Funding and supporting environmental projects are important steps to reduce further degradation of the environment, and to guard the remaining resources for future generations. Unfortunately, the global financial crisis has clearly affected the level of support for environmental projects and donors are experiencing fatigue with more challenges in sustaining or increasing their aid to developing countries (World Bank, 1993). Luckily, donors are still interested in supporting developing countries to alleviate their burdens through various projects. While donors are committed to providing support for developing countries, they are also obliged to report back to their nations on the progress and results of these projects. International organizations and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the local governments of developing countries and their community leaders, are playing a big role in setting priorities, and have obligations to optimize the utilization of these funds to serve their communities over the short and long term. Further analyses have been introduced to examine the factors that affect donors, governments, and community leaders and optimize their actions to assist developing countries and protect the environment. The results revealed that leaders, donors, governments, and community leaders need to work together to optimize funds and protect the environment. The analysis suggests involving environmental specialists to analyze the immediate and long-term impacts of these projects on community welfare and behavior, environment, and resources for future generations.

Recommendations for action

It is advocated that the government of Liberia supports the implementation of environmental standards and advises organizations to comply with environmental laws and standards. Incentives would help environmental leaders explore the use of alternative technology and products that could assist in implementing clearly stated environmental standards. These measures would help to minimize and mitigate damage to the environment.

Implementation of standards

It is recommended that Liberian government leaders monitor the application of environmental standards and offer incentives to increase compliance with EPA regulations. Leaders should increase training and awareness programs and allocate funds to contend with ongoing, perceived environmental challenges. Senior organizational leaders should periodically evaluate environmental measures and standards, set and review organizational performance, share feedback with employees, and seek to ensure compliance with environmental standards. Leaders should lead by example and show an interest in building organizations' environmental and ethical culture relevant to protecting Liberia's environment for future generations.

Corporate responsibility

It is recommended that the moral responsibility of business leaders in building an environmental culture should not be limited to the allocation of resources. Instead, senior environmental managers need to review feedback from employees to ensure their understanding of ethical and environmental programs, environmental incentive programs, and organizational compliance. Business leaders and senior management should also incorporate into their organizational culture the outcome of training, surveys, feedback, and performance indicators in decision-making processes and performance evaluation processes for management to amplify the importance of maintaining organizations' reputation and standards.

Training

It is recommended that business leaders incorporate environmental and ethical training evaluation into the employee performance evaluation process to ensure their comprehension and compliance. This evaluation should focus on environmental, societal, economic, and developmental concerns, rather than just corporate social responsibility. An environmental evaluation of the organization, as opposed to just the individual actions of the employees, should be tailored to become part of a well-planned transformation process. Business leaders in Liberia should consider building a culture of change in their organizations, rather than approaching environmental change from the perspective of government responsibility, risk management, or a tick-the-box perspective.

Dissemination

It is recommended that stakeholders engage with the media, local NGOs, the Ministry of Education, and various relevant other government agencies to assist in the design of educational programs for children and adults to explain the impacts of unethical decisions on the environment. Educational and environmental programs should target ordinary people and address the consequences of unethical environmental related decisions on human beings, life expectancy, limited resources, and future generations. Raising environmental awareness should be one of the top priorities to protect the environment in Liberia.

Ethics

It is recommended that organizational leaders promote an environmental culture that engages ethics and fairness as tools for evaluating the leadership and integrity of decision-makers. Leaders need to discuss unethical decisions with staff members and empower them to implement changes in their organizations' environmental standards. Simultaneously, leaders need to monitor employee progress and consider the outcome of their actions in performance evaluations, employment terms, incentives, and entitlements. The economy and development are driven by social needs, but these should not result in compromising the implementation of environmental standards. Leaders are required to budget and allocate necessary funds to implement ethical environmental standards. Protecting the environment is the responsibility of all stakeholders in Liberia, and there is a moral obligation to preserve the environment for future generations. Leaders need to consider safety, health, and prosperity when implementing environmental standards and educate their followers to ensure a sustainable and safe environment for future generations.

Environmentally friendly projects

It is recommended that the government of Liberia support environmentally friendly projects that require strategic planning, budgeting for funds, raising awareness, and providing alternative solutions for strategies that might harm nature. Strategic planning is necessary to protect the environment since it requires capacity building, knowledge, resources, specialization, and expertise. Implementing environmental standards requires commitment, genuine consent, and personal sacrifices. Involving communities, local councils, and social leaders in decision-making processes ensures compliance and commitment to the implementation of these environmental decisions.

Investment

It is recommended that investment in environmental programs and awareness be proportional to the size and scope of the environmental investment in Liberia. Assessing environmental management should be realistic and based on existing knowledge and the availability of business means and resources. Environmental assessments are necessary to determine the feasibility of organizational investment. It is essential to motivate people by keeping them aware and interested in potential opportunities and the advantages of implementing environmental standards. Implementing environmental standards and expanding recycling programs could be profitable for the organization, creating job opportunities for individuals and industries.

Mitigating risk

It is recommended that the government of Liberia play a large role in mitigating environmental risk by spreading awareness, enforcing environmental laws, and providing financial and logistics incentives for those who comply. The monitoring of the implementation of environmental rules and standards should be a primary government priority to ensure compliance. Environmental rules and standards should be pragmatic and based on knowledge, expertise, and the availability of resources, supported by technical and professional assessments, and separated from political influence. Defining and reinforcing environmental laws and standards could prevent individuals and organizations from making unethical environmental decisions. Spreading environmental knowledge and imposing disciplinary measures would assist in reducing substandard decisions on environmental management in Liberia. In addition, awareness programs should be made available to educate people on the impacts of wrong decisions regarding the environment.

Employee training

It is recommended that businesses educate employees on EPA standards and the impact of personal choices on the environment. In addition, business leaders in Liberia need to adopt a culture of saving the environment through reducing waste and recycling. Leaders need to empower their employees to implement a strong environmental stance in their personal behavior in the workplace, and to identify unethical practices that are commonplace and require immediate attention, and discover pragmatic solutions to protect the environment, rather than noting that there are areas that need to be addressed by the organization. Leaders should: introduce the concept of reward and punishment to ensure better adherence to environmental standards, set clear policies on profitability, ensure proper environmental management, uphold prudent environmental business standards, make employees aware of their organization's environmental vision, consider plans that would limit diminishing resources, and include future generations in the decision-making process for environmental protection.

Increasing transparency

It is recommended that business leaders in Liberia amplify their receptiveness to making environmental changes regardless of past performance or reputation, which might encourage other organizations in their industry to also comply with existing environmental standards. This would require setting benchmarks and using tools in projects to gauge the proper implementation of environmental standards. Offering environmental training programs could be an option in spreading awareness to all stakeholders about the environmental decisions proposed. Education programs should not be limited only to managers, but also to associated employees, customers, communities, and other interested individuals to help discern whether the business planning decisions can be regarded as good or bad environmental practice.

Conclusions

This study has explored factors that influence leaders when performing environmental management decisions. These factors vary significantly among individuals and this contributes to different decisions and behaviors in the face of identical problems (Gilleo, 2001). Leaders are primarily swayed by different sets of factors, and have different perspectives on ethical issues, especially when it comes to decisions that influence profit and growth (Harjula, 2006).

The results of this study indicate that some factors have a greater overall impact on leaders than others (see also Gilleo, 2001). Business leaders in Liberia, regardless of their education, background, gender, and other differences, share similar concerns and perspectives on environmental management, and their views were translated into common themes.

Good environmental practices are those that mitigate risk and environmental degradation. Adhering to environmental standards and Liberian EPA guidelines will help to protect the environment (Chowdhury, 2003). The level of public interest when bringing about a paradigm change in this area will be crucial, because public protests can determine a company's commitment to the actual implementation of environmental standards. Controlling funds and monitoring the progress of implementing environmental standards in Liberia will require transparent and ethical leadership (Jain & Chaudhuri, 2009). Moral empowerment and verbal appreciation can have positive impacts on implementing new environmental standards in Liberia. Effective and fair management inspire employees to maintain higher standards of ethics, and self-evaluation will help to improve business processes and environmental standards (Harjula, 2006; Milfont, 2009) in emerging nations like Liberia that want to effect change in environmental management.

The extended analysis adapted a strategic approach and highlighted the opportunity to optimize funds and promote environmentally friendly projects that have long-term impacts on communities and resources. The analysis suggested that environmental studies should be part of any humanitarian assistance or development project, and thorough analyses should be presented with each proposal to validate short-, medium-, and long-term impacts on individuals, communities, governments, and donors. Environmental studies would allow the tailoring and prioritizing of projects in order to meet immediate requirements while sustaining and optimizing resources (Harjula, 2006).

The analysis included additional suggestions related to involving communities, leaders, governments, and donors in the process to ensure commitment and compliance. Governments should apply strategic approaches to planning, budgeting, and funding environmental friendly projects. It should also be part of their responsibility to promote and support projects of interest that comply with the country's master plan and environmental standards.

Humanitarian and development organizations need to take advantage of environmental experts who have the knowledge and capacity to assess projects and recommend viable solutions without diverting from established objectives. Experts should be involved in the planning phase to avoid wasting time and resources.

Donors' commitments to funding humanitarian and development projects should be determined by environmental standards. Donors need to have adequate knowledge about environmental challenges to allow them to approve funds for projects that comply with environmental standards. It is important to raise and develop environmental awareness through introducing strategic and conditional support to help beneficiaries meet their immediate objectives while aiming for long-term solutions. Support could be provided through various forms of progressive incentives such as providing expertise and additional funds to countries that comply with environmental standards.

Recommendations

Factors like development, the economy, technology, availability of infrastructure and resources, training, culture, and leadership together form the wheel of development and advancement for a country like Liberia. Each element contributes to the country's development and should include the implementation of environmental standards. The following are some recommendations for future research:

1. That a future study assess the combination of factors cited in the present study at each stage of economic growth in Liberia and other similar developing countries, to form permissible ratios that allow economic progress without compromising the environment. And that future studies explore and compare the impacts of these same factors in both rich and poorly developed countries.

2. To assess the feasibility of allocating funds and designing different packages and programs to support the implementation of environmental standards in Liberia and other developing countries. Future studies could establish suitable programs for offering short- and long-term incentives to individuals and business leaders, to encourage compliance with Liberian EPA and environmental standards, as well as to provide techniques for the United Nations Development Program, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support recycling programs and improve disposal of hazardous materials.

3. To undertake a study to determine the factors that influence leaders' decisions on environmental management at a regional level and to unearth culturally appropriate solutions and programs designed to overcome environmental problems in Liberia and other developing nations.

4. To inquire why business leaders and employees engage in unethical practices of environmental management. The study should include factors that influence behavior. The investigation could include studying stakeholders' reactions to unethical decisions and the effects on customer loyalty when products and services are known to have resulted from unethical practices.

5. To explore the social and economic impacts of applying environmentally friendly projects that effectively revive communities and resources, and evaluating how these could affect individual and community behavior, security, the economy, and politics.

6. To assess the behavior of donors regarding the funding of environmentally friendly projects, and the possibility of diverting funds towards more effective and environmentally friendly projects with long-term impacts on beneficiaries.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.