Crucial factors for improving the ISO 14001 environmental management system

Abstract

The practice of using environmental management systems (EMS) ISO 14001 at the organisational level indicates that the efficacy of such solutions depends on many factors, both endogenous and exogenous in nature. This article aims to identify the fac- tors that determine the opportunities for the improvement of EMS in organisations, the analysis of the relationship between the factors and the classification of the factors due to their role in the system improvement. The structural analysis was used to classify and identify the key factors and then to categorize these factors into five groups. Finally, the role of these key factors in improving environmental management systems was exam- ined. Based on the findings, guidelines can be offered to both scholars and practitioners regarding the factors crucial for the improvement of the EMS. Aiming to add value to the existing literature, the structural analysis was adapted to classification and identification of the key factors. From the point of view of practitioners, it seems to be very profitable to concentrate on the crucial factors during the process of EMS improvement.

Keywords:

• ISO 14001
• continual
• improvement
• structural analysis
• crucial factors
• en-vironmental management systems

JEL Classification:

• L15
• C61

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanna Ejdys

Joanna EJDYS is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Management, Bialystok Univer- sity of Technology. She is a Vice-Dean for Research and Development and Editor of Economics and Management Journal. Research interests: quality management, foresight studies, strategic management and technology management. She published more than 30 papers on foresight studies concerning regional and national science and technology innovation policy.

Alina Matuszak-Flejszman

Alina MATUSZAK-FLEJSZMAN is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Commodity Science, Poznan University of Economics. She is a Vice-Dean of faculty and vice-president of the Polish Association of ISO 14000 and vice-president of the Polish Company of Commodity Science. Research interests: quality, environmental & safety management, integrated management systems, strategy management, sustainable production and consumption, effectiveness and efficiency of man- agement systems.

Michał szymanski

Michal SZYMANSKI is currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Management and Econom- ics at the Technical University of Gdansk. Research interests: integrated quality management system, environmental management system and management of private labels. Has published more than 10 papers on international management systems.

Leonas Ustinovichius

Leonas USTINOVICHIUS. Professor Dr Habil at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Bia- lystok University of Technology. Research interests: multicriteria evaluation and automated program- ming of technological decision in construction, operational research methods, technology of construc- tion process, quantitative and qualitative decision-making methods, organisation and performance of construction firms.

Galina Shevchenko

Galina SHEVCHENKO. PhD, assistant at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, the Faculty of Business Management, the Department of Enterprise Economics and Management. Fields of research: risk management, investment management, multi-criteria methods, sustainable development.

Agata Lulewicz-Sas

Agata LULEWICZ-SAS is currently an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Management, Bialystok University of Technology. Research interests: quality, environmental & safety management and cor- porate social responsibility.