Networks as a means of supporting the adoption of organizational innovations in SMEs: the case of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) based on ISO 14001

In spite of their large numbers, most SMEs have little knowledge of or interest in environmental questions and generally have difficulties when it comes to integrating environmental aspects into their activities. One way for SMEs to shift from a reactive to a proactive environmental behavior is to adopt environmental innovations. Environmental innovations consist of new or modified processes, techniques, practices, systems and products to avoid or reduce environmental harms. In this study, I focus on a particular type of innovation: organizational environmental innovations, such as an EMS in accordance with ISO 14001. One objective of this study was to understand and describe how SMEs can use a network as a basis for initiating environmental work. Another objective was to develop a model that can be used as a guideline for the adoption of an ISO 14001 EMS by SMEs collaborating in a network. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.