Environmental Management Systems And Performance Of Manufacturing Firms In Kenya

ABSTRACT

Environmental degradation brings about challenges to human health, animals and plants

through pollution of air, water and soil. To mitigate this pollution standard guidelines on

management of the environment has been developed. Firms/organizations/institutions that

are not ISO 14001 compliant are expected to employ this standard in their operations to

stop or reduce polluting the environment. The general objective of this study was to

investigate the environmental management systems and environmental performance of

manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study

were to: determine the effect of Green Manufacturing Systems, Pollution Prevention

Systems, Management Systems and Pollution Control Systems on performance of

manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. This study would be of great help to

ISO certification agencies, manufacturing firms, investors, future researchers, the general

public and the Kenyan government. The study was done on manufacturing companies

across the board that are most commonly known in the Kenyan manufacturing sector.

Theories that were adopted to inform this study included; Ecological Modernization

Theory, Stakeholder Theory and Total Quality Management Theory. The study adopted a

longitudinal research design that was descriptive in nature to establish the effect of

environmental management systems on performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi

City County, Kenya for the period 2011-2015. The study analysed the pre and postperformance

of manufacturing firms to determine the problem under investigation. Target

population of this study was 44 manufacturing firms which were operating in Nairobi

City County, Kenya and Unit of observation were employees of manufacturing firms

operating in Nairobi County, Kenya. Out of the 44 manufacturing companies a target

population of 176 employees was used. Stratified sampling technique was used to select a

sample size of 88 respondents who were employees of the manufacturing firms in Nairobi

County, Kenya. Stratified sampling was appropriate since it provided equal opportunities

for each respondent during data collection process. Structured questionnaires with open

and closed ended questions were used as instruments of data collection. The respondents

were; Directors, Production Managers, Occupational and Safety Managers and Quality

Assurance Managers. Validity of the instrument was tested using industry experts and

University supervisors, while reliability was tested using Cronbach Alpha formula.

Quantitative data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences,

(SPSS version 21) where multiple regression method was adopted to determine the

statistical relationship between variables. Means, percentages and standard deviation were

used during data analysis and the information was presented in form of tables. Further,

qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis method where key themes of written

and spoken word were reviewed and conclusions were made. The study established that

there was a positive statistical correlation between green manufacturing systems,

pollution prevention systems, management systems and pollution control systems and

environmental performance of manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The

study concluded that environmental management systems have become drivers of

competitive organizations in the changing business environment. Unless manufacturers

were willing to comply with environmental regulations spelt out in ISO 14001 standards,

environmental performance would be an uphill task. The study recommends that

manufacturing companies should ensure that employees are trained on ISO 14001

regulations, appropriate technology is adopted and industry partnership is based on best

environmental practices rather than on the sole revenues gain objective.