Production and supply-chain as the basis for SMEs’ environmental management development: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Environmental management actions in small and medium-sized companies are viewed as a strategic tool. This article systematically analyzes environmental management in small and medium-sized companies, focusing on production and the supply chain. Despite the recurrence of production and supply-chain themes in the small and medium-sized environmental management literature, a more in-depth and systematic analysis of these themes is necessary. Through a systematic literature review, 68 articles were analyzed to identify and characterize the main environmental management initiatives in the context of production and the supply chain. Initially, the research identified the approaches that define and describe environmental management initiatives in small and medium-sized companies. In a second step, the literature review allowed the characterization of the approaches associated with the themes of production and supply chain regarding environmental management. The research identified that small and medium-sized companies, in their production processes and their supply chain, need to go beyond the mandatory actions imposed by governments regarding environmental management. Further, the environmental demands of large companies may favor the consolidation of environmental management practices in small and medium-sized companies through collaboration, increased knowledge, and the development of responsible behavior. The article concludes that the achievement of environmental requirements imposed by governments and large companies associated with environmental production and supply-chain initiatives drive the development of environmental management in small and medium-sized companies.