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The Meaning of Environmental Management : An Interpretive Study of Managing Emergent or Evolutionary Environmental and Energy Strategy

Parker, Thomas LU (2016)
Abstract
Because of the vital roles of industry in sustainable development, it is essential
that environmental management is effective in preventing pollution. To this end,
environmental management systems have been implemented to a growing extent in
industry. Moreover, this Ph.D. research has demonstrated that environmental
management efforts must be systematic to use environmental performance
indicators effectively. However, the research has also revealed that environmental
management systems did not necessarily improve environmental performance. In
order to enable development of more effective environmental management, this
Ph.D. research explored how environmental management efforts affected
employees,... (More)
Because of the vital roles of industry in sustainable development, it is essential
that environmental management is effective in preventing pollution. To this end,
environmental management systems have been implemented to a growing extent in
industry. Moreover, this Ph.D. research has demonstrated that environmental
management efforts must be systematic to use environmental performance
indicators effectively. However, the research has also revealed that environmental
management systems did not necessarily improve environmental performance. In
order to enable development of more effective environmental management, this
Ph.D. research explored how environmental management efforts affected
employees, whether effective environmental management might be contingent
upon strategy contexts, and how environmental strategy was developed. In the
context of emergent strategies, change, innovation and complexity, the research
for this dissertation examined effective environmental management using
interpretive methodology and case studies. Noting that strategy could be emergent,
i.e. emanate from the organization rather than being imposed upon it, a goal of the
research was to understand the practice of management without a predetermined
strategy. The research findings demonstrated that management systems behaved
differently depending on if the strategy context was deliberate, evolutionary or
emergent. In deliberate strategy contexts, formal management systems may
improve performance by reducing variability and risk. In evolutionary strategy
contexts, formal management systems were employed in internal competition by
champions. In the context of emergent strategies, formal management systems
seemed to be irrelevant or even impediments to necessary change and innovation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Dr Zobel, Thomas, Luleå tekniska universitet, Luleå
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Environmental Management Systems, Emergent strategy, Interpretive Research, Change, Complexity, Contingency, Energy Management, Management of meaning, Environmental Management Systems, Emergent strategy, Contingency, Change, Complexity, Energy Management, Management of meaning
pages
157 pages
publisher
IIIEE, Lund University
defense location
Aulan, Internationella miljöinstitutet (IIIEE), Tegnersplatsen 4, Lund
defense date
2017-01-13 13:00:00
ISBN
978-91-87357-25-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
990bb3f2-cf58-4447-a848-93ab89357601
date added to LUP
2016-12-02 10:13:29
date last changed
2021-03-22 16:28:27
@phdthesis{990bb3f2-cf58-4447-a848-93ab89357601,
  abstract     = {{Because of the vital roles of industry in sustainable development, it is essential<br/>that environmental management is effective in preventing pollution. To this end,<br/>environmental management systems have been implemented to a growing extent in<br/>industry. Moreover, this Ph.D. research has demonstrated that environmental<br/>management efforts must be systematic to use environmental performance<br/>indicators effectively. However, the research has also revealed that environmental<br/>management systems did not necessarily improve environmental performance. In<br/>order to enable development of more effective environmental management, this<br/>Ph.D. research explored how environmental management efforts affected<br/>employees, whether effective environmental management might be contingent<br/>upon strategy contexts, and how environmental strategy was developed. In the<br/>context of emergent strategies, change, innovation and complexity, the research<br/>for this dissertation examined effective environmental management using<br/>interpretive methodology and case studies. Noting that strategy could be emergent,<br/>i.e. emanate from the organization rather than being imposed upon it, a goal of the<br/>research was to understand the practice of management without a predetermined<br/>strategy. The research findings demonstrated that management systems behaved<br/>differently depending on if the strategy context was deliberate, evolutionary or<br/>emergent. In deliberate strategy contexts, formal management systems may<br/>improve performance by reducing variability and risk. In evolutionary strategy<br/>contexts, formal management systems were employed in internal competition by<br/>champions. In the context of emergent strategies, formal management systems<br/>seemed to be irrelevant or even impediments to necessary change and innovation.}},
  author       = {{Parker, Thomas}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-87357-25-1}},
  keywords     = {{Environmental Management Systems; Emergent strategy; Interpretive Research; Change; Complexity; Contingency; Energy Management; Management of meaning; Environmental Management Systems; Emergent strategy; Contingency; Change; Complexity; Energy Management; Management of meaning}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{IIIEE, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{The Meaning of Environmental Management : An Interpretive Study of Managing Emergent or Evolutionary Environmental and Energy Strategy}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/17704620/Thomas_Parker_hela_avh_inkl._omslag.pdf}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}