Environmental Management Systems As A Business Idea To Attain Sustainability: A study of Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC)

Abstract

The business environment is rapidly changing owing to increased access to information and resources like information and technology improvements. This is especially true for the developing African continent. Not only does this change come with increased competition between businesses, but there is also tighten legislation seeking to promote adequate business governance. To maintain market advantage, businesses need to swing into new perspective and adopt sustainable strategies that will improve their economic performances and quality production and delivery of goods and services, while protecting society and the environment. As part of such sustainable strategies, many businesses have taken heed to adopting the implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS), based on the ISO 14001 standard. However, although the EMS is ideal for assisting businesses to manage their impacts on the environment, it does not directly consider the socio-economic aspects of being sustainable. This research therefore explored the use of the EMS to attain business sustainability, paying particular attention to how the tool can be strengthened in order to increase its use as a sustainability tool in businesses that have adopted it and those yet to. Information used to achieve the research aim was collected and analysed using a qualitative approach, within a pragmatic perspective. Participants for the research were purposively sampled from the research study focus area, Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC). In summary, fifty (50) participants responded to questionnaires and five (5) were interviewed. Results of the research indicate that participants at SEC considered the EMS to be a sustainability tool based on their singular understanding of the sustainability concept; environmental protection. This understanding was noted to have resulted from the fact that the EMS at SEC was introduced as a sustainable strategic business practice. The high investment on one aspect of sustainability, however, has created an overshadowing of the other aspects of sustainability at the company. While participants indicated that they were satisfied with the implementation of the EMS at SEC, challenges of the tool such as no evident financial benefits and lack of human resource consideration were highlighted. To strengthen the tool’s use therefore as a sustainability tool, the research concludes that the EMS’s role and purpose must be structured to holistically encompass all sustainability aspects. This will entail that businesses clearly define and formalise sustainability throughout their processes and ensure that the concept is understood by all employees across the hierarchical structure. Furthermore, in consideration of various tools employed by businesses towards sustainability, the research determined that it would be beneficial to integrate shared elements and use one model to drive towards sustainability attainment. This can promote shared understanding of the company’s sustainability objectives and promote involvement of multiple sustainability roles in a business, thus reducing lack of morale. Key words: Sustainability, Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Sustainability principles, Management Systems, Strategy, ISO 14001.