Electronic Submission Coversheet Please complete and insert this form as the first page of your electronic submission.

on. Submit the assignment with attached coversheet electronically through the Wolf Esubmission gateway Please make sure you keep a copy of your assignment.

Student Details Surname Student "umber Rajan ##$%&'# iven name Email !ennie !ishore kishkenn(outlook.com

Assignment Details )odule name *issertation+ndependent ,usiness -nalysis Project Research. # 1uly 2/#$ Environment- o ree +nititiative
st

)odule .ode

&) //#

0or the attention of *ue date -ssignment title

)ark 0airhurst

All forms of plagiarism, cheating and unauthorized collusion are regarded seriously by the University and could result in penalties including failure in the unit and possible exclusion from the University. If you are in doubt, please read the following web page.

Students Declaration ,y submitting this assignment + S+ "-3 4 *E.3-RE my knowledge and agreement to the following5 E6cept where + have indicated7 the work + am submitting in this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted for assessment in another unit or for any other purpose.

8niversity of Wolverhampton 9his work conforms to the instructions and submission guidelines as contained in the assessment briefing and the module guide respectively. 9his submission complies with 8niversity of Wolverhampton policies regarding plagiarism7 cheating and collusion. + acknowledge and agree that the assessor of this assignment may7 for the purpose of assessing this assignment5 Reproduce this assignment and provide a copy to another academic staff member: and;or .ommunicate a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism-checking service. 9his web-based service will retain a copy of this work for subse<uent plagiarism checking7 but has a legal agreement with the 8niversity that it will not share or reproduce it in any form.

+ have retained a copy of this assignment for my own records. + will retain a copy of the notification of receipt of this assignment.

8niversity of Wolverhampton

ENVIRONMENT !O !REEN INITIATIVE "# $ENNIE $IS%ORE RA&AN A DISSERTATION

Submitted to The 'niversit# o( )olverham*ton "usiness School In *artial (ul(illment o( the re+uirements (or the degree o( Master o( "usiness Administration

8niversity of Wolverhampton

A Dissertation Entitled

ENVIRONMENT !O !REEN INITIATIVE ,y $ENNIE $IS%ORE RA&AN

+ hereby certify that this *issertation submitted by !ennie !ishore Rajan conforms to acceptable standards7 and as such is fully ade<uate in scope and <uality. +t is therefore approved as the fulfilment of the *issertation re<uirements for the degree of )aster of ,usiness -dministration.

A**roved,

Dissertation Su*ervisor, Mar- Stuart .airhurst

Date, /01/213/04

8niversity of Wolverhampton

AC$NO)5ED!EMENT )y thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. +n particular7 my gratitude goes out to friends7 facilitator and family for e6tensive and helpful comments on early drafts. + am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. 9heir works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon7 also served as e6amples to emulate.

8niversity of Wolverhampton

DEC5ARATION

+7 !ennie !ishore Rajan7 would like to declare that all contents included in this dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid7 4 this dissertation has not been submitted for any e6amination at academic as well as professional level previously. +t is also representing my very own views 4 not essentially which are associated with the university.

Signed ==================

*ate =================

8niversity of Wolverhampton A"STRACT

9he research aimed at analy>ing the impact of green strategy and green initiatives implemented by firms. reen strategy is considered to be a new concept emerging which can help the firms in attaining sustainability for a longer period of time. 0irms that adopt green strategies are considered as they are here to stay. ,ased on the e6tensive literature analysis and survey findings7 the research focused on analy>ing the impact of adopting green strategies by the firms. 9he literature included studies focusing on the concept of green strategy7 its implementation7 the barrier and the benefits offered by the strategy. 9hree hypotheses were developed5 ?#5 9here is a positive relationship between social norms and intention to engage in green behavior by the firm. ?25 9here is a significant impact of high investment costs on the implementation of green strategy by the firm. ?$5 9here is a significant impact of customers@ perception on the firm@s decision to adopt green strategy. -ll the hypotheses were accepted based on -"AB- tests and .?+-SC8-RE 9ES9S. 9he research findings identified major barriers and benefits for implementing green strategy. )ajor barriers include5 high investment costs7 lack of customers@ awareness7 lack of firms@ awareness7 lack of government rules and regulations7 lack of support from suppliers and top management7 and lack of e6pertise and trained employees. )ajor benefits included5 sustainable competitive advantage7 increased awareness among customers through green marketing7 enhanced firms@ reputation7 enhanced brand image7 reduced operational and functional cost7 less uncertain and unsystematic risk7 and increased the psychological benefits for employees.

8niversity of Wolverhampton

TA"5E O. CONTENTS

8niversity of Wolverhamton # C%A6TER 0, INTROD'CTION

1. Research ac!ground -s the population is increasing continuously7 it is estimated by the 8S "ational +ntelligence .ouncil D"+.E in lobal 9rends 2/$/ report that the demand for energy7 water and

food will rise by as much as F/ percent by 2/$/. 0urthermore7 over the ne6t ten years7 the energy costs are solely forecasted to increase by 2F percent. +n addition7 this the report stated that the world of 2/$/ will drastically changed from the world of today. "o country will remain hegemonic power by 2/$/ D"+.7 2/#2E. +n order to address the increasing issues arising from the natural resource and conservation and climate changes world-wide7 a number of concepts focusing on environmental responsibility and preservation have emerged with respects to the need for large-scale transformations. .oncepts like the reen ?ouse Effect and lobal Warming have increasing

become familiar and common in daily life7 still not all the organi>ations and enterprises have implemented or adopted a green strategy. ?owever7 there is significant increase in the

consciousness of problems related to global environment among the industrial nations as a result of rising globali>ation. -dditionally7 it is observed that the increasing environmental issues cannot be solely resolved by technical solutions7 instead by understandings and transforming the attitude and behavior@s of consumers7 policy makers7 business organi>ations7 and citi>ens. +t has been observed that with the growing concern7 the mentality of societies have also changed7 and according to a poll7 &&G of -mericans are concerned about the effects of climate changes7 which has much likely increased as compared to it was %/ years ago7 when the concept of social responsibility and sustainability was <uite vague and uncommon DSaad7 2//HE. With various

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2 scandals affecting the world@s renowned organi>ations7 like Starbucks that attempted to hinder fair-trade practices of Ethiopian framers DSharman 4 0ernando7 2//I7 FH'E7 or recent ,P oil e6plosion occurred decimating the ulf of )e6ico with around 2// )illion gallons of oil that

significantly polluted the entire environment D)c.arthy7 2/#/7 2%E7 the concern of organi>ation getting affected by social responsibility and green concept is growing substantially. 9hus7 organi>ations have now been recogni>ing the importance of adopting green strategies7 in order to preserve the environment by transforming their operations and management. 9his research focuses on the reason and impact of adopting green strategies.

1.1. "oncept of #ustainability 9he term Sustainability has been commonly used and populari>ed by the World .ommission on Environment and *evelopment7 in its report JAur .ommon 0utureK7 defining the term as meeting the needs and wants of present generation and not affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Speth D2//%E defined sustainability from the economical perspective as living off income of nature instead of consuming its capital Dp. 2%E. - sustainable business is e6plained as the organi>ation working in a environmentally responsible way. 9he products7 services and business operations are such that they do not cause any negative impact on the environment from their e6istence.

1.$. %verall Aims and %b&ectives 9he main aim of this research is to analy>e the impact of adopting green strategy for any organi>ation. 9his aim will be achieved under the light of following objectives5 9o understand the concept of sustainability under the light of green strategy

8niversity of Wolverhamton $ 9o identify the barrier or challenges faced by organi>ations in adopting green strategy 9o identify the benefits of adopting green strategy for organi>ations

1.'. Research (ypothesis ?#5 There is a positive relationship between social norms and intention to engage in green behavior by the firm. ?25 There is a significant impact of high investment costs on the implementation of green strategy by the firm. ?$5 There is a significant impact of customers perception on the firms decision to adopt green strategy.

1.). Research "ontribution 9his research focuses on the green initiatives taken by organi>ations in today@s business environment7 intending to contribute towards the theme@s state-of-the-art by identifying different barriers and challenges faced by the organi>ation7 along with the importance and benefits of adopting green strategy. +n addition to the contribution towards e6isting literature7 it is significant for the managers of organi>ations seeking to adopt green strategy. With the help of this study7 the managers will be able to pre plan7 design and implement their strategies considering the challenges and barriers highlighted through the findings. 0urthermore7 research will provide actionable implications for marketers seeking to gain an increased market share in their respective industries. Since7 it is important to transform the human behaviors and attitude

8niversity of Wolverhamton % towards the green strategy and organi>ations going green7 this research will help in increasing the academic knowledge leading to increased awareness among people. )oreover7 based on the research findings7 it will help the managers to understand the importance of training their human resource in order to implement green strategy effectively. +n addition7 the research will help in highlighting how the perception of consumers and society on the whole has been changing towards the strategies adopted by organi>ation for environmental sustainability. reen products minimi>e the environmental impact of product use7 making

consumption less harmful to the environment. So how do we go about encouraging consumers to not just think green but actually consume greenL 9his will help the managers in answering this <uestion7 and in understanding their consumers and other stakeholders7 leading them to increase their sustainability and successful adoption of changes.

#.F. "onclusion 9his chapter provided a background of the research topic that is going to be addressed throughout the research. 0urthermore7 the chapter focused on e6plaining the aim7 objectives7 and research <uestions that are going to be answered through the information obtained using mi6ed research method7 along with hypothesis that are tested. 9he chapter also defined how this research will contribute to the e6isting knowledge by adding up new information to e6isting body of literature.

8niversity of Wolverhamton F 1.* %verview #tructure of the +ro&ect 9he introduction chapter provided an overview of the research background7 major objectives on which the study will be based and the hypothesis that are going to be tested through this research. 9he ne6t chapter will provide an overview of different concepts related to the green strategy and sustainability of organi>ations with respect to the environmental and climatic changes. +n addition to this7 the chapter will focus on analy>ing and reviewing the e6isting studies and researches presented related to the topic. 9hird chapter will provide an overview of the research methodology being followed through the study. +t will also provide information about the process of data collection and sources used for the collection of data. 0urthermore7 it will describe the method used for analy>ing the data. .hapter four will focus on providing the research findings obtained by collecting the data7 and chapter five provides a discussion of the findings and its relation with the literature review. 3astly7 si6th chapter concludes the entire dissertation by summari>ing the highlights of the study along with the implications for managers.

8niversity of Wolverhamton H

C%A6TER 3, 5ITERAT'RE REVIE)

$., -reen #trategy .orporate strategy based on the environment refers to the pattern of actions taken over the period of time in order to manage the interaction and interface between the natural environment and the business processes. .orporate green strategy is divided into two main categories5 #E Reactive environmental strategy which is the compliance strategy7 in which firms depend on the abatement of pollution through an approach focused on end-of-pipe concept7 usually resisting the enforcement and enactment of environmental regulation: and 2E Proactive strategy7 which goes beyond the compliance focusing on prevention. 9his is a systematic approach emphasi>es on the process innovation and source; costs reduction. +t was argued by Sharma D2///E that a reactive strategy does not seek for the firms to develop skills or e6pertise and involves end-of-pipe investments in advanced technologies in order to manage new environment-centered processes or technologies. While7 proactive strategy re<uires firms to ac<uire or install new technologies which involves high-level learning and skills ac<uisition and might lead to the creation of competitively valuable capabilities within organi>ations DSharma7 2///7 HI#E. 9he term green focuses on the ecological or natural side of the organi>ational practices7 which includes the natural environment7 air7 water7 and renewable resources. -nother research conducted by .hen7 .hang and Wu D2//IE7 to e6plore the origins of two different types of green innovations5 reactive and proactive green innovations strategies. 9he research focused on satisfying the methodological triangulation7 thereby applied a mi6ed research method including both <uantitative and <ualitative research methods for discussing the origins of green

8niversity of Wolverhamton & innovations. 0irstly7 it used inductive logic from case study and grounded theory perspective for developing the framework of research and studied the case of -8 Aptronics .orp. D-8AE - a worldwide top three manufacturers in the 90-3.9-industry DSharma7 2///7 HI2E. Secondly7 the study conducted a survey for testing the research framework developed in the first stage. 9he research classified green innovations into two sections5 reactive and proactive green innovations7 as their origins are different from each other. -ccording to the research findings7 both the internal origins Dsuch as environmental culture7 environmental capability7 and the environmental leadershipE7 and the e6ternal origins Dsuch as the environmentalism of clients and investor and the environmental regulationsE7 can generate reactive green innovation DSharma7 2///7 HI2E. "evertheless7 only internal origins tend to facilitate proactive green innovations. ,ased on the research findings of this study7 it is suggested that the organi>ations need to invest their resources sin the cultivation of the internal origins instead of e6ternal origins. 9his study provided an insight to what origins cause reactive and proactive green innovations through mi6ed research methods specifically focusing on 9aiwan. 0urthermore7 this study developed a theory about the origins of two different types of green innovations. 9he research conducted by *ahlmann7 ,rammer and )illington D2//IE7 focused on providing a snapshot of the green; environmental management practices used by firms in 8!7 along with discussing the managerial responses to the environmental issues in comparison to the research conducted earlier. - telephonic interview approach was adopted in this study7 using both open-ended and close-ended <uestions from #H& 8! firms selected through stratified sampling based on industry sector and firms si>e. 9he research findings identified that most of the firms are undertaking various efforts for reducing their environmental impacts7 still economic factors like risk reductions7 costs and achieving compliance with the environmental regulation

8niversity of Wolverhamton I are the major drivers of the organi>ations@ environmental behaviors D*ahlmann7 ,rammer and )illington7 2//I7 2H%E. Particularly7 the S)Es seemed to depend more on short-term planning7 which eventually makes them less proactive towards their environmental approach. 0urthermore7 the researchers conducted a comparison of e6isting studies7 which suggested that the overall firms@ behaviors in addressing environmental issues remains economically-oriented and reactive in nature. Employing mi6ed research methods for data collection and analysis7 the research aimed on overcoming the issues of social desirability bias and respondent identification D*ahlmann7 ,rammer and )illington7 2//I7 2I/E. "evertheless7 despite for the increasing significance of number of environmental problems7 firms fail to use more proactive green strategies7 which highlights that there is a lot to be done in conte6t of policy levels for stimulating the incentives involved with the adoption of such strategies.

$.1 +revious Research on -reen #trategy *ifferent studies have identified different impacts of adopting environmentally specific or green strategies. 9he research conducted by Mhu and Sarkis D2//%E focused on analy>ing that whether the e6istence of internal environmental management programs have a negative or a positive impact on the economic performance of organi>ations. +n their research7 they mainly focused on more operational level financial and economic performance measures DMhu 4 Sarkis7 2HFE. -nother study conducted by Sharman and 0ernando D2//IE focused on studying the relationship between the environmental risk management and the cost of capital of the firm7 specifically considering the difference in the impacts on the European and "orth -merican firms. 9he research emphasi>ed on the discretionary choices of the firm related to the environmental issue. 9hey observed that environmental performance of a firm tends to decrease

8niversity of Wolverhamton ' its cost of capital because of the improvised risk management system DSharman 4 0ernando7 2//I7 FH'E. 9hey determined that the firms having better environmental risk management practices have a lower capital cost7 and hence they are able to gain a competitive edge over their competitors. 9his research highlighted the importance of corporate social responsibilities and the environmental strategies. -ccording to this research7 .SR is e6plained as the ethical7 discretionary7 legal7 and economic responsibilities that should be undertaken by a firm and it owes towards it stakeholders including environment7 shareholders rights7 and consumerism DSharman 4 0ernando7 2//I7 F'/E. +t has been argued by ,ansal and .lelland D2//%E in their study that are environmentally legitimate incur less uncertain and unsystematic risk with respect to their stock market positions and standings than firms that are environmentally illegitimate. 9he researchers applied institutional theory in order to support their argument. 9he research observed that firms gain environmental legitimacy when their performance with respect to the environmental complies with the e6pectations of their stakeholders. 9he relationship between the environmentally legitimate firms and the uncertain stock market risks was supported on the basis of analysis of stock prices and media reports of #// firms over the period of five years D,ansal 4 .lelland7 2//%7 '$E. 9heir research findings showed that firms having lower environmental legitimacy can fill this gap by showing some commitment towards the natural environment and by developing strategies that are environmental focused. 0urthermore7 the research highlighted that the shareholders perceive that companies shaving poor environmental records are riskier in terms of investments and might demand higher risk premiums D,ansal 4 .lelland7 2//%7 #/#E. 9heir research highlights that firms that focus of adopting green strategies will have a positive impact

8niversity of Wolverhamton #/ on their image and will be facing lesser amount of risks7 along with attracting a large number investors. +n a research conducted by .hristmann D2//%E focused on identifying the determinants of global policy standardi>ation of )".@s and analy>e their importance. 9hey studied different researches conducted in relation to the international management and environmental management. 9hey collected the data by a postal survey of )".@s in the chemical industry operating in 8nited States. 9hey conducted a multiple regression analysis by using three different models to deal with standardi>ation of environmental communication globally7 standardi>ation of operational environmental policy globally and levels of internal environmental performance standards across the globe D.hristmann7 2//%7 &%&E. 9he research findings confirmed that governmental pressures have a positive relation with the setting of higher global environmental standards7 industry pressures have positive relation with the )".@s global standardi>ation of operational environmental policies7 and the customer pressures have positive relation with environmental communication standardi>ation globally. +t further highlights that subsidiary dependence on the remaining )".@s D.hristmann7 2//%7 &F/E. 9he study showed that firms that pursue global strategies are more likely to standardi>e their environmental policies thereby self-regulating their environmental conducts. ?owever7 this research was just specific to the chemical industry which already pays a higher cost for environmental protection and is mostly dominated by )".s7 thus the findings cannot be generali>ed to all the industries. -nother study conducted by insberg and ,loom D2//'E focused on green marketing

strategy. +n their study7 they argued that for responding to the varying degrees of environmental concern of consumers7 marketers and businesses can segment their target market into different shades of green7 which include greenback greens7 grousers7 sprouts7 true blue greens and basic

8niversity of Wolverhamton ## browns. 9heir research was focused on investigating the dilemma related to green marketing strategies. 9he research focused on observing that consumers hardly make any pro-environment choices involving trading-off against the product attributes7 still are willing to pay an e6tra price for energy-efficient appliance and organic foods7 which tend to combine environmental benefits relating to their self-interests and needs D insberg 4 ,loom7 2//'7 &'E. 9he study identified five different segments of customers having varied level of interest with respect to environmental issues. 0urthermore7 it provides a competitive landscape by creating green marketing strategy that helps in segmenting the market based on the green market segments7 and the ability of differentiating the products based on various dimensions of green. 9he research findings suggest that between the #F-%H percent of the total consumer market might be susceptible to the green marketing strategies focused on environmental issues D insberg 4 ,loom7 2//'7 I/E. 9hrough green marketing strategy7 the researchers identified four major segments5 defensive green7 shaded green7 e6treme green7 and lean green. +n their research7 they further e6plained the characteristics of the each category and suggested different ways in which marketers apply their %Ps D insberg 4 ,loom7 2//'7 I2E. 9he research discussed the importance of market research on consumer responses towards green marketing and also the vitality of understanding how consumers are perceived based on greenness. 9he research also highlighted the need of educating consumers and creating compatibility between the organi>ational culture and green marketing strategies. 0urthermore7 the study concludes that when a company adopts the environmental focused marketing strategy7 i.e.7 green marketing strategies7 then it benefits its consumers7 shareholders and society on the whole.

8niversity of Wolverhamton #2 $.$ .rivers of -reen #trategy +n order to adopt and create a green strategy7 a firm can transform different departments and processes into green processes. Barious transformations can be brought into the supply chain management department Dsuch green logistics strategies7 green procurement strategies7 green transportation strategies7 etcE7 marketing departments Dgreen marketing7 green advertising7 etcE7 human resources departments De.g. training the employeesE7 and production departments. Mhu7 Sarkis and eng D2//FE conducted a survey of $#% .hinese manufacturing firms for evaluating

and describing the drivers7 performance7 and practices with respect to green supply chain management. 9he research findings identified that competitive7 marketing and regulatory drivers and pressures are among the significant factors that tend to increase the environmental awareness of .hinese firms DMhu7 Sarkis 4 eng7 2//F7 %%'E. 0urthermore7 study conducted by Seuring and )uller D2//IE collected #'# research papers from the time period of #''%-2//& and developed a proposed model for these drivers. 9hese drivers were divided into two categories5 e6ternal and internal drivers. E6ternal drivers include5 customers7 stakeholders7 and government. -ccording to their research findings7 the company is driven by these factors and then passes on these pressures to their suppliers7 who are also influenced by the companies DSeuring 4 )uller7 2//I7 #H''E. 9he researchers also classified e6isting literature on the incentives and pressures into si6 categories5 response to stakeholders7 reputation loss7 customer demands7 competitive advantage7 legal demands;regulation7 and environmental and social pressures. 0ollowing are the major drivers that determine a firm@s environmental behavior.

8niversity of Wolverhamton #$ $.' "ustomers +n different green studies7 several researchers have focused on identifying green customers in terms of psychographic7 behavioral7 and demographic aspects. 9he +nternational +nstitute of Sustainable *evelopment D++S*E described the commonly found behavior and attitudes of green customers. -ccording to their research7 green customers are among the people who adopt green lifestyles7 supporting the firms that incorporate green practices7 and are conscious about their green practices and how these practices affect others as well as the environment. 9he overemphasi>ed on their green behavior and want the there should be easy ways and processes for the environmental protection. 9he research also identified that7 though these customers are very serious about their green behavior7 they do not have much knowledge regarding the environmental issues and are eager to learn about these factors. 9he research provided some generali>ed conclusions about the green customer@s demographic characteristics. 9hese green customers are young adults who tend to get influenced by their younger people. 9he research also identified that women were more pro-environmental as compared to men7 and the best green customers are the ones who have the purchasing power DRyan7 2//H7 #2E. Ather studies added level of education and residential region to the demographic characteristics in order to differentiate green customers from other customers. +t has been observed by different researchers that customers are the one that have significant impact on the decisions of a firm in adopting green strategy. .ustomers might need special products or treatments Dfor instance7 leads made out of recycled paperE. 9hus7 a firm will have to act accordingly and transform its processes7 strategies7 operations7 etc in order to satisfy its customers. +n their research7 Simpson7 Power and Samson D2//&E studied the relationship between the customer re<uirements and its green supply chain management. 9he research

8niversity of Wolverhamton #% focused on e6ploring the moderating impact of the conditions of relationship between the firm@s customers and its suppliers on the effectiveness and uptake of the re<uirements of the customers with respect to the environmental performance of the firm7 which also known as green supply practices DSimpson7 Power 4 Samson7 2//&7 2IE. 9he research evaluated the degree to which an environmental performance of suppliers is affected by the environmental performance re<uired by the customers with respect to the specific relationship conditions are considered. 9he researchers conducted a survey of first and second tier component manufacturing firms in automotive industry of -ustralia for the data collections and analy>ed the data by using ))R and linear regressions. -ccording to their research7 the suppliers were observed to be more responsive towards environmental performance re<uirements of customers where there was an increase in the level of relationship-specific investments DSimpson7 Power 4 Samson7 2//&7 2'E. -lthough7 the research contributes the research by providing insights to the problems of how different organi>ations may improve the supplier@s environmental performance and develop sustainable supply chain processes. +t has been observed that virtually there is not study e6isting on the actual effectiveness of green supply practices re<uirements in conte6t of interorgani>ational dynamics DSimpson7 Power 4 Samson7 2//&7 $/E. 9he research findings suggested that theory of traditional operations in inter-organi>ational analysis also precludes the use of more comprehensively designed techni<ues for the analysis. ?owever7 the survey was conducted in 2//%7 and it is specifically related to automotive industry of -ustralia. 0urthermore7 due to the small sample si>e7 various comprehensive techni<ues for analysis were not applied. 0urthermore7 another study was conducted by Nu-Shan D2/#/E aimed at investigating the relationship between green brand trust7 green brand satisfaction7 green brand e<uity7 and green brand image. +t e6plored the relationship of green brand e<uity with three drivers5 green brand

8niversity of Wolverhamton #F trust7 green brand satisfaction7 and green brand image. 9he research used primary data collection method and conducted a survey7 which were randomly mailed to the customers who already had an e6perience of purchasing electronic and information products DNu-Shan7 2/#/7 $/&E. 9he research findings showed that green trust7 green satisfaction and green brand image have a positive relation with green brand e<uity. +n addition7 the positive relation between green brand e<uity and green brand image is partially intervened by green brand trust and green brand satisfaction DNu-Shan7 2/#/7 $#/E. 9hus7 in order to enhance their green brand e<uity7 the firms should invest on resources to increase green brand trust7 green brand satisfaction7 and green brand image.

$.) -overnment 9he regulations and legislations that affect the firms are from all governmental levels. +n 8S7 the Environmental Protection -gency D8.S. EP-7 2//&cE plays the part of administrating the regulations and laws that are passed by the .ongress and are signed by the President. 9he EPhas created an enforced regulations and laws for a number of industries that cover different environmental issues7 such as forests7 air7 acid rain7 to6ic substances7 universal wastes7 water pollution7 and asbestos. -long with the governmental regulations and laws7 local regulations are developed for managing firms in all the localities7 such as cities7 countries7 or states. Some of the e6amples of local agencies are the "ew Nork State *epartment of Environmental .onservation7 .alifornia *epartment of pesticide Regulation7 and +llinois Pollution .ontrol ,oard. - research conducted by Rivera-.amino D2//&E focused on e6amining the impact of stakeholders on green marketing strategy of a firm. -ccording to the marketing literature7 it is observed that stakeholder shave a significant impact on the markets and organi>ations7 but fails

8niversity of Wolverhamton #H to target a single integrated approach for e6amining the relationship between the green marketing strategies and stakeholder management DRivera-.amino7 2//&7 #$2IE. 9he research findings highlighted that greening process in organi>ations is not a one-dimensional linear progressions7 instead of an uneven process which involves several green marketing strategy profiles preferred by the stakeholders. 0urthermore7 the results demonstrated that the behavioral7 organi>ational and perceptual factors have significant impact on the implementation of green marketing strategies DRivera-.amino7 2//&7 #$2'E.

$./ 0ar!et +n today@s competitive environment7 majority of the -merican firms work with international firms as their customers or their suppliers. -merican firm work in order to meet their customer@s needs7 which includes providing green products for increasing sales to foreign customers. With the drastic growth in the environmental concerns7 the conciseness among consumers regarding green products is also increasing day by day. 3ikewise7 the green image and the green strategy adopted by a firm also effect the decision making of customers. 9here are a number of studies demonstrating that consumers and customers are willing to pay a premium price for purchasing green services and green products DSaphores7 "i6on7 Agunseitan7 4 Shapiro7 2//&7 ##$: Wolf7 2//'7 #%: Roe7 9eisl7 4 3evy7 2//#7 '#&: Noo 4 !wak 2//'7 F%/': entry7 2//I7 F2E. Ather studies mention this under the different tagline such as ethical and societal issue DScott7 .hristensen7 !rishnamohan7 abric7 2//#7 2&: Walker7 *i Sisto7 4 )c,ain7 2//I7 H'E. +t

has also been observed that being an environmental-focused firm7 it increases the reputation and recognition of the firm by society and the consumers. 0ailing in doing so might hurt the

8niversity of Wolverhamton #& reputation and image of the firm7 thus7 society significantly influences the decision of implementing a green strategy. - study conducted by Walker7 et al. D2//IE aimed at e6ploring the factors the hinder or drive the firms to implement green initiatives.

$.* #uppliers 9he role of suppliers is mostly obvious and observed in the supply chain practices7 where they provide parts7 raw materials7 and e<uipment. Suppliers are another factor that can influence the decision of firms to adopt and implement and green strategy. 9he research identified main categories of e6ternal and internal drivers through literature review7 which includes regulation7 competitors7 customers7 organi>ational factors7 and society on the whole7 but there is little not much indication of suppliers as being the drivers for implementing green strategies DRao 4 ?olt7 2//F7 I'IE. ,ased on interviews from seven various public and private firms7 the research identified that companies seem to be more influenced by e6ternal drivers instead of internal drivers DRao 4 ?olt7 2//F7 I'IE. Suppliers7 who are observed to be aware and familiar with the green supply chain7 must be able to influence and support the firm in taking green initiatives. An the contrary7 firms that do not work in collaboration with the green suppliers7 find it more difficult to implement green initiates themselves.

$.1 -reen #trategy as a "ompetitive Advantage +n the last few years7 businesses have been swept by a green wave7 which came with increased concerns and interest about environmental problems and issues rising due to firms@ operational activities. Emphasis and pressures from both the stakeholders and natural forces have made the green aspect to become unavoidable. -ccording to a research conducted by Mhang7

8niversity of Wolverhamton #I Shen7 and Wu D2/#/E7 promoting green strategy in the housing development business has significantly contributed to the implementation of principles and rules of sustainable development. +t focused on identifying why the firms7 specifically housing developers7 trend to turn green. 9he papers mainly aimed at identifying barriers and benefits in the application and implementation of green strategies in the facilities management and housing development processes. 9he analysis was conducted from the entire process of development of housing projects7 which included project designing and planning7 management7 constructions and operational strategies DMhang7 Shen7 4 Wu7 2/#/7 #F&E. 9he research highlighted that housing developers think that by applying certain types of green strategies can assist in contributing to developing up of competitive advantages for the developers7 such as optimi>ation of building envelope thermal performance technology and solar systems DMhang7 Shen7 4 Wu7 2/#/7 #F'E. 9he study conducted a case study analysis7 focusing in four different case studies that suggested that housing developers think that by applying these green technologies they can contribute to the reduction in construction and operational costs7 reputation gains7 making more financial channels and mediums available7 and receiving favorable land prices DMhang7 Shen7 4 Wu7 2/#/7 #F'E. 0urthermore7 the study identified high costs in terms of green appliances and customer@s demand as the major barrier for the implementation of green strategies. 9he authors conducted an analysis of a comprehensive survey and four different case studies within the housing development market. 9he research has been provided to be a major contribution towards the literature in terms of highlighting the beneficial aspects and in highlighting cost as the major barrier: however7 the research is conducted in conte6t of .hina7 which may not be generali>ed to all parts of the world.

8niversity of Wolverhamton #' Eiadat7 !elly7 Roche7 and Eyadat D2/#/E conducted a study which aimed at e6amining the relation between the organi>ations@ business performances and the adoption and implementation of innovative strategy by those firms. 9he research tends to illustrate various ways in which environmental innovation strategy is influenced by a number of environmental pressures which include perceived importance of stakeholders pressures7 managerial environmental concerns7 and governmental environmental regulations DEiadat et al. 2/#/7 #F#E. 9he study findings show that the environmental innovation strategy has a relation with improved perceived business performance of firms. 0urthermore7 the decision to implement environmental innovation strategy is affected by certain environmental pressures and the strategy completely mediates between firms@ business performance and the identified environmental pressures.

$.2 arriers to Implement -reen #trategy 9he study conducted by ?wang and "g D2/#$E e6amined the competency of project managers in green construction. 9he research aimed at identifying the challenges faced by project managers in e6ecuting green construction practices and also determined the critical knowledge and skills areas that are re<uired for responding to these challenges. 9he research conducted surveys and interviews in order to obtain the data from project managers D?wang 4 "g7 2/#$7 2&2E. 9he research findings highlighted ten major challenges faced by project managers while implementing green strategies in construction process. 9hese include5 #E difficulty in selecting subcontractors that provide green services: 2E high costs of green e<uipment and material: $E the e6tended time while pre/construction processes: %E uncertain feelings about the gene raw material D?wang 4 "g7 2/#$7 2I/E: FE fre<uent variations and alterations in the construction processes: HE difficulty in understanding the green specification

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2/ with respect to the construction processes: &E increase in the meetings and coordination with green engineers and consultants in order clearly communicate green specifications: IE planning of different techni<ues for construction: 'E unforeseen situations: and #/E planning of nontraditional construction se<uences D?wang 4 "g7 2/#$7 2I/E. 9his study is helpful in establishing a knowledge base for the project managers to be effective and competitive while e6ecuting sustainable projects. -lthough7 this research creates a strong and effective knowledge base for project managers7 one needs to be cautious while generali>ing the findings in other cases. 9an and 1ohnstone7 D2//'E7 identified that environmental pressure of consumer@s consumption and purchasing behavior is widely accepted by the e6isting literature7 still it does not prove that a consumer who has high level of environmental concerns will necessarily be purchasing a green product. 9herefore7 according to the researchers7 there is a greater need to study and understand the green attitude of consumers and the behavioral gaps. 9hus7 they conducted a research in order to e6plore the perceptions of being green from the perspective of consumers. 9he research focused on gaining some insights about the reason for the gap between attitude and behavior. Particularly7 the research identified the barriers with respect to consumers to being green. 0ocus group interviews were conducted with seven groups of consumers that ranged between the age of #' and &/ D9an 4 1ohnstone7 2//'7 #/E. 9he research identified that consumers@ perception is developed to the stimuli they are e6posed to. 9hus7 according to the researchers7 it cannot be argued about what the consumer is going to perceive about the product and the company going green. -nother research conducted by !hiewnavawongsa D2/##E7 the researcher identified various barriers occurring during the implementation of green S.) in the electronic industry.

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2# 9he study focused on e6ploring various factors that prevent firms from adopting green initiatives and carrying out green projects. 0urthermore7 it focuses on studying different green strategies and practices implemented by the electronic industry in 8nited States D!hiewnavawongsa7 2/##7 #$E. 9hrough survey and interview method7 where information from e6isting studies and interview was used for developing the survey instrument. 9he research tested different characteristics of companies for observing the different barriers faced by them in implementing green strategies. 9he research finding highlighted that the financial influence is one of the significant factor for implementing green strategies in electronic firms. )oreover7 the si>e of the firm does not have any impact on the green initiatives D!hiewnavawongsa7 2/##7 F%E. "evertheless7 the research also found that the small si>ed firms were less capable of adopting green strategies in most of the projects. 8sually7 the distributors were most highly affected from the barriers as compared to the manufacturers7 where electronics companies were more ready to adopt green packaging and manufacturing practices whereas suppliers were least agreed to carry out green supply. 0urthermore7 the study also highlighted the firms which were aware of the environmental issues for a longer period of time were more willing to adopt and implement green strategies as compare to the firms who have become recently aware of the environmental issues D!hiewnavawongsa7 2/##7 F%E. 9he study is most relevant to the present research7 as it not just highlights the barriers but also relates to impact of awareness among the firms. Present study focuses on analy>ing the level of awareness and the perception of stakeholders about the green strategies.

8niversity of Wolverhamton 22 $.3 #ta!eholders4 +erception about -reen initiatives +n their research !ato7 9oo and Rask D2//'E aimed at understanding the occupiers@ perceptions of green workplace environments. 9he research focused on e6amining how these occupiers evaluate and perceive the role of green workplace environment and how he; she subse<uently assesses the effectiveness of green workplaces with respect to environmental issues. 9he research used survey for collecting data from #2I respondents D!ato7 et al.7 2//'7 #I$E. +t was observed through research findings that green workplace environment tends to increase the psychological benefits for occupiers as compared to the physical improvements. +n addition to this7 the findings highlighted that that managers tends to perceive greater benefits from the green workplace environments in comparison to the employees respondents D!ato7 et al.7 2//'7 #I$E. 9he drawback of this research is that it has a sample of buildings and the overall number of reen Star rated

reen Star rated buildings is very small7 therefore7 the

sample is small to be generali>ed. 9he research provided empirical results of weaknesses and strengths of a comparatively new concept7 i.e. the green workplaces and buildings. 9he results of this study are helpful for the employers and owners who need to become more aware of the probable results with respect to satisfaction levels respondents D!ato7 et al.7 2//'7 #'/E. +t also highlights the areas which need attention in terms of converting the workplaces into green workplaces. .ronin7 D2/#/E highlighted that the green marketing strategies are increasingly becoming more important for firms that adhere to triple-bottom-line performance evaluations. 9heir study focused on understanding the role played by green initiatives as a marketing strategy in a better way. ,y integrating management7 operations and marketing studies7 an investigative structure was developed that identified that different stakeholders have the potential to be impacted by the

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2$ environment friendly practices carried out by the firms D.ronin7 et al.7 2/#/7 #FIE. 9he research findings suggested that firms need to become adaptive7 aligned and agile in balancing the planet and the customers with their profitability. 9he research identified major green strategies7 which include5 greening the organi>ation: green alliances: and green innovations. "o study is without any limitation or drawback. 9he research did not cover the entire green paradigm which might have alternatives effects on the different firms. -verdung and Wagenfuehrer D2/##E focused on studying the post-adoption behavior instead of first purchase itself. 9he researchers proposed a technology acceptance model D9-)E based on the planned behavior and reasoned action theory for the adoption of environmentally sustainable innovations. 9here model consisted of three layers5 intended behavior7 consumer characteristics7 and consumer@s attitude towards an integrated eco-friendly product D-verdung 4 Wagenfuehrer7 2/##7 'IE. 9he notion that environmental sustainability is not one of the major factors for the consumer to pay a premium price for products was significantly supported by the statistical data of SE) Dstructural e<uation modelE. ,ased on the research findings7 it is suggested that service-products that integrate sustainable technologies are suppose to fulfill their customers@ needs. 0urthermore7 the ecological attitudes tend to serve as a vital characteristic for developing trust7 loyalty and perceived usefulness of the service-products D-verdung 4 Wagenfuehrer7 2/##7 'IE. 9he word-of-mouth plays an important role in constituting key constructs can be helpful in revealing the willingness of customers in purchasing the eco-friendly products at a premium price. ?owever7 the research did not e6amine the consumer@s choice for uncovering the utility-re<uirements related to the concrete characteristics service-products. Where there studies that show that consumers are one of the major drivers for firms to adopt and implement green strategies7 there are also some studies that highlight that consumers

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2% show resistance towards purchasing green products. Ane research conducted by .laudy D2/##E aimed at empirically and theoretically understanding the consumer resistance towards green products7 to identify the reason and motive due to which consumers resist green innovations and also to highlight the strategic implications for policy makers and marketers. 9he research was conducted on the micro-generation which is an innovative technology e6periencing slower rate of diffusion into the market. the research carried out two national surveys in order to investigate three major issues which include active resistance D such as opposition7 rejection7 and postponementE7 willingness for paying a higher price for the product7 and passive resistance shown by the consumers D such as awarenessE D.laudy7 2/##7 %IE. 9he research findings highlighted that the positive perception of consumers does not lead to purchase of the green products mainly because of major functional concerns7 such as reliability issues7 installation re<uirements7 and initial high costs. 9hus7 the research supported that there is an attitudebehavioral gap.

$.1, #ummary 9his section focused on critically analy>ing various studies that focused on different concepts related to green strategy. 0urthermore7 the literature was focused on identifying barriers and benefits of green strategy by studying various researches. 9he chapter also included studies that identified stakeholders@ perception about the firms that adopt and implement green initiatives. 9hrough critical7 these studies were analy>ed based their strengths7 weaknesses and contributions. -fter critically reviewing the studies7 the ne6t chapter provides an overview of the methods that are used for conducting this research.

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2F

C%A6TER 4, RESEARC% MET%ODO5O!7

'., Research 0ethod 9here are two types of methods for research which we can utili>e throughout the process of a research. 9hese methods of research could generally be considered as <ualitative approaches to research. Cualitative Research5 -ccording to natural phenomena of the world7 we can define <ualitative research as a set-up of methods that are interpretive in nature7 and which make an effort to decipher7 understand7 and then e6plicate or else7 make an effort to patch up with the different meanings in lieu of fre<uency of peculiarly less or more. Cuantitative Research5 "early the whole procedure of research would involve some numerical data or it would comprise of data and information that can be utili>ed in a <uantitative fashion to assist the responses of different <uestions of research. -ccording to !umar D2//&E7 it will also assist in conforming to the objectives of the research. 9his techni<ue is the simplest manner that can be utili>ed to gather information from a huge number of samples. +n this research7 the research will utili>e the tool of <uantitative method to gather and e6amination of information with the assist of <uestionnaires. 9he methodology that has been adopted for this research is mi6ed research methodology. )i6ed research methodology involves the use of both <uantitative and <ualitative data. )i6ed methodology involves both <ualitative research and <uantitative research method. ,ased on the research objectives and <uestions7 mi6ed method is considered to be most suitable for this research. 0or collecting information under <ualitative approach7 the research has adopted

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2H secondary method of research. +n case of <uantitative approach7 the researchers has conducted a <uestionnaire survey from the employs in order to analy>e the effectiveness of new media communication as direct marketing channels and how it influences their behavior. 0rom this study@s perspective7 mi6ed research has been helpful in analy>ing the role of new media communication in direct marketing and how direct marketing helps in retaining customers.

'.1 5ustification of the "hosen 0ethod -fter comprehensively studying both <ualitative and <uantitative research methods7 this research has used mi6ed research methods in order to address the research <uestions appropriately. 9he mi6ed research method is capable of benefiting from the advantages and benefits of both the research methods. +n this way we can address the <ualitative research <uestions through <ualitative study and <uantitative research <uestions through <uestionnaire survey. 0urthermore7 <ualitative data also helped in the development of survey instrument which also helped in ensuring the validity of the instrument. )i6ed research method concurrently mi6es the two methods by merging the strengths of both the methods. +t provides an e6tensive and comprehensive evidence to study research problem in a better way. +n addition7 it grants a wider range of instruments and tools to be used for the data collection and analysis rather than restricting to a few of them7 typically linked with <uantitative or <ualitative research methods. )oreover7 it provides an opportunity to comprehensively describe and e6plain the meaning derived out the numbers into words and relate it to the data collected in <ualitative form.

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2& '.$ Research Approach 9here are two types of research approaches such as inductive approach and deductive approach D,ray7 -damson and )ason7 2//&7 %%%E. +nductive approach is started with the help of data and information that is gathered by the researcher. 9his approach works from more specific to more general. +n this research7 firstly7 researcher collects data and information and e6plains the empirical facts and findings D!indon 4 Pain7 2//&7 22E. "e6t to this7 researcher forms categories and looks towards similar patterns and then develops modern theories from the research D)onsen 4 ?orn7 2//I7 #2'E. An the other hand7 deductive research approach works from more general to more specific. 9his research is based on the scientific approach. +t is narrow down approach7 where research starts with a theory related with research problem D,arrett 4 ,olt7 2//&7 2'E. -fter this7 specific hypothesis is made that is tested with the help of collected data and information. -fter the testing7 hypothesis is accepted or rejected by the researcher D!indon 4 Pain7 2//&7 2$E. +n this manner7 it is contrary to inductive approach. 0or this research7 inductive and deductive approach is used. -n effective strategy was used to collect most of the information and data from various sources. 9he research contained two parts7 firstly Jsecondary researchK in which the researcher went through various research papers7 electronic journals and database and secondly JPrimary researchK7 research describes different methods that will be used to collect the information from companies.

'.' Advantages and .isadvantages of the Research 0ethod 9he advantage of this using inductive research is that it flows from specific to the general form. 9his approach is suitable for the <ualitative research D9eddlie 4 9ashakkori7 2//'7 '2E.

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2I 9his approach helped in analy>ing the literature critically through which certain patterns were identified7 which were used to create sub-categories relevant to research objectives. Since it involves subjectivity7 it creates biases most of the time. 9hese biased opinions and subjective approach can sometimes change the outcome. *eductive approach allows the researcher to provide logical reasoning7 on the basis of generic idea in order to reach to a specific conclusion. 9his approach is focused on testing the hypothesis through logical reasoning. Where deductive approach helped in providing logical reasoning to test the hypothesis7 inductive approach helped in supporting7 by allowing us to obtain in-depth information from different sources. 9his research benefitted from the strengths of both the approaches and managed to avoid their weaknesses for estimating accurate and logical results.

'.) +articipants 9he Survey was conducted in order to obtain primary information from people who belonged to various industries. 9his study used random sampling techni<ue in order to select a sample of customers for filling the survey. Random sampling is a method through which all the members of a particular population get an e<ual chance of getting selected. Since7 the population for this research is very broad7 a sample was selected through random sampling in order to generali>e the findings: therefore7 it is very important that every member should get an e<ual chance of being selected.

'./ #ample 9he survey responses were obtained from 2// employees working in various industries who were chosen based on their relevant e6perience in industries which are potentially able to

8niversity of Wolverhamton 2' harm the environment either through its products7 its processes7 or its operations. 9his study targeted employees having H-#/ years of e6perience. 9hese employees will be able to provide relevant and detailed information about their firm and about the implementation of green strategy7 in conte6t of firms@ performance7 major pressures7 barriers and the benefits of adopting green strategy.

'.* .ata "ollection #econdary sources 9he aim of the secondary research method was directed at focali>ing on e6istent sources of information like an internal document7 maga>ines7 journal7 web pages7 etc. 9he researcher obtained permission from the management of the company to utili>e internal materials that are not confidential for the company. .ollection of data from secondary research will be regularly assessed to annihilate any sort of biasness from the material7 ensure the accuracy of data7 ensure that the data is current and up to date7 corresponds to the said purpose7 and analy>e the content of the data to ensure that it is dependable. 9his type of data normally includes peer reviewed journals7 articles7 and other sources of online research etc. +t has been stated that generally7 research on desk is utili>ed in an e6planatory stage of research7 but only occasionally it may be detected that ample amount of data is accessible to annul the need to collect data particularly for research at hand. -n on-line research for literature made up by utili>ing the ,usiness Source Premier7 )antel7 ProCuest and many other online libraries to distinguish different impact of green strategy on the firms as well as on different stakeholders. 0urthermore7 the studies were specifically related to the sub-headings related to the research <uestions. Ather resources such as

8niversity of Wolverhamton $/ newspaper articles7 oogle scholar7 Wikipedia and similar online research databases were also

utili>ed to assist in identification and defining the subject matter and the problems related to it.

+rimary #ource 9he <uestionnaire is used by the researcher for collecting data which is <uantitative in nature. Survey results were recorded in the form of numeric data and in <uestionnaire pattern. "evertheless7 the <uestionnaire was generated on the basis of <ualitative information in the form of previous studies. 9his is the instrument that is primarily used for collecting information that could be measured. ?owever7 measurement is dependent on different factors and elements such as service <uality. - <uestionnaire is usually designed based on previous information available and conte6tuali>ing with the subject or topic to be studied D*riscoll7 Neboah7 Salib 4 Rupert7 2//&7 #'E. 8sually7 <uestionnaire is designed keeping clarity and conciseness into consideration.

'.1 .ata Analysis +nformation obtained from employees will be analy>ed by employing statistical tools and tables generated from the application of the statistical methods. ,y conducting descriptive as well as inferential analysis7 the statistical method helped in giving a meaning to the numeric data. 9his study used SPSS #H./ for the analysis of the data obtained. +n addition7 the studies included in this study were critically analy>ed. 9he e6isting researches were evaluated based on their strengths7 weaknesses7 and their contributions. 0urthermore7 this research has developed four hypotheses - ?#5 9here is a positive relationship between social norms and intention to engage in green behavior. ?25 9here is a significant impact of high investment costs on the implementation of green strategy. ?$5 9here is a significant impact of customers@ perception on the firm@s

8niversity of Wolverhamton $# decision to adopt green strategy. ?%5 9he implementation of green strategy has a significant impact on a firm. 9hese hypotheses were tested based on the data collected through primary sources. +n order to test ?#7 -"AB- test was used. -"AB- test helps in analy>ing the difference between two means D9ashakkori 4 9eddlie7 2//'7 #/#E. 9hrough this test7 the researcher was able to identify whether social norms can affect the firms and lead them to engage into in green initiatives or not. 0urthermore the research applied .?+-SC8-RE 9ES9 in order to test the ?2 and ?$. .?+-SC8-RE helped in identifying whether there is any relation between two variables on which the hypothesis is developed.

'.2 6imitations of the Research 3ike every research7 this research also has some limitations. 0irstly7 though the survey was conducted from a number of people who belonged to various industries due to which the results can be generali>ed7 yet the research was not specific to certain field or processes as the results might differ if it has been focused on a particular industry or a strategy. -nother limitation was selection of respondents for this research. +n addition7 accessing to a variety of people was also one of the issues. 0urthermore7 searching and collecting relevant articles and studies was also a challenge for the researcher7 as a number of articles are not accessible. 9herefore7 several databases were accessed to overcome this problem. +n addition to this7 the research was conducted from the firms@ perceptive. +n order to understand the customer@s perception7 it is more preferable to conduct the survey from customers.

8niversity of Wolverhamton $2 '.3 #ummary 9his section provided a detailed overview about the research methodology that is used in this study. 0urthermore7 it e6plains various sources that are being used for collecting the data and how the collected has been analy>ed in this study. +t furthermore7 provides information about the participants7 how they have been selected and on what basis they have been selected. -fter e6plaining the methodology7 the ne6t chapter will discusss findings of the research.

8niversity of Wolverhamton $$

C%A6TER 8, RES'5TS1.INDIN!S9 ANA57SIS AND DISC'SSION

).1 Introduction 9his chapter focuses on stating research findings that are obtained by analy>ing the responses collected through survey. 0urthermore7 through analysis7 research hypothesis are tested based on the survey responses by applying -"AB- tests and .?+-SC8-RE 9ES9S. +n addition7 the chapter provides a discussion over the findings and critical literature review analysis ).$ #urvey Results a: Do #ou have an# intentions to integrate green *ractices in #our strategies; 0re<uency Nes "ot Sure "o 9otal ##2 %' $' 2// Percent FH./ 2%.F #'.F #//./ Balid Percent FH./ 2%.F #'.F #//./ .umulative Percent FH./ I/.F #//./

Balid

9his <uestion was asked in order to understand whether the firms would like to implement green strategies in future. 9he results show that majority of the respondents stated that their firms are interested in implementing green initiatives and strategies. - lot of people were not sure about their firms@ future intention with respect to going green7 while few of them did not want to take any initiatives to implement green strategies. 9here might be several reasons due to which a firm would decide not to implement green strategy including higher costs7 their target customer@s perception7 and untrained human resource7 etc.

8niversity of Wolverhamton $%

b: Customers demand *la#s the most im*ortant role in (irms decision to ado*t environmental strategies 0re<uency Balid Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal FF F' #& %H 2$ 2// Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent 2&.F/ 2'.F/ I.F/ 2$.// ##.F/ #//./ 2&.F/ 2'.F/ I.F/ 2$.// ##.F/ #//./ 2&.F/ F&.// HF.F/ II.F/ #//.//

9his <uestion was asked in order to understand whether customers@ demand is the most important factor in firms@ decision making with respect to implementation of green strategies. -ccording to the survey7 it was observed that majority of the respondents consider that customer demand plays a significant role in firms@ decision to adopt environmental strategies: where as some of the respondents do not think that it is the most significant factor affecting firms@ decision. 9here were a few respondents who were neutral in their responses. 9his shows that overall the employees believe that customer demand is the most important factor which leads a firm to adopt green strategy7 since customers in every field are considered to be the top priority for the firms.

8niversity of Wolverhamton $F c: Industr# norms tends to (orce the (irms in ta-ing green initiatives 0re<uenc y Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent Balid Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal %% F% 2% %' 2' 2// 22.// 2&.// #2.// 2%.F/ #%.F/ #//./ 22.// 2&.// #2.// 2%.F/ #%.F/ #//./ 22.// %'.// H#.// IF.F/ #//.//

9his <uestion focused on understanding the e6tent to which an industry@s norms can influence the firms to adopt green strategy. 9he survey responses reveal that majority of the respondents think that with the increasing competition and pressures from competitors7 industry norms can force the firms to take green initiatives. - lot of respondents also disagreed to the statement7 and few were neutral7 but overall industry norms are considered to be influencing the strategies adopted by a firm. +t can be supported by the view that a number of firms develop strategies that are in response to the market competition and strategies used by the competitors.

d: Social Norms are one o( the biggest (actors in(luencing (irms to engage in !reen Initiatives 0re<uency Balid Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal $I H% 22 %I 2I 2// Percent #'.// $2.// ##.// 2%.// #%.// #//./ Balid Percent #'.// $2.// ##.// 2%.// #%.// #//./ .umulative Percent #'.// F#.// H2.// IH.// #//.//

8niversity of Wolverhamton $H 9his <uestion tried to identify whether these social norms affect the firms to the e6tent they engage in reen initiatives. -ccording to the responses7 most of respondents think that social

norms are one of the biggest factors that influence a firm to engage in green initiatives. - few of the respondents disagreed and some were not sure whether social could affect or not. 9hese responses show that most of the participants think that social norms have a significant impact on the firms@ decision making7 whether it@s service-oriented firm or products-related firm7 as the firms need to cater the needs and wants of the society7 and adopt the norms of the society in which they are operating.

e: )hat is the level o( mar-et o**ortunities *rovided b# !reen Movement to #our com*an#; 0re<uency Balid Bery significant Significant "ot Sure )oderately +nsignificant ?ighly +nsignificant 9otal 2H HH $$ H/ #F 2// Percent #$.// $$.// #H.F/ $/.// &.F/ #//./ Balid Percent #$.// $$.// #H.F/ $/.// &.F/ #//./ .umulative Percent #$.// %H.// H2.F/ '2.F/ #//.//

9his <uestion was focused on identifying the level of market opportunities available for the firms taking green initiatives and engaging into green movement. -ccording to the survey responses7 most of the respondents agree that green movement tends to offer significant level of market opportunities. 0ew responded neutrally7 while a lot of participants also disagreed with the statement.

(: Reasons (or develo*ing green *roducts and services

8niversity of Wolverhamton $& 0re<uency Percent )arket Apportunity .ustomer *emand Aur managementOs commitment to Balid environmental responsibility Aut of concern for a regulatory or consumer complaint 9otal F& H/ %% $' 2// Balid .umulative Percent Percent 2I.F 2I.F 2I.F $/./ $/./ FI.F 22./ #'.F #//./ 22./ #'.F #//./ I/.F #//./

9his <uestion focused on identifying the most effective reason for developing green products and services. -ccording to the survey responses7 customer demand was identified as the most significant factor7 followed by market opportunities7 then managements@ commitment towards environmental responsibilities7 and lastly7 merely due to the governmental regulation. 9his shows that most of the firms do not adopt a green product development strategy because of governmental regulations but the major reason is the increasing demand of their customers and market opportunities available.

g: Strength o( demand (or green *roducts and services b# di((erent customers 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Bery Strong *emand %% 22./ 22./ 22./ )oderate demand FH 2I./ 2I./ F/./ 2& #$.F #$.F H$.F Balid *on@t !now Weak *emand $/ #F./ #F./ &I.F "o *emand %$ 2#.F 2#.F #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion en<uired the participants regarding the strength of demand for green products and services by different customers. 9he <uestion focused on understanding the participants view on the potential of green products and services. -ccording to the survey

8niversity of Wolverhamton $I responses7 majority of the participants responded that there was moderate or very strong demand for the green products and services by different consumers. Some participants also responded that they did not know about the demand for green products and services7 while some even responded that the strength of demand for green products and services is weak or none. 9hus7 the overall outcome was positive and participants consider there is demand for green products and services.

Balid

h: .actors im*ortant (or green decision ma-ing 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Potential cost saving from $F #&.F #&.F #&.F energy efficiency .omplying with environmental legislation and %/ 2/./ 2/./ $&.F regulation )eeting customer; other stakeholders@ %$ 2#.F 2#.F F'./ e6pectations;re<uirements Potential for gaining %I 2%./ 2%./ I$./ competitive advantage -ttracting and retaining staff $% #&./ #&./ #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion focused on identifying the factors that were important in making decisions regarding the purchase of green products and services. 9he aim of this <uestion was to identify the reasons why green products and services are offered to consumers. 0rom the survey responses it was found that the most significant factor is potential for gaining competitive advantage7 followed by meeting customer; other stakeholders@ e6pectations;re<uirements7 complying with environmental legislation and regulation7 potential cost saving from energy

8niversity of Wolverhamton $' efficiency and lastly attracting and retaining staff. 9hus7 gaining competitive advantage and meeting customer;other stakeholders@ re<uirements;e6pectations are the most important factors in decision making.

i:

Balid

The com*an# is not much a<are o( the green initiatives 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Strongly -gree #/ F./ F./ F./ -gree $' #'.F #'.F 2%.F "eutral F% 2&./ 2&./ F#.F *isagree F& 2I.F 2I.F I/./ Strongly *isagree %/ 2/./ 2/./ #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion focused on identifying whether the organi>ation the participants are working for is aware of the green initiatives. -ccording to the survey responses it was found that the majority of the participants responded that their company was not aware of the green initiatives7 while some participants responded that their company was aware of the green initiatives. ?owever7 some participants neither agreed nor disagreed whether their company was aware of the green initiatives or not. 9he overall response of this <uestion was negative7 which means that companies are not aware of the green initiatives. =: The com*an# thin-s that green is unattainable (or them 0re<uency Balid Strongly -gree -gree "eutral 2/ $% F/ Percent #/./ #&./ 2F./ Balid Percent #/./ #&./ 2F./ .umulative Percent #/./ 2&./ F2./

8niversity of Wolverhamton %/ *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal %/ FH 2// 2/./ 2I./ #//./ 2/./ 2I./ #//./ &2./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion en<uires if the company thinks green is unattainable for them. 9he focus of this <uestion was to identify the confidence of firms in attaining green initiatives. 0rom the survey responses it was found that the majority of the participants considered green attainable7 while some participants considered it unattainable and some were not sure about their choice and thus held a neutral view. 9he overall response was that the company thinks that the green initiative is attainable. -: 5ac- o( %uman Resource s*eciali>ing in !reen 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Strongly -gree $# #F.F #F.F #F.F -gree F$ 2H.F 2H.F %2./ "eutral $& #I.F #I.F H/.F *isagree %I 2%./ 2%./ I%.F Strongly *isagree $# #F.F #F.F #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

Balid

9he ne6t <uestion en<uires whether there is a lack of ?R speciali>ing in

reen. 9he aim

of this <uestion was to ascertain the role of ?R in companies going green. -ccording to the survey responses it was found that the majority of the participants agreed to it and responded that there is lack of ?R speciali>ing in green initiatives. )oreover7 some participants responded that they do not think there is a lack of ?R speciali>ing in reen7 while some neither agreed nor

disagreed to this statement. 9he overall response highlight that the participants think that there is a lack of ?R speciali>ing in reen which needs to be taken care of in order to increase

company@s awareness towards reen.

8niversity of Wolverhamton %# l: Im*lementing green activities re+uires su**ort and commitment (rom high level management 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Strongly -gree F% 2&./ 2&./ 2&./ -gree H/ $/./ $/./ F&./ "eutral 22 ##./ ##./ HI./ Balid *isagree $$ #H.F #H.F I%.F Strongly *isagree $# #F.F #F.F #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion focuses on en<uiring if the support and commitment of high level management is re<uired while implementing green activities in a company. -ccording to the survey responses7 majority of the participants agreed that implementing green activities re<uires support and commitment from high-level management. ?owever7 some participants also disagreed to this statement7 while some held neutral views regarding it. Since the overall responsive was positive7 it can be said that implementing green activities re<uires support and commitment from high-level management. m: I( green consumerism is the norm9 more *eo*le <ill be motivated to *artici*ate in environmental activities 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Strongly -gree F# 2F.F 2F.F 2F.F -gree FF 2&.F 2&.F F$./ Balid *isagree H# $/.F $/.F I$.F Strongly *isagree $$ #H.F #H.F #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion en<uired participants if they think that if green consumerism is the norm7 more people will be motivated to participate in environmental activities. 0rom the survey results it was found that there was a mi6ed response to the statement. Some participants agreed that if green consumerism is the norm7 more people will be motivated to participate in

8niversity of Wolverhamton %2 environmental activities7 while some participants did not agree with it. 9hus7 the overall response by a slight majority of agreement suggests that if green consumerism is the norm7 more people will be motivated to participate in environmental activities.

n: !reen mar-eting *la#s an im*ortant role in increasing a<areness among consumers 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent Strongly -gree F% 2&./ 2&./ 2&./ -gree &' $'.F $'.F HH.F "eutral #2 H./ H./ &2.F Balid *isagree $$ #H.F #H.F I'./ Strongly *isagree 22 ##./ ##./ #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion focuses on identifying the role of green marketing in increasing the awareness among consumers. 0rom the survey responses it was found that majority of the participants agree that green marketing plays an important role in increasing awareness among consumers7 while some participants disagree to it and some hold neutral views. 9hus7 the overall result shows that participants do think that green marketing plays an important role in increasing awareness among consumers. 9hus7 companies can use marketing activities to increase awareness of green products services among consumers. o: Revenues can be im*roved through green mar-eting <ith the sale o( <aste *roducts9 and outsourcing a (irm?s environmental e@*ertise 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent Balid Strongly -gree $$ #H.F #H.F #H.F -gree %& 2$.F 2$.F %/./

8niversity of Wolverhamton %$ "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal 2/ HH $% 2// #/./ $$./ #&./ #//./ #/./ $$./ #&./ #//./ F/./ I$./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion was asked to ascertain the perception of participants whether they think revenues can be increased using green marketing by selling waste products and outsourcing the company@s environmental e6pertise. 0rom the survey results it was found that majority of the participants do not believe that revenues can be improved through green marketing with the sale of waste products7 and outsourcing a firmPs environmental e6pertise. -lthough some participants believe that revenues can be improved through green marketing with the sale of waste products7 and outsourcing a firmPs environmental e6pertise and some hold neutral views7 the overall response seem to be negative.

*: Managers are given incentives to develo* environmental (riendl# *ractices and strategies 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent Strongly -gree #$ H.F H.F H.F -gree %& 2$.F 2$.F $/./ "eutral %% 22./ 22./ F2./ Balid *isagree HH $$./ $$./ IF./ Strongly *isagree $/ #F./ #F./ #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion focuses on e6amining whether managers are given incentives to develop environmental friendly practices and strategies in the company. -ccording to the survey responses7 majority of the participants disagree to it and suggest that managers are not given incentives to develop environmental friendly practices and strategies. ?owever7 some

8niversity of Wolverhamton %% participants do suggest that managers are given incentives to develop environmental friendly practices and strategies in the company7 while some participants neither agree nor disagree to it. 9hus7 from the overall response it was found that managers are not given incentives to develop environmental friendly practices and strategies.

Balid

+: )hat is the biggest concern <ith res*ect to the customer *erce*tion; 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent .ustomers find the product not $# #F.F #F.F #F.F worth investing a high amount .ustomers hesitate in the performance of green processes FF 2&.F 2&.F %$./ and products .ustomers do not trust the firm %H 2$./ 2$./ HH./ implementing green initiatives .ustomers are not aware of the actual benefits of the green HI $%./ $%./ #//./ products 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion focused on identifying the factors that according to the firms are most significant in customers@ perception. the results demonstrated that lack of awareness among customers is the most prominent factors which affect their lack of understanding and perception about the green products and services provided a firm7 many of the times leading to resist. -nother important factor was customers@ hesitation towards the performance of the green initiatives7 which sure that they are not sure about the green products and services@ performances. 9rust was the third most important factors that tend to develop a customer@s perception about the firms as well the products and services offered. 3astly7 customers are not ready to pay a premium

8niversity of Wolverhamton %F price for these products and services as they do not consider these products and services to be worthy enough to invest such higher costs.

r: )hich one is the most im*ortant internal barrier 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent .ost of implementation E6isting facility7 investment7 information systems +nformation dissemination and communication 3ack of management commitment 3ack of awareness 9otal %I 2' 2%./ #%.F 2%./ #%.F

.umulative Percent 2%./ $I.F

Balid

$$ 2' H# 2//

#H.F #%.F $/.F #//./

#H.F #%.F $/.F #//./

FF./ H'.F #//./

9he <uestion was asked in order to identify the most significant internal barrier considered by the firms for adopting green strategies. 3ack of awareness was identified as the most important barrier that hinders firms decisions7 followed by the high cost re<uired at the time of implementation of green initiative due to which most of firms resist adopting green initiatives. Some of the participants also stated that e6isting technology7 information systems and lack of managements@ commitment towards the green initiatives also hinder the implementation of green initiatives. 3astly7 the lack of communication and information dissemination is also an important factor hindering the adopting of green initiatives.

8niversity of Wolverhamton %H s: )hich one is the most im*ortant e@ternal barrier; 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent Relationship with suppliers 3ack of information7 resources7 and e6pertise Products and customers@ perspective 3ack of government policies and regulations 3ack of awareness 9otal $2 2' F' %H $% 2// #H./ #%.F 2'.F 2$./ #&./ #//./ #H./ #%.F 2'.F 2$./ #&./ #//./

.umulative Percent #H./ $/.F H/./ I$./ #//./

Balid

"e6t <uestion focused on identifying the e6ternal barriers that obstruct firms in adopting green strategies. 9he most significant factor according to the participants was customer@s perception7 followed by lack of government policies and regulations as the government policies and regulations regarding environmental protection and business varies on and off. 3ack of awareness also acts as a barrier due to which firms do not want to adopt green initiatives. 3ack of information7 resources7 and e6pertise in relevant field was the fourth most significant barrier. -ccording to some of the participants7 many times selecting suppliers was a significant barrier and many time suppliers are not supportive enough to provide the raw material and inputs to develops green products. t: )hich one o( the (ollo<ing is the most signi(icant barrier in terms o( economic =usti(ication; 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Balid .ost of raw material for green %/ 2/./ 2/./ 2/./ initiatives is higher 9here are not enough market%' 2%.F 2%.F %%.F based incentives +nvolves higher operating costs H' $%.F $%.F &'./

8niversity of Wolverhamton %& ?igh investment in maintenance and facility management 9otal

%2 2//

2#./ #//./

2#./ #//./

#//./

9his <uestion focuses on identifying the importance of obtaining raw material from suppliers who sell environment friendly products as a part of implementing green initiatives. -ccording to the survey responses7 majority of the participants agreed that businesses should purchase from suppliers who sell environmental-friendly products7 while some also disagreed to this statement and some neither agreed nor disagreed to it. Since the overall response was positive7 it can be said that businesses should purchase from suppliers who sell environmentalfriendly products as a part of implementing green initiatives. u: "usinesses should *urchase (rom su**liers <ho sell environmental (riendl# *roducts 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent .umulative Percent Strongly -gree %% 22./ 22./ 22./ -gree H% $2./ $2./ F%./ "eutral $/ #F./ #F./ H'./ Balid *isagree %# 2/.F 2/.F I'.F Strongly *isagree 2# #/.F #/.F #//./ 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9he ne6t <uestion asked the participants if adopting green strategy enhances a firm@s reputation DgoodwillE. 0rom the survey results it was found that majority of the participants agreed that adopting green strategy enhances reputation7 while some participants disagreed to it and some participants neither agreed nor disagreed to it. 9hus7 from the overall result it can be said that adopting green strategy enhances reputation7 which provides the firms with one more reason to adopt green initiatives.

8niversity of Wolverhamton %I

v: Ado*ting green strateg# enhances re*utation 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal FF HI 2$ $% 2/ 2// 2&.F $%./ ##.F #&./ #/./ #//./ 2&.F $%./ ##.F #&./ #/./ #//./

Balid

.umulative Percent 2&.F H#.F &$./ '/./ #//./

9he <uestion focused on identifying the firms@ perception regarding taking green initiatives. 9he results show that majority of participants stated that green strategy will help in enhancing the reputation of the firms. 0ew responded neutrally7 while few disagreed. Averall7 most of the respondents consider it beneficial for the firms to adopt green strategy7 which means that a lot of employees feel that green initiatives will lead the consumers to think that the firm is concerned about the environment7 thereby resulting in an enhanced positive image. <: !oing green hel*s in enhancing brand image 0re<uency Percent Balid Percent Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree 9otal %' H& 2$ %$ #I 2// 2%.F $$.F ##.F 2#.F './ #//./ 2%.F $$.F ##.F 2#.F './ #//./

Balid

.umulative Percent 2%.F FI./ H'.F '#./ #//./

9his <uestion was focused on analy>ing whether green initiatives will help any firm in enhancing its brand image and does the firm believes that they can enhance their rand image by adopting green strategies. -ccording to the results7 majority of the participants think that green strategy helps in enhancing the brand image: some of the participants were neutral7 while few

8niversity of Wolverhamton %' also disagreed with the statement. 9his aspect will encourage the firms to focus on developing green strategies. @: !reen strategies hel* in reducing costs in the long run 0re<uency Percent Balid .umulative Percent Percent Strongly -gree %F 22.F 22.F 22.F -gree HI $%./ $%./ FH.F "eutral #' '.F '.F HH./ Balid *isagree $# #F.F #F.F I#.F Strongly $& #I.F #I.F #//./ *isagree 9otal 2// #//./ #//./

9his <uestion was focused on analy>ing the impact on the overall firm@s cost in the long run. -ccording to the survey responses most of the participants stated that it helps in reducing the costs in the long run7 very few responded neutrally and some of the participants disagreed. 9his means that majority of the people think that adopting green strategies will help in decreasing the overall cost of the firms in the long run. -lthough7 the implementation of green supply chain management7 green marketing practices7 green product designing7 green +9 practices involve higher costs7 but as the company will implement and start using these strategies7 it will help in reducing the costs with lower cost of raw material and operational activities.

).' (ypothesis 7esting ?#5 There is a positive relationship between social norms and intention to engage in green behavior by firms. Every society develops some social norms and firms operating in those societies are significantly affected by these norms7 thus7 the hypothesis was developed in order to understand

8niversity of Wolverhamton F/ whether there is a positive relation between social norms and firms@ intentions to engage in any of the green activities or adopting green strategies. +n order to test this hypothesis7 -"AB- test was run. ANOVA TESTs Sum of df )ean S<uare S<uares ,etween roups Within roups 9otal '$.F&F $/.&I/ #2%.$FF % #'F #''

Sig. .///

2$.$'% #%I.2/% .#FI

,ased on the -"AB- test results7 it is stated that the hypothesis cannot be rejected as the F-value is #%I.2/% and the Sig. value is /.///. 9hus7 the results show that there is a positive relation between social norms and the firms@ intentions to engage into green initiatives. this means that a firms@ intention or decision to engage into green practices are significantly affected by social norms.

?25 There is a significant impact of high investment costs on the implementation of green strategy by firms ?igher costs incurring in the adoption of green strategies has been identified as the major barrier for most of the firms by a number of studies. 9his hypothesis was developed in order to verify whether it is considered to be a barrier by the participants of this study7 as well7 or not. Pearson .orrelation was used in order to test this hypothesis. C%I SA'ARE TESTs Balue Pearson .?+-SC8-RE 3ikelihood Ratio #%%.&'$a #I'.FF2 *f -symp. Sig. D2sidedE I ./// I .///

8niversity of Wolverhamton F# 3inear-by-3inear -ssociation " of Balid .ases

I2.'HI 2//

.///

a: / cells D/./GE have e6pected count less than F. 9he minimum e6pected count is F.HH. 9he sig-value of Pearson .?+-SC8-RE is ./// which is less than /./F: therefore the hypothesis is not rejected. 9his means that high investment costs has a significant impact on the firms@ decision to adopt green strategy.

?$5 There is a significant impact of customers perception on the firms decision to adopt green strategy. 0or every organi>ation7 whether it is a product-oriented or service- oriented7 customers play a significant role. ,ased on the literature review7 it has been observed that a number of studies identified firms engaging into green practices because of the customers@ increasing demand. An the contrary there are a number of firms that prefer not engage into producing green products because of their target customers@ preference. 9his hypothesis was developed in order to understand whether customers@ perception has a significant impact on the firms@ decisions to involve into green strategies or not. .?+-SC8-RE 9ES9 was used in order to test this hypothesis.

C%I SA'ARE TESTS Balue *f Pearson .?+-SC8-RE 3ikelihood Ratio 3inear-by-3inear -ssociation #'/.#FIa 22F.HI& #$H.F'/

-symp. Sig. D2sidedE I ./// I ./// # .///

8niversity of Wolverhamton F2 " of Balid .ases 2//

a: $ cells D2/./GE have e6pected count less than F. 9he minimum e6pected count is $.F#. 9he sig-value of Pearson .?+-SC8-RE is ./// which is less than /./F: therefore the hypothesis is not rejected. 9his means that customers@ perception has a significant impact on the firms@ decision to adopt green strategy.

).) .iscussion and Relation with Research %b&ectives #ustainability under the light of -reen #trategy 9hrough e6tensive literature and critically analy>ing the e6isting studies7 it was observed that sustainability is referred to the ability of a firm to survive through different thrives and pressures7 such as changing technological environment7 changing consumer demands7 changing needs7 increasing competitions7 etc. reen strategy is considered to be a new concept emerging

which can help the firms in attaining sustainability for a longer period of time. 0irms that adopt green strategies are considered as they are here to stay. - sustainable business also considered to be concerned about the environment and the impact of its operations and products on the overall environment DSpeth7 2//%E. +n today@s@ highly tech environment7 the environment has become one of the biggest concerned for everyone across the world. Specifically7 in business world7 consumers7 stakeholders7 government pressuri>es a firm to take green initiatives or at least consider environmental issues and do something about them. +n such scenario7 in order to sustain in such demanding and challenging environment businesses need to implement green strategies. 9he sustainable business are highlighted as the business which do not have any or minimal of negative impact on the local and global environment7 economy7 society7 and community. 0urthermore7 adopting

8niversity of Wolverhamton F$ green strategies can also help some of the firms in ac<uiring a competitive advantage over their competitors. ,usinesses ac<uiring environmental sustainability are considered to have the art or e6pertise of earning higher amount of profits by catering their customer@s needs and re<uirements without affect or having any negative impact on the world around them. +t has been further7 observed that some industries7 such as +97 electronic or high-tech companies have a higher impact on the environment a compared to other companies. ,y adopting sustainable models7 it means that firms should focus on implementing strategies and framework that helps in providing products and services which do not harm the overall environment in any aspect. arriers for Adopting -reen #trategy With the fre<uent changes in the global business scenario7 social and environmental issues are becoming increasingly important and vital in managing any kind of business7 and there are a number of firms who have actually adopted various green strategies in order to ac<uire sustainability and also to reduce the negative impact as much as possible. ?owever7 there seems to be a huge number of firms who have not implemented any kind of green strategy. 9his is because these firms face a number of challenges an barrier due to which they resist implementing green initiatives. -ccording to the survey7 there were a number of barriers that were highlighted. 3ack of awareness among customers is considered to be a significant barrier that affects a firms@ decision. Since7 the customers are not very well aware of the green concept7 therefore they do not understand what the green products and services might be the reason why most of the customers do not perceive green products as beneficial and worthy. 0urthermore7 usually not all the consumers understand and are involved in environmental responsibility. - lot of customers are not even aware of whether the product or services they are using have a harmful impact on

8niversity of Wolverhamton F% environment or not. )any times this lack of awareness among consumers also leads them to have a negative perception about the green products and services7 which also one of the biggest barrier for the firms. .ustomers@ perception is considered to be one of the most important factors which have a significant impact on the firms@ decision to adopt a green strategy and effectively implement it. 9his has been further supported by the study discussed in literature conducted by .laudy D2/##E7 highlighting that awareness plays an important role7 suggesting that this occurs due to several reason such as trust on the product and high costs. 9he survey highlighted that many firm are not juts able to attain the green initiatives7 this might be due to the firms@ incapability to transform and adopt changes7 or lack of resources available for the transformation7 or many times their target market does not suggest them to adopt green strategies. 0urthermore7 lack of e6pertise and e6perienced and trained human resource is also considered as a barrier. +f a firm effectively wants to implement green initiatives7 they need to develop efficient human resource who are capable to change and adopt new strategies and who also understand the importance of the change re<uired. 9hus7 it becomes essential for a firm to train and develop its resources and also to make them understand the importance of environmental sustainability. -nother very significant factor is the level of commitment among the top management towards the adoption and implementation of green initiatives. +f the top management is not involved in taking green initiatives7 no matter how the employees or stakeholders want the firm will not be able to implement green strategies effectively. .ustomers@ hesitation also acts as a barrier7 as customers do not trust or consider the products or services to be reliable which leads towards the failure of the green products. 0urthermore7 customers are not

8niversity of Wolverhamton FF willing to pay a premium price for the products which they can get it from other firms that are offering the products at a lower7 though those products are not environment friendly. -nother important internal barrier was the lack of awareness among the firms@ employees about the importance and the concept of going green. 0urthermore7 high cost of implementation was one of the most highlighted barriers for the firm also backed by a number of studies. Studies conducted by ?wang and "g D2/#$E and !hiewnavawongsa D2/##E highlighted that investment costs7 cost of raw material7 cost of implementing different processes7 cost of purchasing technology7 cost of switching to new suppliers7 and financial constraints were one of the major barrier for the firms@ to take green initiatives. -nother important factor was that in order to implement green strategies7 the firm might need to invest a lot of amount to change the technology7 which also re<uires the firm to them train its employees to the newly adopted technology. overnment rules and regulations were highlighted among the significant e6ternal barriers. 9he government periodically releases it new governmental regulations and policies. 9he firms might lack the procedures which assist them in following governmental rules7 and many times their systems might not be compatible to change and incapable of aligning with the new processes and new designs. enefits for Adopting -reen #trategy 9he tem green strategy is referred as the strategies implemented by the firms for improving and gaining sustainable competitive advantage contributing to social responsibility7 ecological responsiveness7 and environment protection. +n today@s increased globali>es world7 green initiatives and green strategy is considered to be one of the most important ways of implementing sustainability achieving principles in the environment. 9he adoption and

8niversity of Wolverhamton FH implementation of green strategy involves a lot of innovation and changes. 9he adoption of innovative practices with respect to environmental sustainability has become a subject of great interest to environmental and economic business managers as well as by the social scientists7 along with the customers. 9hese strategies involve green product designing7 green procurement of materials7 green marketing7 green +97 green human resources7 and green logistics7 etc7 for the recycling7 reduction7 and pollution prevention. -ccording to the survey and literature review7 there were number of benefits highlighted for adopting green initiatives. -ccording to the respondents7 green marketing has played a significant role in increasing the awareness among customers about the environmental concerns that might arise due to negligence of the firms and products. 0urthermore7 green marketing can increase revenue as the firms can resell their waste products to other firms or many times also outsource environmental e6pertise. 9he study conducted by .ronin7 et al. D2/#/E supports this through the findings identifying that green marketing strategies are increasingly becoming more important for firms that adhere to triple-bottom-line performance evaluations. -nother very significant benefit of implementing green strategies is that it helps in enhancing firm@s reputation. - good environmental friendly product or strategy provides reputational advantage to the companies. 0irms that have adopted green strategies are perceived to be concerned about the society and environment which helps in increasing trust-level and loyalty among customers. .ompanies taking innovative and positive actions towards the protection of environment are viewed as more positively by their stakeholders. Enhanced brand image is also one of the significant benefits that motivate firms to adopt green strategies. +t has been observed through different e6isting studies and the survey responses that the environmental strategy adopted by firms has a positive impact on customer loyalty7

8niversity of Wolverhamton F& market performance7 and customer satisfaction of the firms. -s the stakeholders believe that the firm is acting according to the rule and regulations of best practices and integrity7 they tend to develop a positive image about the company and its products and services. 0urthermore7 reduced operational and functional cost is also significant benefit for firms. )any firms are motivated to adopt green strategies due to this main factor only7 which is backed by the Mhu and Sarkis@ D2//%E which highlighted that a firms@ environmental performance tends to reduce the costs of capital and improving the risk management systems. +n the same way ,ansal and .lelland D2//%E in their study stated that environmentally legitimate firms incur less uncertain and unsystematic risk with respect to their stock market positions and standings than firms that are environmentally illegitimate. 0urthermore7 studies analy>ed earlier conducted by Mhang7 Shen7 and Wu D2/#/E highlighted that applying green strategies can help the firms to achieve competitive advantage. 0urthermore7 the research conducted by ,ansal and .lelland D2//%E highlighted that firms tend to gain environmental legitimacy when their policies and strategies tend to comply with the e6pectation of their stakeholders. -nother important benefit was highlighted by the study of !ato7 9oo and Rask D2//'E7 which highlighted that green firms and green workplace environment tends to increase the psychological benefits for the workers. 0urthermore7 implementing green strategies helps in increasing sales as it is identified through survey that the strength of customer@s demanding green products and service is very high. -dopting green strategy helps the firms in responding to the increase demand and re<uirements of their customers. 9aking green initiatives also helps the firms in attracting more talent7 motivating employees to join their firm and also help the firms in retaining the firms.

8niversity of Wolverhamton FI

)./ #ummary 9his chapter provides the findings of the survey conducted form different industry people. 0urthermore7 based on the findings7 the three hypotheses were tested using -"AB- and .?+-SC8-RE 9ES9S. -ll the three hypotheses were accepted on the basis of results. +n addition7 the survey findings and literature analy>es was linked with research objectives in order to identify the e6tent to which this study has been able to achieve its objective.

8niversity of Wolverhamton F'

C%A6TER B, CONC5'SION9 IM65ICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

/., "onclusions With the increasing global warming and reen ?ouse effects7 there is increased amount

of concern arising about the harm caused by industrial operations and various other organi>ational activities. reen strategy7 as a term7 is gaining lot of attention by firms as a

response to these concerns and growing environmental issues and has been adopted as source achieving competitive advantage. ,y analy>ing different studies and the survey findings7 it was concluded that green strategy has many advantages and has emerged as a significant way for obtaining competitive edge. ,ased on the e6tensive literature analysis 7 the research focused on analy>ing the impact of adopting green strategies by the firms. 9he literature critically analy>ed studies conducted by different researchers. 9hese studies helped in understanding the concept of green strategy and sustainability. ,usinesses attain environmental sustainability by ensuring that they do not cause any harm to the environment via their process7 operations7 policies7 strategies7 products7 manufacturing7 and services. ,y using mi6ed research methodology7 the research tested the hypotheses and also tried to achieve the research objectives. ,oth7 secondary and primary sources were used in order to obtain information related to the topic7 focusing on research objectives. 9hrough secondary research7 various studies were included in the research were critically analy>ed in order to identify their strength7 weaknesses and their contribution towards the knowledge base. +n addition7 <uestionnaire survey was conducted from industry people7 selected randomly from

8niversity of Wolverhamton H/ different industries7 in order to obtain their opinion and perception and develop new data for the research. 9hrough literature analysis7 the present study identified that firms@ decision for adopting a green strategy is substantially driven by a number of factors5 these include customer demand and their perceptions7 government rules and regulations7 market opportunities7 suppliers@ pressures7 employees@ pressures7 market competition. ,ased on the critical literature review7 three hypotheses were developed7 which were then tested through primary research analysis techni<ues. 0irst hypothesis focused on identifying the relation between social norms and firms@ intention to adopt green strategy. 9his hypothesis was analy>ed using -"AB- testing techni<ues7 which showed that there is a significant relation between social norms and firms@ intention to engage in green initiatives. 9his shows that social norms of any society can have significant pressure of the firms@ decision making and strategic approaches for using green strategy. Secondly7 hypothesis tested the impact of high investment cost on firms@ decision to adopt green strategies. 9his hypothesis was tested using .?+-SC8-RE 9ES97 through which it was observed that higher investment costs has as significant impact on the firms@ decision to engage into green initiatives. 9hird hypothesis was tested through the same techni<ue7 through which it was observed that customers@ perception can make a significant impact on firms@ green strategy adoption. 0urthermore7 a number of barriers were identified through survey and literature analysis. 9hese include5 high investment costs7 lack of customers@ awareness7 lack of firms@ awareness7 lack of government rules and regulations7 lack of support from suppliers and top management7 and lack of e6pertise and trained employees. )oreover7 there were number of benefits identified through the mi6ed research method. 9hese included5 sustainable competitive advantage7

8niversity of Wolverhamton H# increased awareness among customers through green marketing7 enhanced firms@ reputation7 enhanced brand image7 reduced operational and functional cost7 less uncertain and unsystematic risk7 and increased the psychological benefits for employees.

/.1 Recommendations and Implications of the #tudy -ccording to the research7 majority of the firms have intention to implement green strategies. 0irms@ managers need to focus on increasing awareness among customers about the benefits of green products and services. 9his objective can be achieved through green marketing. 0urthermore7 as identified there is great potential market opportunities available for the firms7 therefore7 the firms need to focus on developing products that meet the re<uirements of environmental rules and regulations set by the government. 9his will create a sense of reliability among customers as well as other stakeholders. +t will also help increasing the level of trust7 hence enhancing the reputation of the firms and increasing its goodwill value. -dditionally7 increasing customers@ engagement in the e6ecution on green practices can act a key strategy for improving green image of the firm. 0urthermore7 it is important to train the employees so that organi>ation is aligned as focused on developing green products and providing green services. 9his will also help the employees in suggesting different innovative and creative ideas. +n addition7 the marketers must seek to increase their sales of green products and services: hence they need to make a intensive effort for promoting green products.

/.$ Recommendations for 8uture Research 9here are number of recommendations for future research based on the present research and its findings. 0irstly7 the research does not focus on any specific industry: therefore more

8niversity of Wolverhamton H2 future research can be conducted in different industries such as +97 electronics7 hospitality7 telecommunications7 banking7 etc. Secondly7 the research is not specifically focused on analy>ing the impact of particular green strategy7 hence7 studies can be conducted in order to analy>e the impact of different green strategies or practices such as green marketing7 green procurement7 green logistics7 green +97 etc. +n addition7 this research focused on obtaining the view and opinion from firms@ perspective7 and did not include customers@ opinion and perceptions regarding green strategy implementations and green products. )ore study can be conducted in order to analy>e customers@ perception7 by obtaining their opinion regarding green strategy implementation and the green products. 0urther7 study can be conducted regarding how customers@ perceive the firms who adopt and implement green strategies.

/.' Reflections of the #tudy 9his thesis has been a great learning e6perience for me. 9hroughout my research7 + encountered numbers of challenges7 but along the way + also learned to face them and find a solution. iven the time + had to complete this dissertation7 + wanted to completely utili>e the

opportunity to obtain information from a diverse range of sources. .onsidering all the advantages and disadvantages of different research methods7 + used critical literature 4 the research methods helped in obtaining substantial amount of information7 not only in the form of e6isting studies but also some new information. 9hrough this research7 + learnt great amount of time management and patience in order to deal with my problems. 0urthermore7 my analytical skills were enhanced during the course fo this study. )oreover7 the dissertation has significantly contributed in increasing my knowledge

8niversity of Wolverhamton H$ base and enhancing my understanding of different concepts. + gained insights about different research methods and how these methods can be used optimally in a systematic way in order to achieve the research goals and objectives.

8niversity of Wolverhamton H%

RE.ERENCES

Averdung, A., and Wagenfuehrer, . !"#$$% &onsumers' acceptance, adoption and behavioral intentions regarding environmentally sustainable innovations. (ournal of )usiness *anagement and +conomics, ,ol."!-%. pp. ./-$#0 )ansal 1, &lelland 2. !"##3%. Tal4ing trash5 legitimacy, impression management, and unsystematic ris4 in the conte6t of the natural environment. Academy of *anagement (ournal 37!$%5 .-8$#)arrett, +. 9 )olt, ). !"##7% 1ractice as :esearch5 Approaches to &reative Arts +n;uiry. 2.).Tauris. )ray, *ar4< Adamson, )ob 9 *ason, *ar4 !eds.% !"##7%5 &omparative +ducation :esearch5 Approaches and *ethods, =ong >ong5 &omparative +ducation :esearch &entre, The ?niversity of =ong >ong, and ordrecht5 Springer, 333 pp. )uysse, >., 9 ,erbe4e, A. !"##-%. 1roactive environmental strategies5 A sta4eholder management perspective. Strategic *anagement (ournal, "35 3@--37# &arter, &. :. 9 resner, *. !"##$%. 1urchasings role in environmental management5 &rossfunctional development of grounded theory. The (ournal of Supply &hain *anagement5 $"-"7 &hen, A., &hang, &., Wu, F. !"#$"%. Brigins of green innovations5 the differences between proactive and reactive green innovations. *anagement ecision, ,ol. @# Co. -, pp. -0/-./

8niversity of Wolverhamton HF &hristman, 1. 9 Taylor, D. !"##3%. +nvironmental self-regulation in the global economy5 The role of firm capabilities, in *ultinationals, +nvironment and Dlobal &ompetition, Eundan, S. *. !ed%, (A2 1ress, B6ford, ?>, pp. $$.-$30. &hristmann 1., !"##3%, *ultinational &ompanies And The Catural +nvironment5 eterminants Bf Dlobal +nvironmental 1olicy StandardiFation, Academy of *anagement (ournal, ,olume5 37 2ssue5 @. pp.737-70# &laudy, *., !"#$$%, An +mpirical 2nvestigation of &onsumer :esistance to Dreen 1roduct 2nnovation, ublin 2nstitute of Technology, 3-0# &ordano, *., 9 FrieFe, 2. =. !"###%. 1ollution reduction preferences of ?S environmental managers5 Applying AGFenHs theory of planned behavior. Academy of *anagement (ournal, 3-!3%5 0"7 8 03" ahlmann, F., )rammer, S., and *illington, A., !"##/%, +nvironmental management in the ?nited >ingdom5 new survey evidence. *anagement ecision, ,ol. 30 Co. ", pp. "03"/owell, D., =art, S., 9 Aeung, ). !"###%. o corporate global environmental standards create or destroy mar4et valueI *anagement Science, 30!0%5 $#@.-$#73 +iadat, A., >elly, A., :oche, F., +yadat, =., !"#$#%. Dreen and competitiveI An empirical test of the mediating role of environmental innovation strategy. (ournal of World )usiness 3!"##/% $-$8$3@ +laine :. *onsen, and Einda ,an =orn, !"##/%,:esearch, Successful Approaches, -rd +d. American ietetic Association, 1p. $"3-$03 Flannery, *., 9 *ay, . !"###%. +nvironmental ethical decision ma4ing in the ?.s. metalfinishing industry. Academy of *anagement (ournal, 3-!3%5 0"3-03$

8niversity of Wolverhamton HH Dentry, &. :. !"##/%. Supplying good values. &hain Store Age, /3!"%. @" Dinsberg, (. *. 9 )loom, 1. C. !"##.%. &hoosing the right green mar4eting strategy. *2T Sloan *anagement :eview 5 7.-/3. http5JJ4orny.uni-corvinus.huJangolJcemFgyJstKma4euparticleKno".pdf =wang, )., Wei (. Cg !"#$-%, 1roGect management 4nowledge and s4ills for green construction5 Bvercoming challenges, 2nternational (ournal of 1roGect *anagement -$ !"#$-% "7"8 "/3 (. (oseph &ronin, (effery S. Smith, *ar4 :. Dleim, :amireF +., 9 (ennifer ., *artineF, !%,Dreen mar4eting strategies5 an e6amination of sta4eholders and the opportunities they present. (. of the Acad. *ar4. Sci, ,olume -., 2ssue $, pp $@/-$73 (iang, Aing and Dirish C. 1unG !"#$#%, LThe +ffects of Attribute &oncreteness and 1rominence on Selective 1rocessing, &hoice, and Search +6perience,M (ournal of the Academy of *ar4eting Science,-/, 37$8/.. >assinis, D., 9 ,afeas, C. !"##"%. &orporate boards and outside sta4eholders as determinants of environmental litigation. Strategic *anagement (ournal, "-5 -..-3$@ >ato,=., Too E., and :as4, A., !"##.%, Bccupier perceptions of green wor4place environment5 the Australian e6perience. (ournal of &orporate :eal +state, ,ol. $$ Co. -, pp. $/--$.@ >hiewnavawongsa, S. !"#$$%. )arriers to Dreen Supply &hain 2mplementation in the +lectronics 2ndustry, (2+*, 1rude ?niversity, >indon, S., 1ain. :., and >esby, *. !eds% !"##7% 1articipatory Action :esearch Approaches and *ethods5 &onnecting 1eople, 1articipation and 1lace. !Eondon5 :outledge% >ing, A., !"##7%. &ooperation between corporations and environmental groups5 a transaction cost perspective. Academy of *anagement :eview, -" !-%5 //.-.##.

8niversity of Wolverhamton H& Eam SA, Shan4ar ,, >rishna +*, *urthy ) !"##3%. &ustomer value, satisfaction, loyalty, and switching costs5 an illustration from a business-to-business service conte6t. (. Acad. *ar4eting Sci., -"!-%5 ".-8-$$ *adu, &. C. !"##7%. +nvironmental 1lanning and *anagement. Singapore5 2mperial &ollege 1ress. *cAuley, (. W. !"##-%. Dlobal sustainability and 4ey needs in future automotive design. +nvironmental Science and Technology, -7!"-%, @3$3-@3$0 *c&arthy, &. !"#$#%, &orporate social responsibility5 learning from the )1 oil spill, Smart1lanet, http5JJwww.smartplanet.comJblogJsmart-ta4esJcorporate-socialresponsibility-learning-from-the-bp-oil-spillJ/#@@ *enguc, )., 9 BFanne, E.>., !"##-%. &hallenges of the Lgreen imperativeM5 a natural resourcebased approach to the environmental orientation-business performance relationship. (ournal of )usiness :esearch, @/53-#-3-/. Cational 2ntelligence &ouncil !C2&%, !"#$"%, Dlobal Trends "#-#5 Alternative Worlds, :etrieved from5 http5JJwww.dni.govJinde6.phpJaboutJorganiFationJnational-intelligence-councilglobal-trends 1reuss, E. !"##@%. Dreen multiplier5 A study of environmental protection and the supply chain. Cew Aor4, CA5 1algrave *ac*illan :ao, 1. 9 =olt, . !"##@%. o green supply chains lead to competitiveness and economic performanceI 2nternational (ournal of Bperation and 1roduction management, "@!.J$#%. /./-.$@

8niversity of Wolverhamton HI :ivera-&amino, (., !"##7%, :e-evaluating Dreen *ar4eting Strategy5 a Sta4eholder 1erspective. +uropean (ournal of *ar4eting, ,ol. 3$, Co. $$-$"., pp. $-"/-$-@/, doi5$#.$$#/J#-#.#@0#7$#/"$"#0 :oe ), Teisl *F, Eevy A, :ussell * !"##$%. ?S consumersH willingness to pay for green electricity. +nergy 1olicy, ".!$$%5 .$7-."@ :yan, ). !"##0%. Dreen consumers5 A Drowing *ar4et for *any Eocal )usinesses. :etrieved fromhttp5JJwww.uwe6.eduJ&+SJccedJdowntownsJltbJletsJET) $$#0.pdf Saad, E. !"##0%. Americans see environment as getting worse. Accessed (une $#, "#$". http5JJwww.gallup.comJ Saphores, (. *., Ci6on, =., Bgunseitan, B. A., 9 Shapiro, A. A. !"##7%. &alifornia households willingness to pay for Ngreen electronics. (ournal of +nvironmental 1lanning 9 *anagement, @#!$%. $$--$-Scott, (. A., &hristensen, 2., >rishnamohan, >., 9 Dabric, A. !"##$%. &oncepts and methodologies to help promote industrial ecology. 2n &. C. *adu !+d.%, =andboo4 of environmentally conscious manufacturing Corwell, *A5 >luwer Academic 1ublishers. pp. "7-@0. Seuring, S. 9 *uller, *. !"##/%. From a literature review to a conceptual framewor4 for sustainable supply chain management. (ournal of &leaner 1roduction, $0. $0..-$7$# Sharma, S.! "###%. *anagerial 2nterpretations and BrganiFational &onte6t as 1redictors of &orporate &hoice of +nvironmental Strategy. Academy of *anagement (ournal, 3-!3%5 0/$-0.7

8niversity of Wolverhamton H' Sharman, *. 1., 9 Fernando, &. S. !"##/%. +nvironmental ris4 management and the cost of capital. Strategic management (ournal, ".5 @0.-@." http5JJpapers.ssrn.comJsol-Jpapers.cfmIabstractKidO$$".#-" Simpson, ., 1ower, ., Samson, . !"##7% PDreening the automotive supply chain5 a relationship perspectiveP. 2nternational (ournal of Bperations 9 1roduction *anagement. ,ol. "7 2ss5 $, pp."/ 8 3/ http5JJwww.emeraldinsight.comJGournals.htmI articleidO$@/@-.$9showOhtml Speth, (. D. !"##3%. :ed S4y at *orning5 America and the &risis of the Dlobal +nvironment. Cew =aven5 Aale ?niversity 1ress Tan, E. and (ohnstone, *., !"##.%, )arriers to )eing Dreen, AnFmac, :etrieved5 http5JJanFmac.orgJconferenceJ"#$$J1apersQ"#byQ"#1resentingQ"#AuthorJTan, Q"#EayQ"#1engQ"#1aperQ"#@37.pdf Tasha44ori, A., 9 Teddlie, &h. !"##.%. 2ntegrating Rualitative and Ruantitative Approaches to :esearch. 2n :og and )ic4man !+ds.%, =andboo4 of Applied Social :esearch *ethods !"nd +dition%. Thousand Ba4s, &A5 Sage. ?.S. +1A !"##7a%. About +1A. :etrieved ecember $", "##7, from http5JJwww.epa.govJepahomeJaboutepa.htm ?.S. +1A !"##7b%. +nvironmental *anagement Systems !+*S%. :etrieved February $@, "##/, from http5JJwww.epa.govJems ?.S. +1A !"##7c%. Eaws, regulations, guidance, and doc4ets. :etrieved (une $@, "##/, from http5JJwww.epa.govJlawsregsJinde6.html Wal4er, =., i Sisto, E., 9 *c)ain . !"##/%. rivers and barriers to environmental supply chain management practices5 Eessons from the public and private sectors. (ournal of

8niversity of Wolverhamton &/ 1urchasing and Supply *anagement, $3!$%. 0.-/@. http5JJwww.sciencedirect.comJscienceJarticleJpiiJS$37/3#."#/####/Wolf, A. !"##., April "#%. TW2&+J&ompete survey5 Shoppers will pay more for Ngreen &+. TW2&+5 This Wee4 in &onsumer +lectronics, "3!.%. $3 Aoo, S., 9 >wa4, S. !"##.%. Willingness to pay for green electricity in >orea5 A contingent valuation study. +nergy 1olicy, -7!$"%. @3#.-@3$0 AoFgata, ?. and >aratasb, C., !"#$$%, Doing Dreen of *ission and ,ision Statements5 +thical, Social, and +nvironmental &oncerns across BrganiFations, 1rocedia - Social and )ehavioral Sciences. The 1roceedings of 7th 2nternational Strategic *anagement &onference. ,olume "3, "#$$, 1ages $-@.8$-00 Au-Shan, &. !"#$#%. The drivers of green brand e;uity5 Dreen brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. (ournal of )usiness +thics, .-!"%. -#7--$. Shang,T., Shen, E., Wu, A., !"#$#%. Dreen strategy for gaining competitive advantage in housing development5 a &hina study. (ournal of &leaner 1roduction $. !"#$$% $@7-$07 Shu, R., 9 Sar4is, (. "##3. :elationships between Bperational 1ractices and 1erformance among +arly Adopters of Dreen Supply &hain *anagement 1ractices in &hinese *anufacturing +nterprises. (ournal of Bperations *anagement, ""5 "0@- "/. Shu, R., Sar4is, (., 9 Deng, A. !"##@%. Dreen supply chain management in &hina5 1ressures, practices, and performance. 2nternational (ournal of Bperations and 1roduction *anagement, "@!@%. 33.-30/.

8niversity of Wolverhamton &# A66ENDIC S'RVE7 A'ESTIONNAIRE #. *o you have any intentions to integrate green practices in your strategiesL Nes "ot Sure "o

2. .ustomers demand plays the most important role in firms@ decision to adopt environmental strategies Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

$. +ndustry norms tends to force the firms in taking green initiatives Strongly -gree

8niversity of Wolverhamton &2 -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

%. Social norms are one of the biggest factor influencing firms to engage in green initiatives Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

F. What is level of market opportunities presented to your company by the green movementL Bery significant Significant

8niversity of Wolverhamton &$ "ot Sure )oderately +nsignificant ?ighly insignificant

H. Reasons for developing green products and services 9he market opportunities .ustomers demand Aur managementOs commitment to environmental responsibility Aut of concern for a regulatory or consumer complaint

&. Strength of demand for green products and services by different customers Bery strong demand )oderate demand *onPt know Weak demand

8niversity of Wolverhamton &% "o demand

I. 0actors important for green decision making Potential cost saving from energy efficiency .omplying with environmental legislation and regulation )eeting customer; other stakeholders@ e6pectations;re<uirements Potential for gaining competitive advantage -ttracting and retaining staff

'. 9he company is not much aware of the green initiatives Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

8niversity of Wolverhamton &F

#/. 9he company thinks that green is unattainable for them Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

##. 3ack of human resource speciali>ing in green Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

#2. +mplementing green activities re<uires support and commitment from high-level management

8niversity of Wolverhamton &H Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

#$. +f green consumerism is the norm7 more people will be motivated to participate in environmental activities Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

#%. reen marketing plays an important role in increasing awareness among consumers Strongly -gree -gree

8niversity of Wolverhamton && "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

#F. Revenues can be improved through green marketing with the sale of waste products7 and outsourcing a firmPs environmental e6pertise Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

#H. )anagers are given incentives to develop environmental friendly practices and strategies Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree

8niversity of Wolverhamton &I Strongly *isagree

#&. What is the biggest concern with respect to the customer perceptionL .ustomers find the product not worth investing a high amount .ustomers hesitate in the performance of green processes and products .ustomers do not trust the firm implementing green initiatives .ustomers are not aware of the actual benefits of the green products

#I. Which one is the most important internal barrierL .ost of implementation E6isting facility7 investment7 information systems +nformation dissemination and communication 3ack of management commitment 3ack of awareness

8niversity of Wolverhamton &' #'. Which one is the most important e6ternal barrierL Relationship with suppliers 3ack of information7 resources7 and e6pertise Products and customers@ perspective 3ack of government policies and regulations 3ack of awareness

2/. Which one of the following is the most significant barrier in terms of economic justificationL .ost of raw material for green initiatives is higher 9here are not enough market-based incentives +nvolves higher operating costs ?igh investment in maintenance and facility management

2#. ,usinesses should purchase from suppliers who sell environmental-friendly products Strongly -gree -gree

8niversity of Wolverhamton I/ "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

22. -dopting green strategy enhances firm reputation Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree

2$. oing green helps in enhancing brand image Strongly -gree -gree "eutral

8niversity of Wolverhamton I# *isagree Strongly *isagree

2%. reen strategies help in reducing costs in the long run Strongly -gree -gree "eutral *isagree Strongly *isagree