Organizational support for employees: Encouraging creative ideas for environmental sustainability

California Management Review

Volumn , Issue 3, 2001, Pages 85-105

  Ramus, Catherine A ^a  

^a NONE

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 0035629272     PISSN: 00081256     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2307/41166090     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. See Johan Schot and Kurt Fischer, "Introduction: The Greening of the Industrial Firm," in J. Schot and K. Fischer, eds., Environmental Strategies for Industry (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1993), pp. 3-33; Monika Winn, "Corporate Leadership and Policies for the Environment" in D. Collins and M. Starik, eds., Research in Corporate Social Policy and Performance - Sustaining the Natural Environment: Empirical Studies on the Interface Between Nature and Organizations (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1995), pp. 127-162.
2. See Johan Schot and Kurt Fischer, "Introduction: The Greening of the Industrial Firm," in J. Schot and K. Fischer, eds., Environmental Strategies for Industry (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1993), pp. 3-33; Monika Winn, "Corporate Leadership and Policies for the Environment" in D. Collins and M. Starik, eds., Research in Corporate Social Policy and Performance - Sustaining the Natural Environment: Empirical Studies on the Interface Between Nature and Organizations (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1995), pp. 127-162.
3. Many authors have written about this phenomenon. For example, see Stuart Hart, "A Natural Resource-Based View of the Firm," Academy of Management Journal, 20 (1995): 986-1014; Andrew King, "Innovation from Differentiation: Pollution Control Department and Innovation in the Printed Circuit Industry," IEEE Transactions in Engineering Management, 42 (1995): 270-277.
4. Many authors have written about this phenomenon. For example, see Stuart Hart, "A Natural Resource-Based View of the Firm," Academy of Management Journal, 20 (1995): 986-1014; Andrew King, "Innovation from Differentiation: Pollution Control Department and Innovation in the Printed Circuit Industry," IEEE Transactions in Engineering Management, 42 (1995): 270-277.
5. st Century (London: Routledge, 1995).
6. st Century (London: Routledge, 1995).
7. The gap between policies and practice has been recognized by: C. Hutchinson, "Integrating Environmental Policy with Business Strategy," Long Range Planning, 29/11 (1996): 11-23; P. Bansal and E. Howard, Business and the Natural Environment (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997).
8. The gap between policies and practice has been recognized by: C. Hutchinson, "Integrating Environmental Policy with Business Strategy," Long Range Planning, 29/11 (1996): 11-23; P. Bansal and E. Howard, Business and the Natural Environment (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997).
9. Catherine A. Ramus, "Employee Empowerment at GE Plastics: An Example of a Successful Environmental Change Process," Corporate Environmental Strategy, 4/3 (1997): 38-47.
10. Catherine A. Ramus, Ulrich Steger, and Matthias Winter, "Environmental Protection Can Give a Competitive Edge," Perspectives for Managers (Lausanne, Switzerland: IMD International, 1996).
11. This example was presented by Juha Kiljonen, Business Development Manager, Fortum Oil, at IMD International's MIBE Forum, November 1999. Also, see Neste's Corporate Environmental Report: Progress in 1997, Espoo, Finland, Neste Group.
12. Hostager et al. present a model indicating organizational and individual factors that effect employee participation in environmental innovation. T. Hostager, T. Neil, R. Decker, and R. Lorentz, "Seeing Environmental Opportunities: Effects on Intrapreneurial Ability, Efficacy, Motivation, and Desirability," Journal of Organizational Change Management, 11/1 (1998): 11-25.
13. Hostager et al. present a model indicating organizational and individual factors that effect employee participation in environmental innovation. T. Hostager, T. Neil, R. Decker, and R. Lorentz, "Seeing Environmental Opportunities: Effects on Intrapreneurial Ability, Efficacy, Motivation, and Desirability," Journal of Organizational Change Management, 11/1 (1998): 11-25.
14. T. Amabile, R. Conti, H. Coon, J. Lazenby, and M. Herron, "Assessing the Work Environment for Creativity," Academy of Management Journal, 39 (1996): 1154-1184.
15. J. Hage and R. Dewar, "Elite Values Versus Organizational Structure In Predicting Innovation," Administrative Science, 18 (1973): 279-290.
16. Bowen and Lawler discuss the need to develop trust and to share information with employees. D.E. Bowen and E.E. Lawler, "The Empowerment of Service Workers: What, Why, How and When," Sloan Management Review, 33/3 (1992): 31-39. Also see, G. M. Spreitzer, "Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation," Academy of Management Journal, 38 (1995): 1442-1465.
17. Bowen and Lawler discuss the need to develop trust and to share information with employees. D.E. Bowen and E.E. Lawler, "The Empowerment of Service Workers: What, Why, How and When," Sloan Management Review, 33/3 (1992): 31-39. Also see, G. M. Spreitzer, "Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace: Dimensions, Measurement, and Validation," Academy of Management Journal, 38 (1995): 1442-1465.
18. R. Kanter, The Change Masters (New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1983); J.R. Kimberley and M. J. Evanisko, "Organizational Innovation: The Influence of Individual, Organizational, and Contextual Factors on Hospital Adoption of Technological and Administrative Innovations," Academy of Management Journal, 24 (1981): 689-713. Both works discuss the importance of nonhierarchical and flexible structures of communication between supervisors and employees.
19. R. Kanter, The Change Masters (New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1983); J.R. Kimberley and M. J. Evanisko, "Organizational Innovation: The Influence of Individual, Organizational, and Contextual Factors on Hospital Adoption of Technological and Administrative Innovations," Academy of Management Journal, 24 (1981): 689-713. Both works discuss the importance of nonhierarchical and flexible structures of communication between supervisors and employees.
20. Rewards and recognition can positively affect employee involvement in organizational activities. See E.E. Lawler, Motivation in Work Organizations (Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks and Cole, 1973); E.E. Lawler, Strategic Pay: Aligning Organizational Strategies and Pay Systems (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990).
21. Rewards and recognition can positively affect employee involvement in organizational activities. See E.E. Lawler, Motivation in Work Organizations (Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks and Cole, 1973); E.E. Lawler, Strategic Pay: Aligning Organizational Strategies and Pay Systems (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990).
22. P. Langley and R. Jones, "A Computational Model of Scientific Insight," in R.J. Sternberg, ed., The Nature of Creativity (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1988): 177-201.
23. Each of the six companies in the survey was listed in the top two hundred in terms of sales in the countries where they were headquartered. They employed between 1,500 to 41,000 people and represented a number of industries including: chemical, entertainment, manufacturing, medical devices, oil, and retail.
24. The respondents all worked for large European headquartered companies with all or most of the thirteen environmental policies that I tested for in the survey.
25. The results of the Chi Square Test are summarized in the table below: ENVIRONMENTALVERSUS GENERAL MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS Environmental Empirical Theoretical vs. General Chi-square value Chi-square value p-value Innovation 23.02 16.92 0.006*** Competence Building 24.58 12.59 0.000*** Communication 27.17 15.51 0.001*** Information Dissemination 29.70 15.51 0.000*** Rewards/Recognition 40.43 15.51 0.000*** Management Goals/Responsibilities 28.07 16.92 0.001*** *** D-value ≤ 0.001
26. The results of the Logit Analysis are summarized in the following table: DEPENDENT VARIABLE (EMPLOYEE ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES) ON SUPERVISORY BEHAVIORS INDEPENDENT VARIABLES p-values of Coefficients Constants constants IndependentVariables p-values -0.79 0.01** Environmental Innovation __________O.I I____0-02* -0.98 0.01 ** Environmental Competence Building 0.15 0.01 ** _ l .09 0.00** Environmental Communication 0.16 0.00** -0.61 0.10 Environmental Information Dissemination 0.07___0.17 -0.93 0.00** Environmental Rewards/Recognition 0.13 0.01** -0.81 0.00** Environmental Management Goals/Responsibilities 0.12 0.01 ** -0.77 0.02* General Innovation O. IO 0.05* -0.42 0.25 General Competence Building 0.05 0.39 -0.67 0.05* General Communication 0.08 0.09 -0.70 0.05* General Information Dissemination 0.08 0.09 -0.81 0.00** General Rewards/Recognition O. Il 0.01 ** -0.77 0.01 ** General Management Goals/Responsibilities 0.10 0.01** * p-value ≤ 0.05 ** p-value ≤ 0.01 Dependent Variable = Employee Environmental Initiatives
27. Walter Wehrmeyer, ed., Greening People (Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing 1996).
28. In 1999, the oil and gas divisions of Neste Oy became Fortum Oil and Gas.
29. The survey was sent out randomly to 192 Neste employees and 57 percent responded.
30. F. Hertzberg discusses these motivation factors in Work and the Nature of Man (London: Granada Publishing, 1974).