Management learning and the greening of SMEs: Moving beyond problem-solving

Win-win and eco-efficiency approaches to environmental management that focus on cost benefits from environmental improvement in business have been widely promoted in recent years. However they have been criticized because they are of limited appeal to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and because they do not promote a broader programme of learning and change. Based on qualitative interviews with SMEs in the UK that have participated in a resource efficiency project, the paper aims to identify the conditions under which management learning is occurring, that triggers a process of on-going environmental improvement. The main indicators of management learning identified that lead to a process of learning and change were: cognitive and behaviour change; an approach that went beyond problem-solving; a culture of leadership and participation; a discontinuity that made resource efficiency a priority; a networked, open-minded leader.