Student Number: 0308601G
School of Civil Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / This research report focuses on the impact of environmental management systems
(EMS) on the economic performance of business enterprises with respect to the three
research variables, namely water, energy and raw materials. A systematic sampling
technique with a random start and the K-Value sampling interval were employed to
draw a sample size of 30 enterprises from a list of 240 EMS certified enterprises.
However, the response rate ultimately turned out to be only 30 % of the sample size.
The research discovered that EMS programmes that are practised by enterprises under
study in South Africa are inefficient, as strategies adopted to cut down on the
consumption of the research variables are inefficient. It has further been found that
due to unavailability of data, business enterprises failed to consistently and
convincingly provide data pertaining to the costs of EMS adoption.
Inefficient strategies in cutting down consumption of research variables are concluded
to have led to minimal savings and revenue accruing to the enterprises. This is
observed to be a result of the following factors: not undertaking some research ahead
of any action to shed light on the nature and magnitude of responsive measures
required for specific problem areas; costly EMS technology and infrastructure; lack
of innovativeness in exhausting the full potential value of the research variables; poor
EMS practice etc. Failure to provide data by enterprises is observed to be a result of
little value, which enterprises attached to information storage and documentation as
well as environmental accounting system, yet they are such crucial components of
EMS. This has therefore made impossible to weigh gains against costs to establish
whether business enterprises are gaining or losing in their EMS projects.
On the basis of the observed shortcomings, enterprises are advised to have in place a
comprehensive EMS database and to conduct some research ahead of any responsive
action. The South African government is recommended to intervene by providing an
enabling environment for EMS by implementing EMS supporting policies and
promoting awareness campaigns. Furthermore, research into the observed problem
areas has been recommended in order to get to the bottom of EMS problems in South
Africa.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/1507 |
| Date | 31 October 2006 |
| Creators | Khuto, Motseki |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 3668565 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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