Abstract:
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play crucial role in economic growth for many nations globally. Whereas growth of SMEs contributes to economic growth and development of a society they can also cause a significant environmental degradation. Despite continued emphasis on environmental management in Kenya, there is limited study that has focused on the environmental management strategies undertaken by manufacturing SMEs in Nakuru Town. The aim of this study was to assess the factors influencing the implementation of environmental management practices in small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises in Nakuru Town. The study employed cross sectional research design where data was collected through structured questionnaire, face to face interviews and observations. The respondents were owners of the industry, technical managers or administrative staff. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select 32 manufacturing SMEs in Nakuru County. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and results presented as frequency tables and bar graphs. Logistic regression model was used to determine factors influencing the adoption of environmental management practices. The findings indicate that the owners/managers of SMEs in Nakuru Town had limited awareness with regard to environmental impacts surrounding their business. The SME owners/managers had a positive attitude towards environmental management. But it was established that the adoption of environmental practices among the selected small and medium manufacturing enterprises was still very low or non-existent. On the factors influencing the adoption of environmental practices, the size of the firm, level of awareness and financial resources had significant influence on the decision to undertake environmental management practices. New efforts are therefore required to engage the SMEs sector in addressing environmental issues by building capacity such as raising awareness and offering incentives on programs that supports sustainable practices.
