Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) make up between 95%-99% of private businesses worldwide, employ 60%-70% of the workforce in most countries and generate 33% of the GDP. SMEs account for a high percentage of the world's pollution because of the significant numbers of SMEs, and their accumulative impact. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies SME supply chain leaders used to implement green supply chain management (GSCM) policies that increase productivity and decrease losses. The origin of GSCM originates from the research of Ayres and Kneese. A purposeful sample of 3 SME construction companies was selected because of their success in creating strategies resulting in increased productivity and decreased financial losses in Summit County, Ohio. Company documents were reviewed and, member checking, artifact analysis, and reflective journaling were utilized to validate the dependability of the findings. Four main themes were identified: (a) onboarding, (b) fiscal management, (c) policy, and (d) infrastructure. The descriptions provided by SME leaders contributed to exploring the phenomenon in an actual setting. The results of this multiple case study may provide strategies leaders can use to increase productivity, minimize losses, and contribute to social change by decreasing hazardous chemicals and employee health problems.
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