Sustainability challenges of German technology Small and Medium Enterprises– evaluating the influence of sustainability and social value factors on meso level

摘要

There are more and more obvious problems with sustainability issues in economic, ecologicand social terms. The focus of changing economical ways towards sustainability lies mainlyon larger enterprises as well as technical solutions. However, sustainability is important inall areas of life. In order to achieve sustainability all four pillars of sustainability –economical, ecological, culture and social - need to be sustainable and balanced otherwisereal sustainability is not achievable. The large enterprises have the largest impacts on socialand ecological sustainability due to their size and global actions and trading which is alsothe reason why the focus is often on LEs. However, the impact of Small and MediumEnterprises (SMEs) is seen from single company perspective, but many SMEs together havea fairly large impact. SMEs are the backbone of Germany’s economy and many smallercompanies are market leader in specialist fields. According to the “Statistisches Bundesamt”(Federal Statistic Office) 99.3% of all companies in Germany are SMEs where 60% of allemployees work (see Table 1).The export oriented industry in Germany has influences towards and from sustainabilityworldwide and therefore a wide range of impacts into different countries.This research evaluated factors influencing Germany SMEs on a Meso-environment leveltaking the macro- and micro environment and social value into account. In addition, theresearch understood how German technology SMEs handle sustainability in the context ofbusiness and social aspects.This research took the value and perception of customers and employees into account.Customers can be divided in private and industrial customers. Many German SMEs serveindustrial markets and therefore serve mostly industrial customers. The influences of thecustomers groups are different especially towards SMEs.The focus is on factors which influence values like education or personal rational choice.These factors play an important part in the culture and politics domain and influence socialvalues and therefore actions of all stakeholders. The problems many German SMEs face isthat their stakeholder have a different cultural background since many foreign markets areserved. Customer demands and competition in these markets can also avoid sustainabilityimplementation.This research has been conducted by performing a literature review and collecting data byinterviews and questionnaires. In addition, the SMES which refused to take part wereevaluated and their internet page researched in order to find reasons in more detail. Theinternet pages were searched for engagements in sustainability, CSR and environmentalprotection measures in order to define the level of engagement in sustainability actions.This research methods used were Engaged Theory in combination with Circles ofSustainability. This method offered high flexibility and a framework which supportssustainability research. The focus on this method is taken the different sustainability areas aswell as practitioners into account.The findings of this research are that German SMEs are influenced by their customers aswell as employees and managers. The underlying rationale is personal rationalbehaviour/decisions which focuses on the customers benefits without taking the interest ofother groups or society in to account. This phenomenon is also known as social dilemmaand could be identified as strongest influencing factor, internally (by employees andmanagers) and externally (customers and other external stakeholders).The influencing effect of customers is also connected to a speciality of German SMEs:many German SMEs have their main market abroad and these markets are often pricesensitive and therefore customer values focusing on price rather than sustainability.Furthermore, all researched German SMEs have no ideas how a sustainable society couldlook like which is important to set a sustainable vision and mission. This means that longterm planning is not followed in German SMEs. The reasons for this are twofold – lack ofeducation in sustainability and the lack to see the needs to implement sustainability.Education is also verified as an important factor to influence sustainability but is oftenoverwritten by the social dilemma factor. Other factors which were researched were trust,marketing and institutional theory, which play also a vital rule but have less influencetowards sustainability in German SMEs. However, missing trust within the company cultureis a barrier for innovations and seems to be German SME problem.The data gained by the evaluation of the internet pages of non-responded SMEs showed thelack of engagement in sustainability and could strengthen the data gained by the interviewsand questionnaires.Finally this research found similarities in the context of social dilemma, between approachestowards sustainability and communism.This research contributes to knowledge by finding out factors and its connections whichinfluence sustainability in German SMEs. It also pointed out the problems German SMEsface when trying to implement sustainability. Furthermore, this research used a unique andhardly used research methodology: Engaged Theory and Circles of Sustainability. The useof this method adds to the knowledge base of sustainability research.