How does the use of information technologies affect the adoption of environmental practices in SMEs? A mixed-methods app
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How does the use of information technologies affect the adoption of environmental practices in SMEs? A mixed‑methods approach Lucía Muñoz‑Pascual1 · Carla Curado2 · Jesús Galende1 Received: 22 June 2019 / Accepted: 13 November 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract In this paper we show two original alternative models. Model 1 involves two sources for the adoption of environmental practices (PRAC): the collaboration-oriented human resources management system and the organizational learning capability. Model 2 adopts three sources for PRAC: the collaboration-oriented human resources management system, the organizational learning capability and information technology support (ITS). Both models also use three moderating variables: the manager’s education level and experience, and the firm’s size. We use a mixed-methods approach with structural equation modeling and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on 349 small and medium-sized Portuguese firms. The results show that collaboration oriented human resources system, organizational learning capability, and ITS have a positive effect on PRAC. In addition, the individual characteristics of the managers significantly improve the explanatory power of the models. However, the firm’s size has a negative moderating effect. Therefore, the smaller the firms are, then the larger the positive effects of the antecedents on PRAC. The results also show that ITS is an important source for the development of PRAC, and it contributes to different pathways that lead to PRAC. But, no alternative causal configurations exist that lead to PRAC regarding Model 1, yet alternative causal configurations do exist that lead to PRAC regarding Model 2. In this line, the findings from both the quantitative and the qualitative analyses show the relevancy of ITS to PRAC. Keywords Adoption of environmental practices · Information technology support · Mixed methods · Structural equation modelling · Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis Mathematics Subject Classification 91C99
* Lucía Muñoz‑Pascual [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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1 Introduction The aim of this study is to answer three questions: Do SMEs with information technology support (ITS) adopt environmental practices? What are the contributions of human resource management and technology that lead to the adoption of environmental practices in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)? What are the manager’s characteristics that lead to the adoption of environmental practices in SMEs? Answering such research questions provides an understanding of the key processes and pathways that allow companies to manage and integrate the antecedents of PRAC, e.g., knowledge search strategies, information technologies and human resource management. This challenge often calls for organizational restructuring and the adoption of more diverse knowledge components or new routines, thus leading to new pathways
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