Green manufacturing drivers and their relationships for small and medium(SME) and large industries

Abstract

Small and medium (SME) and large manufacturing industries are two vital contributors of industrial growth and development of any economy. The importance of both sectors increases many times in context to a developing country like India, which is sharply emerging as a manufacturing hub for the world. Both sectors depend and influence each other. Burgeoning pressures for green manufacturing (GM) from national and international agencies create an urgency for both sectors to switch over, to GM from conventional manufacturing. GM minimizes wastes and pollution and also leads to financial gains and better image, if implemented correctly. Therefore, it is crucial to understand GM drivers and underlying relationships between them. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to answer two questions (1) Is GM and its drivers are same or different for SME and large industries? (2) How these drivers influence green manufacturing? The study also develops and compares GM models for both based on the identified GM drivers using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach; covering compliance to green standards/legislations, financial incentives, management commitment and support, marketing and other associated green drivers. The research enhances the understanding about the mutual influence of green drivers. It also guides about the identification of right set of drivers by utilizing the driving and dependency power to influence GM, for both. Thus, the study addresses the needs of both sectors and facilitates researchers and practitioners to effectively utilize appropriate set of green drivers in leveraging GM in a strategic manner.