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The Diffusion Process of Sustainability Practices in SMEs: A Conceptual Framework
Sampepajung D.C.
Digest of Technical Papers IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics
Abstract
Sustainability in SMEs has increasingly become a major concern in the past two decades. Based on various research and reports, it has become apparent that there is an urgency for SMEs to adopt sustainability practices. Theoretically speaking, there are no less than 26 sustainability management tools and approaches that have been adapted or specifically designed for this sector. However, reports show that the majority of SMEs have yet to adopt these innovations. There is a gap in the existing literatures about the slow spread of sustainability practices in the sector that contributes significantly to the global pollution. Social and cultural context also has been identified as another gap in the study of the sustainability practices of SMEs. This paper discusses the limitations of Rogers diffusion model. An updated model is proposed by adding dissemination phase, in which external forces intentionally make SMEs aware of the existence of sustainability innovations. The relationship between Value-Identity-Personal Norm, in which constructs such as biospheric values and environmental self-identity, are proposed as a contributing factor in the awareness stage within the diffusion process of sustainability practices.