Towards a Method for Measuring the Quality of Environmental Improvement Communications on SME Websites

• Published in: Knowledge and process management 2014-07, Vol.21 (3), p.187-197
• Main Authors: Parker, Craig M., Bellucci, Emilia, Torlina, Luba, Zutshi, Ambika, Fraunholz, Bardo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Communication; Environmental management; Quality of service; Small & medium sized enterprises-SME; Studies; Websites
• ISSN: 1092-4604; 1099-1441
• DOI: 10.1002/kpm.1451

A common method for measuring the quality of large firms' communication of environmental improvement (changes in business processes or practices to reduce ecological impact) in their reports and websites involves: looking for many environmental indicators; scoring the description of each indicator on the basis of the level of quality (e.g. vague or detailed); and totalling the scores. However, this method is too impractical and cumbersome for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper proposes a modification of this method, which makes it more suitable for SMEs by condensing the various indicators used for large firms down to three broad indicators (land, air and water). It then offers a practical example of how the method can be used to measure the quality of environmental improvement communication by providing extracts from SME websites and illustrating each level of quality against each indicator. The paper then outlines how the method could be used to help SMEs produce higher‐quality environmental improvement communication and address their legal obligations when it comes to preparing environmental improvement content for their websites. The paper also summarises how the method can be used by other stakeholders such as industry associations, legal practitioners and local governments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.