Implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in Sarawak: Adoption Factors

In most organizations, Environmental Management Systems (EMS) adoption is based on a voluntary basis in which the adoption depends on the organization's aspirations for better environmental performance. Organizations are attracted by very practical benefits through implementation of EMS in their organizations. The primary purpose of an EMS implementation is to improve environmental performance continually in an organization. This research investigates the factors that drive the adoption of EMS by organizations in Sarawak. Empirical findings of a survey on the above in Sarawak organizations are presented. About 112 survey questionnaires invitations were forwarded to various organizations in Sarawak and a total of 47 responses (about 42.0%) were received. Walford (1995), in his assertion, said that sampling techniques require 10 percent or more of observations or sampling fraction so that they are to be considered representative of the total population. From this research, organizations which have implemented an EMS are mostly from larger organizations in Sarawak which have been established for more than 15 years with over 251 employees and more than one operating location. The results showed that ISO 14001 is the most common EMS frameworks adopted by organizations in Sarawak followed by Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Among the EMS adoption factors in Sarawak, EMS implementation motivation and the role of top management are the most critical factors in EMS adoption in Sarawak. Besides, management support is also another essential factor for EMS adoption among Sarawak organizations followed by the current market orientation factor.