Influence of Institutional Pressures on Environmental Management Practices Adopted by Manufacturing Companies: A Survey of Manufacturing Companies in Nakuru Town, Kenya

In the current world, most organizations have taken into corporate social responsibility practices for different reasons amongst them are the institutional pressures which include pressure from institutional actors such as politicians, regulators, customers, competitors, and local communities. The study sought to establish how the institutional pressures influence the environmental management practices adopted by manufacturing firms. In particular, the effect of regulatory pressures on environmental management practices was investigated. The study adopted a survey research design. The target population included 178 managers of the manufacturing companies in Nakuru town. A sample of 99 respondents (managers) was drawn using simple random method from the target population. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were first pilot-tested to determine their reliability and validity. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The study findings established and concluded that regulatory pressures have a strong and positive effect on environmental management practices. It is recommended that the manufacturing companies need to adhere to the set government regulations and run their operations as stipulated by the laid down government policies in the light of exercising proper environmental management practices.