Corporate Environmentalism and Sustainability:emerging Trends in Kenya

Abstract

The concept of corporate environmentalism, seen in the increasing adoption of the green agenda by companies in Kenya, resonates with global trends. Companies are becoming eager to project a reputation profile of being green as a strategic and competitive issue. These emerging trends represent a paradigm shift in corporate management. The triple bottom line concept of economic, social and environmental sustainability is becoming key to future business success. This study investigates three basic, but key issues ill the emerging trends of corporate environmentalism in Kenya: the motivating factors, corporate activities, and benefits. The study compares the nature of corporate environmentalism between the manufacturing and service companies on the basis of these three aspects.The study uses two independent samples. Sample 1 consists of seventeen (17) companies from the manufacturing and allied sector. Sample 2 consists of eight (8) companies from the commercial and services sector. The companies were purposively selected to meet a criterion for environmental concern and responsibility. A standard structured questionnaire administered to environmental, corporate affairs, public relations, and marketing departments as the case may be, was used in the data collection. In the analysis, the differences in the natuse 'It.,of corporate environmentalism between manufacturing and service companies were explotcfct. Kruskal Wallis, a non-parametric statistical test, was used to determine whether there is any difference between manufacturing and service companies in relation to what motivates them, the kind of activities they engage in, and what benefits they get from corporate environmentalism. Results show that companies are motivated by both internal and external factors towards corporate environmentalism, and both tangible and intangible benefits accrue to companies from their environmental concern and responsibility. Further, the results show that whereas, statistically, there is a difference in drivers and the kind of activities engaged in between manufacturing and service companies, there is no difference in benefits.