Improving environmental awareness training in business

The need for and the benefits of a more sustainable approach to business management have been widely discussed in the literature. Many organizations have engaged in environmental management initiatives to improve their environmental performance and have found other benefits to the process, such as financial savings and reduced risk of liability. However, many constraints can inhibit the transformation to an environmentally conscious and responsible organization. These constraints include issues related to organizational culture and change management. To overcome these constraints and succeed in implementing a successful environmental management initiative, the literature suggests the importance for members of the organization of understanding the environmental impacts and policies of the organization through participation in environmental awareness training efforts that produces enduring knowledge and commitment. Armed with this knowledge, employees can then understand how the environment can affect and be affected by their duties and decisions. Various companies have used different approaches to environmental management training. It is important that organizations evaluate the efficiency of their training investment to ensure that the benefits will be generated. A case study of two electricity companies is used to illustrate the importance of evaluating environmental awareness efforts. The results of the study suggest that the training performed did not sufficiently increase employee environmental awareness of the company's environmental impacts despite a considerable time and financial investment in a one-time environmental awareness training program. Results arc briefly discussed and recommendations are made to improve the results of the training investment. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.