The adoption of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in Macao SAR, China: Trend, motivations, and perceived benefits

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adoption of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in Macao SAR, China. Design/methodology/approach: Using the data from the latest ISO Survey of Certifications, the study identified the growth pattern of ISO 14001 certifications in Macao SAR by nonlinear regression. The study also examined the motivations for Macao's organizations to adopt ISO 14001 and the perceived benefits of implementing ISO 14001 using a quantitative survey instrument, and follow-up interviews with environmental management representatives. Findings: The trend analysis revealed that the adoption of ISO 14001 follows a logistic function. The survey results showed that the top motivating factors included promoting environmental awareness among employees, better managing environmental regulatory compliance, and improving efficiency while the greatest perceived benefit of implementing ISO 14001 was in enhancing employees' awareness on pertinent environmental regulations, followed by enhancing employees' environmental awareness, enhancing organizational image, and assisting management to deal with environmental issues. Research limitations/implications: Macao is a special administration region and is the only China's city with legalized casino gaming. Hence, the findings of the study cannot be generalized to other parts of China. Practical implications: Understanding what motivate organizations to adopt ISO 14001 and how organizations perceive the benefits of implementing ISO 14001 are crucial to the promotion of environmental management and sustainable development. The findings of the study revealed the key motivating factors and perceived benefits. Originality/value: The study contributes to the environmental management literature by exploring the growth pattern of ISO 14001 in Macao SAR, and the motivations for, perceived benefits, and difficulties of implementing ISO 14001 in organizational settings.