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Sustainable practices of Aruban SMEs and their influence on the economy.
Meijer, Ogieny
Meijer, Ogieny
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Keyword
Location research
Date
2015
License
Publisher
University of Aruba/University College Utrecht
Language
en
ISSN
ISBN
978-90-79859-22-1
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Abstract
There is not much attention being paid to the contribution that the Aruban Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have on the economy and in turn could have on sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this research study is to establish through qualitative research1: the influence that SMEs have on the Aruban economy (through secondary research) and the perception of sustainable practices on the SMEs’ business performance in the Aruban context (qualitative research). To accomplish the aforementioned, preliminary in-depth interviews were conducted with Aruban experts and with owners/ directors of SMEs representing each sector to obtain their perception of sustainable practices.
SMEs (excl. micro enterprises) comprise 83.4% of Active Companies, 55.9% of FTE’s and 47.9% of total wages paid, while contributing 48% to the GDP. If we consider the Triple P’s in business being: people, planet and profit, the Aruban SMEs identify sustainability more in terms of profitability. Furthermore, the majority of owners/ directors think that innovations do influence sustainability and that the latter has negative influence on business’ financials. Likewise, owners/directors think that environmental management practices are necessary but not without legislation. Finally, the majority of owner/director believe that sustainable SMEs have a positive impact on the economy.
Citation
Meijer, O.S. (2015). Sustainable practices of Aruban SMEs and their influence on the economy. In Mijts, E. & Ballantyne, J. (eds.). (2015). UAUCU Undergraduate Student Research Exchange - Collected Papers 2015. Aruba. University of Aruba. 49-62.
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Journal / Book / Conference
UAUCU Undergraduate Student Research Exchange – Collected Papers 2015