Abstract
The current literature on SMEs presents a range of factors that influence their decisions regarding the adoption of environmental
management practices. In particular, some common factors are the pressure from stakeholders, the awareness of environmental
issues, the level of local authorities’ support, the benefits arising from the adoption of such practices and the role of
environmental regulations. This paper examines some of these factors through a case study research methodology on two Greek
manufacturing SMEs with significant local environmental impacts and protests from the local community. The main findings
indicate that these manufacturers have adopted a limited number of environmental management practices due to the limited
knowledge of managers on their environmental regulation responsibilities and inadequate help from local authorities regarding
environmental matters.