Adoption of Green Business Practices among Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) for Sustainable Development in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the adoption of green business practices among Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) for the sustainable development of Anambra State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study, utilizing a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 2093 registered small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Anambra State, Nigeria. The sample size of 325 managers of SMEs was selected using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) Table for sample size determination. A-26 item structured questionnaire titled ‘Adoption of Green Business Practices among SMEs for Sustainable Development (AGBPSMEs-SD) was used for data collection. Face validity of the instrument was ascertained using opinions of three experts in Entrepreneurship Education and one expert from Measurement and Evaluation, while pilot testing of reliability of the instrument was conducted and analyzed using Cronbach alpha formula which yielded correlation coefficients of 0.81 and 0.89 for clusters B1 and B2 with overall reliability index of 0.85 obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the two research questions, while an independent t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that managers of SMEs in Anambra State do not adopt the majority of green business practices examined for the sustainable development of the state. Managers of SMEs agree that the barriers examined hinder their adoption of green business practices. It was also revealed that the size of the business was a significant factor in their adoption of green business practices, while it did not influence their opinion on barriers hindering their adoption of green practices. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concluded that SMEs in Anambra State are facing significant barriers that prevent them from fully adopting green business practices, thereby hindering their contribution to sustainable development within the State, region, and Nigeria in general. It was recommendedamong others, that Anambra State government should implement targeted educational programmes and workshops to increase SME managers' understanding of the benefits of green business practices and their role in sustainable development. This should include practical examples and case studies relevant to the local context