Small business owners who are beginning to implement green practices in the workplace may not only be benefiting the environment, they also could be improving the productivity levels of their staff, according to recent research conducted at UCLA.
The study, a joint effort between Professor Magali Delmas, an environmental economist at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Sanja Pekovic of France’s University Paris–Dauphine, found employees at firms that have green practices and standards are 16 percent more productive than other businesses.
“It’s good for your employees and it’s good for your bottom line,” said Delmas of adopting green practice. “Employees in such green firms are more motivated, receive more training, and benefit from better interpersonal relationships. The employees at green companies are therefore more productive than employees in more conventional firms.”
The Environmental Standards and Labor Productivity: Understanding the Mechanisms That Sustain Sustainability measured the productivity of workers at more than 5,000 firms who used green standards, as well as conventional practices. The researchers were able to create a logarithm to measure the average value of production per employee.
According to the research, businesses that achieved green certifications were able to create an improved work environment, as well as better levels of productivity. Firms that promote a cleaner environment also commonly have property insurance coverages that protect against liability issues that may arise with energy efficient lighting and sustainable installations.
“It’s truly a big difference between firms that have adopted these practices and firms that haven’t,” Delmas said. “I expected a contrast, but not such a strong, robust jump in productivity.”
How can small businesses go green?
One of the biggest advantages to employing green practices is that many businesses won’t have to alter any major processes to make a huge environmental impact. An article for TreeHugger shared some ideas small business owners can use to become more green.
•Use energy-saving settings on computers: Businesses can save a lot of money by turning off their computers when they aren’t using them and using energy-saving settings when the devices are powered on.
•Reduce paper use, and recycle when possible: The advent of cloud computing and other collaboration initiatives have reduced the need to print out reports and documents. When files are printed, recycle them when they are no longer needed.
