A Literature Review and Taxonomy of Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing

Abstract

Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing (ERM) is a proactive managerial approach encompassing a company’s effort to integrate environmental practices into decision-making processes. The ERM body of knowledge is very diverse and has been shaped by research in numerous inter-disciplinary areas. In the formative years of the ERM paradigm, this diversity kept researchers from developing a thorough understanding of the status of research within the ERM field, and the more recent proliferation of information has also contributed to a lack of understanding. One method of developing a mastery and familiarity with this body of knowledge is to develop a taxonomy within which the literature can be framed. This is the major objective of the paper. We examine the literature to identify early major dimensions of the taxonomy and discuss how these dimensions have evolved. The major contribution of this approach is that it helps researchers develop a familiarity with the major themes found in a body of knowledge spanning multiple decades. With such a familiarity, scholars can effectively build on and extend the current body of knowledge. For the purposes of this paper, over 10,000 scholarly articles, governmental publications, web-based publications, and books and were examined.