Sustainability attitudes of business leaders and embeddedness of sustainability practices in SMEs

Purpose The purpose of this study is to test the upper echelons theory (UET) which links the sustainability attitudes of business leaders to embedding of sustainability practices in businesses located within in a destination community. Research framed with the UET has found that business leaders’ attitudes have great influence on decision-making in a business, especially small and medium-sized enterprises; thus, a better understanding of how leaders may influence the implementation of sustainability practices within the community business environment is imperative. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with community business leaders. The survey link was provided to 730 business contacts from a chamber of commerce list with 203 usable questionnaires completed for a response rate of 28%. Analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations and binomial logistic regression. Findings A relationship exists between leaders’ attitudes toward sustainability criteria, practices and challenges and embedding sustainability activities in a business. Embedding sustainability activities in a business is predicted by a small number of attitude items. Practical implications The results of this study provide insights into the relationship between leaders’ attitudes and sustainability. Business leaders’ attitudes influence organizational decisions related to sustainability practices. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this community-based study is one of few investigating sustainability attitudes of business leaders, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises, and their influence on incorporation of sustainability practices in their organizations using the UET for policy development. Given the importance of community businesses as economic drivers and the impacts they have, a better understanding of their roles in sustainable management is critical.