Environmental policy and the small firm in Japan: comparisons with the Netherlands

This article explores how environmental policy arrangements influence the attitudes and behaviour of small firm owners. The findings are presented from a qualitative study exploring the influence of national governance structures on the environmental practices of restaurant and mechanical engineering firms in Japan. A comparison is made with the Dutch environmental policy context to illustrate how structural factors can crucially influence the individual responses of small firm owner-managers to environmental pressures. The political enfranchisement of Dutch small firms and their participation in ‘target group’ policy consultations appears to have been a key factor contributing to their engagement with environmental initiatives. The paper concludes by suggesting the need for a more participatory institutional structure in Japan in order to encourage the ‘greening’ of the small firm sector.