SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE IN SMES: THE ROLE OF EMA AND RESILIENCE
Main Article Content
Indah Yani
Dara Alifa Fajriati Thamrin
This paper examines how Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) can influence sustainability performance (SP), with strategic resilience (SR) serving as a mediating factor. Data were collected using a quantitative method, by surveying 127 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and focusing on the top management of the company that was involved in making strategic decisions. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. The results indicate that the positive and significant impact of EMA is on sustainability performance and strategic resilience. Moreover, strategic resilience has a positive impact on the sustainability performance and partially mediates the relationship between the EMA and SP. These findings show that although EMA can give the necessary environmental information, its ability to create sustainability performance relies on the ability of the organization to absorb, adapt, and transform the information into strategic action. This research is a contribution to the body of literature because it refutes the existing hypothesis that better sustainability performance is an automatic consequence of environmental information. Rather, it shows that the power of EMA is in its combination with the organizational capabilities, in particular, strategic resilience. The implications of the findings on SMEs are also practical in the sense that it is important that internal capabilities should be enhanced in order to maximize the utilization of environmental information in coming up with sustainable results.
Acar, A. Z., Acar, P., Aslan, M., Yaylalı, İ., & Yılmaz, O. K. (2025). The role of eco-innovation and environmental management accounting in fostering performance effect by green dynamic capabilities in the hotel industry. Sustainability, 17(21), 9487. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219487
Alkaraan, F., Elmarzouky, M., Hussainey, K., Venkatesh, V., Shi, Y., & Gulko, N. (2024). Reinforcing green business strategies with Industry 4.0 and governance towards sustainability: Natural‐resource‐based view and dynamic capability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(4), 3588-3606. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3665
Alnaim, M., & Metwally, A. B. M. (2024). Institutional pressures and environmental management accounting adoption: Do environmental strategy matter? Sustainability, 16(7), 3020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16073020
Appannan, J. S., Mohd Said, R., Ong, T. S., & Senik, R. (2023). Promoting sustainable development through strategies, environmental management accounting and environmental performance. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(4), 1914-1930. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3227
Asa'd, M., Ahmad, W. N. W., & Ayoup, H. (2024). Environmental management accounting information and environmental performance, the mediating effect of environmental decision quality. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 14(2), 562-573. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.15487
Asiaei, K., Bontis, N., Alizadeh, R., & Yaghoubi, M. (2022). Green intellectual capital and environmental management accounting: Natural resource orchestration in favor of environmental performance. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(1), 76-93. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2875
Bari, N., Chimhundu, R., & Chan, K.-C. (2022). Dynamic capabilities to achieve corporate sustainability: A roadmap to sustained competitive advantage. Sustainability, 14(3), 1531. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031531
Caiado, R. G. G., Quelhas, O. L. G., Nascimento, D. L. M., Anholon, R., & Leal Filho, W. (2018). Measurement of sustainability performance in Brazilian organizations. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 25(4), 312-326. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2017.1406875
Eikelenboom, M., & de Jong, G. (2019). The impact of dynamic capabilities on the sustainability performance of SMEs. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235, 1360-1370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.07.013
Feroz, A. K., Zo, H., Eom, J., & Chiravuri, A. (2023). Identifying organizations' dynamic capabilities for sustainable digital transformation: A mixed methods study. Technology in Society, 73, 102257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102257
Gunarathne, A. N., Lee, K. H., & Hitigala Kaluarachchilage, P. K. (2021). Institutional pressures, environmental management strategy, and organizational performance: The role of environmental management accounting. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(2), 825-839. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.265
Hair, J., Hollingsworth, C. L., Randolph, A. B., & Chong, A. Y. L. (2017). An updated and expanded assessment of PLS-SEM in information systems research. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 117(3), 442-458. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-04-2016-0130
Hair Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., Ray, S., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). An introduction to structural equation modeling. In Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook (pp. 1-29). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hasan, S. A. S., Waghule, S., Al Koliby, I. S., Al-Bukhrani, M. A., Al Haifi, M. M., & Hasan, M. B. (2024). Innovating for sustainability: The role of environmental management accounting in driving environmental performance. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00389-x
Helfat, C. E., & Martin, J. A. (2015). Dynamic managerial capabilities: Review and assessment of managerial impact on strategic change. Journal of Management, 41(5), 1281-1312. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314561301
Hristov, I., & Chirico, A. (2019). The role of sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) in implementing sustainable strategies. Sustainability, 11(20), 5742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205742
Huliselan, M. (2025). Environmental accounting and financial management: A strategic approach to corporate sustainability. Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 7(3), 164-170. https://doi.org/10.37034/jems.v7i3.106
Latifah, S. W., & Soewarno, N. (2023). The environmental accounting strategy and waste management to achieve MSME's sustainability performance. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 2176444. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2176444
Liang, Y., Lee, M. J., & Jung, J. S. (2022). Dynamic capabilities and an ESG strategy for sustainable management performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 887776. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887776
Marrucci, L., Daddi, T., & Iraldo, F. (2022). Do dynamic capabilities matter? A study on environmental performance and the circular economy in European certified organisations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(6), 2641-2657. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2997
Mat Yusoh, N. N. A., Tuan Mat, T. Z., & Abdullah, A. (2023). Environmental management accounting system adoption and sustainability performance: Triple bottom line approach. Management and Accounting Review (MAR), 22(1), 233-267. https://doi.org/10.24191/mar.v22i01-10
Mukwarami, S., Nkwaira, C., & van der Poll, H. M. (2023). Environmental management accounting implementation challenges and supply chain management in emerging economies' manufacturing sector. Sustainability, 15(2), 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021061
Nguyen, T. M. A. (2024). Adoption of environmental management accounting in Vietnamese enterprises: An empirical analysis of influencing determinants. PLoS ONE, 19(7), e0304902. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304902
Nguyen, V. T. L., & Huynh, T. X. T. (2025). Enhancing business sustainability through environmental management accounting (EMA): Insights and strategic applications. Journal of Economics, Business, and Commerce, 2(1), 118-124. https://doi.org/10.69739/jebc.v2i1.471
Ortiz-Avram, D., Ovcharova, N., & Engelmann, A. (2024). Dynamic capabilities for sustainability: Toward a typology based on dimensions of sustainability-oriented innovation and stakeholder integration. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(4), 2969-3004. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3630
Ozanne, L. K., Chowdhury, M., Prayag, G., & Mollenkopf, D. A. (2022). SMEs navigating COVID-19: The influence of social capital and dynamic capabilities on organizational resilience. Industrial Marketing Management, 104, 116-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2022.04.009
Scarpellini, S., Marín-Vinuesa, L. M., Aranda-Usón, A., & Portillo-Tarragona, P. (2020). Dynamic capabilities and environmental accounting for the circular economy in businesses. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 11(7), 1129-1158. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-04-2019-0150
Shmueli, G., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Cheah, J.-H., Ting, H., Vaithilingam, S., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). Predictive model assessment in PLS-SEM: Guidelines for using PLSpredict. European Journal of Marketing, 53(11), 2322-2347. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0189
Soewarno, N., Tjahjadi, B., & Anmariska, F. (2022). Does PMS influence the strategy pillars: OPP relationship? Evidence from HEIs in Indonesia. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2019-0041
Swalih, M., Ram, R., & Tew, E. (2024). Environmental management accounting for strategic decision-making: A systematic literature review. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(7), 6335-6367. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3828
Thanh Thuy Ngoc, T. (2025). Unlocking environmental management accounting and environmental performance: A mediated moderation model through green technology innovation and environmental strategy. Meditari Accountancy Research, 33(2), 733-758. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-07-2024-2558
Yasmin, F., Saleem, M. A., Low, D., Erdiaw-Kwasie, M., & Dahl, S. (2025). Measuring sustainability in social enterprises: Development and validation of a multi-dimensional framework. Acta Psychologica, 254, 104807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104807
Zatini, G., Della Porta, A., & Za, S. (2025). Deciphering barriers and strategies in environmental management accounting (EMA) adoption: A comprehensive two-decade analysis. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(3), 3355-3370. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.3130
Zhen, T., & Rahman, M. M. (2024). Greening emerging economies: Enhancing environmental, social, and governance performance through environmental management accounting and green financing. Sustainability, 16(11), 4753. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114753





































