Barriers Encountered by Chinese Manufacturing SMEs in Pursuing High-Quality Development Under Environmental Objective Constraints

Abstract

High-quality development under environmental objective constraints represents a paradigm shift from perceiving environmental constraints as mere external pressures to embracing them as endogenous catalysts for progress. This shift, however, mandates considerable technological advancements, resource reallocations, and managerial overhauls, all requiring substantial capital investments. Chinese manufacturing SMEs, despite their efforts to adapt, often face challenges that hinder this transformation. To effectively facilitate this transition, it is crucial to pinpoint the barriers and craft tailored strategies to mitigate their inhibitory effects. Through a combination of theoretical deductions and on-the-ground research, this study not only identifies these barriers but also employs the ISM-MICMAC methodology to unpack their hierarchical and influential nature. Remarkably, the findings highlight that overcome technological and political barriers loom large, while the often-discussed economic and organizational barriers seem comparatively less formidable.