Leadership Commitment and Environmental Management System Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of ISO 14001:2015 Implementation Maturity

Abstract

This study examined how leadership commitment may relate to environmental management system (EMS) implementation effectiveness and proposes ISO 14001:2015 implementation maturity as a moderator. The study employed a review approach, identifying literature published between 2018 and 2026 through targeted searches of Scopus and Web of Science and synthesising it thematically with foundational theory and the ISO 14001:2015 standard. Exact search dates and stage-by-stage retrieval counts were not preserved, so the review is not presented as a fully reproducible systematic review. The study found that leadership support, communication, involvement and resource allocation can support EMS implementation, although evidence varies by context and outcome. The synthesis distinguishes certification, implementation maturity, implementation effectiveness and longer-term environmental sustainability. The study concluded that the review integrates Institutional Theory, Upper Echelons Theory, and Resource Allocation Theory into a conceptual framework; however, the proposed moderating role of maturity remains empirically untested. It recommends that future research operationalise maturity and effectiveness separately and directly test the proposed interaction.