Title:
Business innovation and regulatory enforcement: case studies of the big box retail industry and enforcement of RCRA

dc.contributor.advisor Kingsley, Gordon
dc.contributor.author Guard, Misty Ann en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember Barke, Richard
dc.contributor.committeeMember Breznitz, Shiri
dc.contributor.department Public Policy en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2010-06-10T16:59:07Z
dc.date.available 2010-06-10T16:59:07Z
dc.date.issued 2010-04-15 en_US
dc.description.abstract The purpose of this research is to examine the following research question: how has enforcement of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) adapted to the Big Box business system innovation? Additionally, the study explored the possible nature of regulatory choke points that may emerge from the enforcement of RCRA in the Big Box retail system. This study used contingency theory to establish a foundation for analysis of the Big Box business system innovation through identification of structural elements, external influences, and their subsequent interactions associated with the Big Box retail system in terms of environmental compliance with the RCRA enforced by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This research employed an embedded comparative case study design using the comparison of two Big Box firms, Walmart Stores, Inc. and Target Corporation, nationally and for the following states with opposing enforcement strategies: Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas. The data used was obtained from third-party federal or firm-maintained sources. Findings indicate Walmart adheres to the structural models developed using contingency theory principles and incurs more impacts from regulatory agencies due to the enforcement of RCRA. Furthermore, it was observed that inspections of the firms are not distributed throughout the organizational structural elements by all states. Additionally, the use of different enforcement strategies resulted in the emergence of regulatory choke points by Arizona, Kentucky, and Texas; however, Missouri appears to balance enforcement without causing a regulatory choke point. This research has identified that the enforcement of RCRA has not universally adapted to the demands of the Big Box business system innovation. Agency implications, firm implications, directions for further research, and continued development of a regulatory choke point theory are discussed. en_US
dc.description.degree M.S. en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1853/33940
dc.publisher Georgia Institute of Technology en_US
dc.subject Walmart en_US
dc.subject Wal-mart en_US
dc.subject Target en_US
dc.subject Regulations en_US
dc.subject RCRA en_US
dc.subject Hazardous waste en_US
dc.subject Big box en_US
dc.subject Resource Conservation and Recovery Act en_US
dc.subject Enforcement en_US
dc.subject Universal waste en_US
dc.subject EPA en_US
dc.subject Contingency theory en_US
dc.subject Business innovation en_US
dc.subject Regulatory en_US
dc.subject US en_US
dc.subject Environmental Protection Agency en_US
dc.subject Inspections en_US
dc.subject Monitoring en_US
dc.subject Organizational en_US
dc.subject Retail industry en_US
dc.subject Choke points en_US
dc.subject Regulatory choke points en_US
dc.subject Low enforcement en_US
dc.subject High enforcement en_US
dc.subject Organizations en_US
dc.subject Environment en_US
dc.subject Texas en_US
dc.subject Arizona en_US
dc.subject Missouri en_US
dc.subject Kentucky en_US
dc.subject Environmental en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Discount houses (Retail trade)
dc.subject.lcsh United States. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
dc.subject.lcsh Conservation of natural resources United States
dc.title Business innovation and regulatory enforcement: case studies of the big box retail industry and enforcement of RCRA en_US
dc.type Text
dc.type.genre Thesis
dspace.entity.type Publication
local.contributor.advisor Kingsley, Gordon
local.contributor.corporatename School of Public Policy
local.contributor.corporatename Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication 9101fe59-5aaa-4d7c-8c0b-fc97c0083af3
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication a3789037-aec2-41bb-9888-1a95104b7f8c
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication b1049ff1-5166-442c-9e14-ad804b064e38
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