five processes relate directly to EMS team (arrows AeBeDe
E; see Fig. 2). This clearly describes the enormous role that the
EMS team plays in the whole process of ISO 14001
maintenance.
As it regards the role of the external environment, we found
out that external auditors were often key actors here. ISO
14001 certification process means that external auditor assesses
in prescribed intervals organisational compliance with
the requirements of ISO 14001. Our research revealed that
in fact the external assessor had a dominant impact on the
direction and scope of ISO 14001 EMS improvement. For
instance, in one of the case study organisations, most of the
activities related to the ISO 14001 EMS maintenance were
shaped around external auditor’s visits and previous audit
reports.
Other important external driver is the emergence of new
legislation (one of the requirements of ISO 14001). To keep
abreast of legislative changes, many organisations engage
with other organisations specialised in this field (such as environmental
agencies, or environmental networks). This was the
case in both CSOs and our research also showed that both
CSOs struggled with the quality of the information provided
from these external sources.