Do drivers matter for the benefits of ISO 14001?

Purpose - The ISO 14001 is already a global meta-standard for implementing Environmental Management Systems. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of the sources of motivation that lead companies to adopt this global standard for its perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach - An extensive review of the academic literature published on ISO 14001, motivations, and benefits has been carried out in order to establish the working hypotheses that are analyzed based on the information obtained from 214 Spanish companies that participated in a survey. Findings - The internal drivers to implement and certify the ISO 14001 standard have a degree of influence on the benefits that is significantly higher than external ones, irrespective of the size of the company and the sector of activity. Practical implications - The findings help to characterize ISO 14001 certified firms and anticipate benefits of the implementation and certification of the standard. Originality/value - The article sheds light on the relationship among the motivational factors and the benefits of the process of implementing and certifying ISO 14001 in the country in the world that has experienced the greatest intensity of certification. A typology of integration level from Boiral and Boiral and Roy is empirically analyzed for ISO 14001 for the first time in the literature.