This study addresses one of the major perceived barriers to Total Quality Environmental Management in industry: total costs. The research develops a framework for managers to assess the relative total costs associated with environmental initiatives. A framework is then developed using the Total Quality Management literature and serves as a basis for comparing environmental cost measures for several mid-western manufacturers. The results highlight the extent to which environmental costs are captured and used in industry and present opportunities for future research.

Dr Sime (Shema) Curkovic is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Western Michigan University. He received his undergraduate degree in Management Systems from Kettering University. He received his Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University. Dr Curkovic has taught several courses in sourcing, operations, and logistics management. His research interests include environmentally responsible manufacturing, total quality management, and supply chain management. Dr Curkovic's publications have appeared in the Decision Sciences Journal, International Journal of Supply Chain Management, the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, the Journal of Operations Management, and the Journal of Quality Management.