This study assesses management's perceptions of environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM) and the environmental management system (EMS), the formal corporate system often held responsible for implementing ERM. An assessment of management perceptions is needed given the importance of management support to any corporatewide undertaking. Results of the research presented in this study uncover differences in management's perceptions of ERM and EMS. The most important difference is in the way top management and middle management view environmental practices. Top management does not have a very positive perception of environmental practices, whereas middle managers have the most positive perception of these practices. Results point to the emergence of a potential obstacle to the widespread acceptance of ERM and EMS.