Business Strategy and Environmental Practices: evidences on the sugar-alcohol sector

ABSTRACT This article aims at analyzing how companies that belong to the sugar-alcohol sector are dealing with environmental management under a strategic perspective. The research strategy chosen was the study of multiple cases undertaken in eight companies located in the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba. The main data gathering technique was the semi-structured interview. The analysis of data took place in two stages: individual analysis and crossed analysis of the cases. The results showed evidence that clients, society, competitors and governments are the main actors to influence companies, in the sense of making them rethink the consequences of their decisions under an environmental perspective. The formation of the strategy through the tool of planning was the most evidenced in the research. A theme that draws attention is that it was not found, in any of the companies studied, effective return measures for the environmental investments. Despite the commitment of the high administration with environmental matters supporting efforts in that direction, the environmental dimension seems to be relegated to specific functional levels, in a way that the alignment between operational and strategic issues is still incipient. Through the analysis of the main practices undertaken by the companies in the industrial sector, it is noticed that there still is a greater emphasis on corrective actions. However, there are growing efforts in favors of a pre-emptive behavior towards a strategic approach.摘要：本文旨在从战略视角分析糖醇产业企业如何开展环境管理工作。本研究选取多案例研究法，对位于巴西伯南布哥州与帕拉伊巴州的8家企业展开调研，数据采集的主要方法为半结构化访谈。数据分析分为两个阶段：单案例分析与跨案例分析。研究结果显示，客户、社会、竞争对手与政府是影响企业的主要主体，促使企业从环境视角重新考量自身决策所带来的影响。本研究中最为凸显的发现是，企业借助规划工具制定环境管理战略。值得关注的一点是，在所调研的所有企业中，均未发现针对环境投资的有效回报机制。尽管企业高层管理者承诺关注环境事务并为此提供支持，但环境管理维度似乎被划归至特定职能部门层面，导致运营与战略层面的环境管理协调仍处于起步阶段。通过对该工业领域企业主要实践的分析可见，当前企业仍更侧重于事后纠正型环境管理措施，但针对环境管理的前瞻性战略举措正不断增多。