Environmental management maturity of local and multinational high-technology corporations located in Brazil: the role of business internationalization in pollution prevention

Abstract

This paper identifies and characterizes the environmental maturity level of local and multinational high-technology corporations located in Brazil. This characterization is achieved by discussing the adoption of environmental management practices and considering aspects of the productive process stage. An eight-case study was conducted through data triangulation using interviews with employees in diverse organizational areas, direct observations and secondary data. The results indicate the differences in environmental positioning among the studied corporations with a predominance of preventive practices, i.e., an emphasis on eco-efficiency and compliance with legislation. It was also noted that environmental concerns in the corporations are related to internationalization and, in some cases, to the pressure exerted by corporations that represent the brand of the products produced in Brazil. Moreover, the adoption of environmental practices based on the productive process stage supported the environmental maturity classifications of the studied companies.

Cultural aspect of innovation strategies’ ecologization

“…The similar results were obtained by Maialle G. et al (2016) [8] who in their case study come to conclusion that environmental management is not considered by high-tech corporations as a strategic factor that can result potential. Soskin O. and Matviychuk-Soskina N. (2014) [9] consider innovative-informational imperative vectors in the informational society age with ecological context and underline that these processes are under implementation process and in a complicated contrariety to each other, as these factors make the innovation system processes' ecologization relevant and reasonable.…”

Does Sustainability Maturity Contribute to Sustainable Goals? A look at Resource Efficiency

“…In order for the company to be sustainable, it needs to associate social and environmental issues in its business through changes in its routines and strategies, thus meeting the socioenvironmental demands (Baumgartner & Ebner, 2010). In this adaptation of business to sustainability, it is necessary to implement practices to include the environment as part of the company's objectives, as well as the more practices implemented, the higher the maturity level of sustainability (Jabbour, 2010;Maialle, Jabbour, Arantes & Jabbour, 2016).…”

“…Research focused on identifying the maturity level of companies (e.g. Maialle et al, 2016) and showing the environmental practices implemented and related factors at each maturity level (e.g. Marco-Ferreira & Jabbour, 2019;Peixe, Trierweiller, Bornia, Tezza & Campos, 2019;Zanin, Almeida, Pacassa, Rosa & Afonso, 2021).…”