摘要:

AbstractManagement consultants, environmental groups, and industry trade associations have all recently offered guidelines for companies to improve environmental performance.1The guidelines suggest ways that companies can implement strategic change to move beyond compliance with regulation, assume responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products, and gain public credibility. Much of the advice offered can be useful to managers who are responding to rapidly changing environmental pressures.Nevertheless, implementation of some of the general guidelines could impose undue costs or introduce untoward organisational consequences for certain companies. While mentioned as an issue in the management literature, companies need more systematic advice on how best to tailor these broad guidelines for environmental strategic change to the specific needs and capabilities of their companies. In addition, as many companies are comprised of diverse business units that are sometimes linked together only through financial controls, managers must adapt environmental management programs to unique ‘substructures’ within the firm. These substructures can differ dramatically in their environmental performance and their management capabilities.Elsewhere we have offered a framework for analysing environmental strategies and management programs.2In this paper, we identify some of the implementation issues that confront companies when they introduce environmental strategic change. We argue that environmental strategies are most effectively implemented when they are consistent with the organisational characteristics and operating context of the company involved.We use Volvo's experience with environmental strategic change to highlight many of the difficulties that companies may encounter when altering their approach to environmental performance. The case illustrates how a company can modify its own strategy and management programs for more effective change. It is an interesting case to study because of the proactive and comprehensive nature of Volvo's environmental strategy and management progr

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010402

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractAt present, improved environmental performance and corporate growth work hand in hand as part of a single business strategy. Growth enables the company to invest in environmental technology; environmental technology in turn enables it to grow while holding increases in environmental impact to a minimum. But this ‘Golden Age’ relationship could break down as the environmental benefits of technological advance are overwhelmed by growth in output. For this reason, there is already concern in some industries that the need to protect the environment may lead in due course to regulations designed to suppress further growth. However, any attempt to suppress growth would have extremely severe economic implications, and would require us to address the Growth Enigma: how are the needs of a stable economy and a stable environment to be met at the same time? The concept of ‘qualitative growth’, i.e. corporate strategy based on a reduced rate of growth, is examined with special reference to the airline industry and to Swissair, which has recently announced a qualitative growth strategy. It turns out that the company is not in fact implementing the strategy, but the declaration of intent itself reveals some valuable lessons which may help in a solution to the central problem of growth and the envi

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010403

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Abstract‘Environment Friendly’ has become one of the most popular catchphrases of the 1990s and its implications are causing problems for many industries (The Economist, 1991a). The problems and response strategies vary from industry to industry and probably from country to country. In this study attention is focused on the pulp and paper sector in Europe. Pulp and paper is selected because for a long time it has been regarded as one of the most damaging industrial activities (Zavatta, 1988). The increasingly popular desire for a greener environment has exposed three particular problem areas for the pulp and paper industry: the production process; its supply of raw materials; and marketing strategy (Brown, 1991). Technology and consumer demand are the important variables that are dictating how fast, and to what extent the pulp and paper industry can respond and become more environment friendly.Pressures on the pulp and paper industry to improve its environmental performance are shown to emanate from three distinct groups. These environmental pressures have encouraged and are encouraging the industry to adopt new technology to improve both its production processes and the quality of its product. Environmental pressures also, have encouraged the industry, (armed with improved technology), to search for new sources of raw materials. Two of the most important developments have been the more widespread substitution of hardwoods for traditional coniferous softwoods, and the increasing trend towards the recycling of waste paper; wastepaper is now recycled more than any other commodity. Recycling of waste paper has further promoted new layers of industrial activity in the form of collection agencies, international trade and deinking installations. The combined result of all these developments is shown to influence the spatial and structural dynamics of the pulp and paper‐industry in E

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010404

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010405

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010406

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010407

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010408

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010409

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010410

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0964-4733    

DOI:10.1002/bse.3280010411

出版商:John Wiley&Sons, Ltd    

年代:1992

数据来源: WILEY