This paper presents and tests a method for building models to measure environmental performance in manufacturing operations. The research method was the multiple case study. Environmental performance of a manufacturing operation was treated as an intangible variant, composed of five latent constructs: atmospheric emissions, liquid effluents, solid waste, natural resources employment and management and legal requirements and certification compliances. The first four have direct impact on the environment and the last is accepted as a priority and necessary condition for the others. The meaning of the constructs was appraised by indicators and assessed by questionnaires answered by managers from five operations: chicken egg production, mechanical manufacture, electrical goods manufacture, animal food manufacture and steel stamping. The results were discussed and compared, providing some indicators for an eventual reformulation of environmental strategies of the enterprises studied, to be adopted within the enterprises operational strategies.
Environmental performance; Environmental indicators; Cleaner production; Environmental management; Environmental certification
