The objective of this study is to contribute to the understanding of corporate environmentalism within the Brazilian forestry sector, particularly in relation to voluntary forest certification systems. A theoretical model is developed that uses the structure of open systems and techniques of systemic thinking to identify variables which compose the institutional and organizational dynamics of the sector. The model permits description, comprehension and inference of future behavior of the system and suggests hypotheses for future studies. Based on the model, three different corporate strategies for adopting certification standards were identified: symbolic, mimetic, and effective. It is concluded that the option most likely to produce effective change in the forestry sector requires establishing a shared vision of sustainability that contributes to consolidation of institutions that guide corporate responses.
Forest certification; environmental management; systemic thinking
