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Environmental management and business strategy: a study in a cosmetic company in Brazil

Within the current competitive scenario, characterized by globalization and technological advances, extremely dynamic environments emerge with emphasis on flexible strategies, global perspective, competitive intelligence, and innovation. Considering the concept of eco-innovation, environmental matters have been highlighted in competitiveness. This paper aims to identify and analyze strategic environmental activities in a national enterprise from the cosmetic sector, through secondary and primary data (in loco interview). Results showed strong alignment between strategy and environmental activities, as well as interfaces with product, process marketing, and organizational innovations. Also, environmental procedures depend on initiatives of top management and supply chain coordination. The main difficulties to environmental improvements are related to high investment levels in product and process developments, as well as to limited scientific and technical knowledge. Finally, the importance of intra-firm and inter-firm interactions to conduct environmental improvements should be highlighted.

Strategic environmental management; Cosmetic sector; Competitiveness


Universidade Federal de São Carlos Departamento de Engenharia de Produção , Caixa Postal 676 , 13.565-905 São Carlos SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 16 3351 8471 - São Carlos - SP - Brazil
E-mail: gp@dep.ufscar.br