Do companies know which are the barriers and facilitators that enable proactive environmental orientation of the industry? An empirical study of a low tech industry

Abstract

A growing number of companies consider aspects tied to sustainable development, environmental attitude, eco-innovation or environmental management to be a first-class asset on a strategic level. In this context, management of sustainable development becomes a crucial process. The aim of this work is to analyze the real incorporation of environmental proactivity into company's global strategy as a value generating element. The methodology used is case study analysis, with personal interviews to people in charge of the environmental management department that answer an environmental proactivity survey. The empirical application focuses on a low-tech industry, the Spanish food sector. The objective of the research is to identify which aspects determine company's environmental strategy, which are the barriers and facilitators that enable proactive environmental orientation of the industry studied and to verify what benefits companies can obtain from its application. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.