Eugenio Avila Pedrozo

Corporate social responsibility and green management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose potential challenges faced by multinational companies (MNCs) managing corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on two inductive case studies of French MNCs in the retail sector. Data from interviews and documents were collected and analysed at the headquarters in France and the Brazilian subsidiary.Findings – The paper contributes in the following ways: five challenges are proposed that must be faced by MNCs in managing their CSR strategy. The challenges are related to the link between literature and three dimensions and five sub‐dimensions that emerged from the two cases studied: the governance structure (the structure of the CSR department and dialogue with stakeholders); corporate ethics (the definition of objectives and corporate posture); and organizational learning (awareness and information exchanged about CSR).Research limitations/implications – As this is a topic that is little addressed by ...

Towards sustainable development strategies

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a framework that allows an ampler understanding of the evolution process tracked by companies in the pursuit of strategies for sustainable development, taking into account the increasing awareness of the social and environmental pressures facing business. Design/methodology/approach – The article adopts an interdisciplinary approach, using the complexity standpoint, allowing the articulation of the main axis of this study: sustainable development, organizational strategies and organizational learning. Findings – Consideration of the type of learning undertaken by companies to advance in the direction of strategies oriented to sustainability. This is analyzed in light of the complexity theory, showing the need of transformations in the individual values, a transformation that will reflect itself in the organization and in society. Research limitations/implications – No empirical research is conducted to analyze the importance of the learning type for the orientation to sustainability in companies. Future research may verify this importance. Practical implications – The article points to the need for sustainable business actions that are oriented to people and society in general. Some propositions can help managers to manage the considerable difficulties dealing with sustainable development pressures. Originality/value – The text deepens the understanding about the evolution towards sustainability oriented strategies, considering the learning type as a key concept. It operationalizes the contributions of the complexity theory, according to the view of Edgar Morin (a French perspective). This allows a different comprehension of the non linear behavior patterns that are common in the organizations.

Knowledge Transfer and Innovation in Brazilian Multinational Companies

The article analyzes how innovation generation occurs in subsidiaries of Brazilian multinational corporations acting in Portugal, specifically the role of customers in the process and the knowledge dynamics. A multiple case study approach was conducted in four subsidiaries operating in the Portuguese market for at least one year. Firms came from different activity sectors and sizes. Results identify permanent knowledge exchange flows between subsidiaries and headquarters, while the largest pour is from the later ones (in Brazil) to their wings in Portugal. There are frequent innovations taking place in Portuguese subsidiaries. Such innovation processes are typically incremental in nature and occur predominantly in only some areas of the organization, where greater specialization and expertise are located. The most relevant results regard the existing strong interaction between subsidiaries and markets, especially with the larger customers that contribute with suggestions and are able to influence the new products creation in the subsidiaries.

A citricultura orgânica na região do Vale do Caí (RS): racionalidade substantiva ou instrumental?

Considering the decision process as a logical process, resulted form human intelligence and rationality, the proposal of this paper is to verify if the organic agriculturists were more inclined to a substantive or instrumental rationality and if their Cooperative Ecocitrus can be classified as a substantive organization. This paper was based on the theoretical model about rationality constructed by Mauricio Serva (1993, 1997) and on the proposal of substantive organizations by Guerreiro Ramos (1989). It is a theoretical-empiricist study with qualitative approach and posing a descriptive and exploratory character. Taking in account some results, came by semi-structured interview and by closed questionnaires, applied in July and August 2006, it was possible characterize Ecocitrus as a high intensity substantive organization.

Company and society

Purpose – Inspired by a framework about the insertion of sustainable development in business strategy proposed by Steurer et al., the purpose of this article is to describe the Caras do Brasil (Faces of Brazil) program, highlighting its characteristics and how these can contribute to a new interpretation of the framework initially proposed.Design/methodology/approach – A posteriori longitudinal research was undertaken with the first phase containing the theoretical research and the second phase containing the study of the Caras do Brasil (Faces of Brazil) program, which was designed as an incentive for the commercial development of small producers.Findings – The present case demonstrates two characteristics that give reason to refine the framework proposed by Steurer et al. stakeholder pressures (either transactional or interactional) present differently; and the pressure of stakeholders is predominantly related to social concerns, rather than the predominance of environmental concerns stated by Steurer e...

Confiança, comportamento oportunista e quebra de contratos na cadeia produtiva do fumo no sul do Brasil

Abstract This paper presents an analysis concerning the possible effects of the opportunistic behavior and contract break-downs in the South Brazilian Tobacco Chain. The study was based on Transaction Cost Economics and Interorganiza-tional Relationships work. The results of this investigation show the importance of building up partnerships based on trust and cooperation connected to a chain concerning its organization and global performance. Keywords: Contracts. Partnership. Trust. Opportunism. Referencias bibliograficas AFUBRA – Associacao dos Fumicultores do Brasil. Relatorio de Atividades Afubra 2002/03 . Santa Cruz do Sul: AFUBRA, 2003.BARDIN, I. Analise de conteudo . Lisboa: Edicoes Setenta, 1994.BEGNIS, H. S. M.; PEDROZO, E. A.; ESTIVALETE, V. de F. B. Cooperacao enquanto estrategia segundo diferentes perspectivas teoricas. In: ENCONTRO DA ANPAD - ENAMPAD, XXIX., 2005, Anais... Brasilia: 2005.DAS, T. K.; TENG, B. Betwen trust and control: developing confidence in partner cooperation in alliances.

Contribuições à consolidação da teoria estratégica interorganizacional: uma análise dos relacionamentos horizontais

The recognition that no organization contemplates in itself same all the resources and necessary abilities to offers compatible with the demand is a new factor that sends to the organizations the articulated action of complementarities in net. Thus, in this environment of great transformations the process to get new combinations is falling again on the capacity of the organizations into managing its interorganizations relationships efficiently. Thus one is about an emergent subject where different approaches take the quarrels controversies. The challenge of the present work is to deepen the knowledge, to extend the domain, to offer an analytical vision on the referring subject to the production of individual results, through the cooperative work in net. It also must be a product of this work to the consolidation of an analytical model of development of interorganizations nets that can contribute in such a way as in the aid of how many private public managers.

Saindo da trincheira do desenvolvimento sustentável: uma nova perspectiva para a análise e a decisão em sustentabilidade

ABSTRACT The sustainable development is entrenched. Your field is characterized by con-flicting visions and interests that provide feedback for its fragmentation in two main ideological groups which oppose one another. In one trench are the bio-centered, who advocate for the prioritization of natural resources preservation over socio-economic systems; the other trench is occupied by the antropocente-red, moved by the belief that Nature exists to serve men and that market growth and technological evolution are enough to create sustainability. This loggerheads makes more difficult to construct a common vision for sustainable development, what results in slow advancement, if not in regress for a bigger equilibrium between economy, society and environment all over the world. Then there is the necessity to reduce the gap between these two vision, so that will make room for actions and politics towards a viable sustainable development. This paper aims: to propose a new conceptual perspective for sustainable analyses and decision, which allows a closer approach of both visions. From a “general map”, where we track biocentered and antropocentered actors in opposite fields, we begin the construction of the conceptual model. The industrial ecology perspective is integrated to the stakeholders theory and to the Mauerhofer’s (2008) 3-D sustai-nability for the construction of it, which is conceived to reflect instrinsic sustaina-ble development characteristics and it works as a closed circuit, retrofitted. This model fulfills this paper’s objective and is its main contribuition. We suggest the following advancements: 1. the model operation development and its ulterior application over the biocentered and antropocentered main demands, present in the diverse discussion forums; and 2. the model adaptation to specific industries.

Empreendedorismo orientado para a sustentabilidade: as inovações no caso da Volkmann

Some authors point the entrepreneurship as an important vector of social and economical sustainability in the countries all around the world. However, we believe that the role of the entrepreneur can go beyond these factors observed by these authors. Starting from a change of values, they could constitute a new notion of entrepreneurship oriented, also, towards environmental sustainability, being this the main discussion of this article. Taking into account that the biodynamic products can be considered socially and environmentally correct, we intend to analyze, in this article, the innovations developed by an entrepreneur who is one of the main producers of biodynamic rice in Brazil. This article assumes a qualitative boarding aiming to catch, in a deeper way, details related to the case of this entrepreneur. We understand that, beyond creativity and leadership, the entrepreneur oriented towards sustainability must possess values that are in accordance with this perspective when leading the activities of the organization.

The influence of transverse CSR structure on headquarters/subsidiary integration

Some studies have already highlighted the effects of the introduction of Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] projects into Multinational Corporations’ [MNC] strategies. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of transverse CSR structure on headquarters/subsidiary integration. In this article, we begin with the following question: What is the influence of the introduction of a centralized/decentralized structure on conducting a CSR strategy in a MNC? Our main objective is to identify conditions through which the structure of the CSR department influences the CSR strategy of the MNC. We define transverse CSR structure as: (1) the existence of a CSR directory at the headquarters level and a CSR representative at the subsidiary level, and (2) the existence of representatives from different areas who participate in meetings or committees to make decisions about CSR strategy. We argue that a transverse CSR structure favors consideration of global and local CSR demands by headquarters and subsidiaries. This process takes place through the mediation of three main elements: information exchange, awareness activities and definition of objectives.