Práticas ambientais, competitividade e sustentabilidade: um estudo exploratório em empresas do setor sucroalcooleiro no município de Pedra de Fogo - PB.

Abstract

Social pressures, economic, political, institutional and ethical are demanding significant changes in the organizations in their relations with the environment. The complex scenario involving organizations raise postures consistent with this new environment established. In this context, the environmental practices, competitiveness and sustainability become pillars significant to be considered by companies in their business system. Thus, this thesis aims to verify how the adoption of environmental practices, using models and tools for environmental management, contributing to the competitiveness of companies of the sugar/alcohol sector in Pedras de Fogo / PB, well as for the sustainability of the municipality where the company is located. Through an exploratory and descriptive research was conducted a case study in a sugar/alcohol company. The primary data were obtained through interviews with managers, suppliers of raw materials the company, government agents in Pedras de Fogo/PB, Superintendência de Administração do Meio Ambiente (SUDEMA/PB, Associação dos Plantadores de Cana do Estado da Paraíba (ASPLAN) e o Sindicato da Indústria de Fabricação de Álcool do Estado da Paraíba (SINDÁLCOOL). The environmental practices was verified based on the model of Abreu (2001) which presented a strategic positioning opportunistic; competitiveness was evaluated by model Farina (1999) and showed moderate, sustainability was observed with an alert level as secondary data from the study of Martins e Cândido (2008). The constructs used in the research, it is concluded that environmental legislation, environmental impact and environmental demands of stakeholders are key elements of market structure that influence the company's conduct. The analysis of the coordination on link supplier of raw materials and processing industry had a positive evaluation, which should contribute to the strengthening of individual strategies, however, the results of individual strategies showed a moderate contribution to the overall competitiveness of the company, the sustainability of the municipality that includes the business activity proved to be a state of alert, which could undermine the competitiveness of the company under investigation, since it receives also influence what happens in their surroundings. The survey results indicate that relations between the variable environmental practices with the competitiveness and sustainability occur and this indirectly, or indirectly. Still perceives that, an environmental practice anchored in a Model of Environmental Management guided by a policy that meets the needs of stakeholders-key favors the possible channels of communication between the variables of research in favor of strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability.