Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1. Prior Categories of Environmental Strategies
Author(s)
Categories
Descriptions
Hunt and Auster (1990)
Beginner
A company tends to cope with environmental concerns either by turning
its back on a problem or by adding responsibility to existing positions
Firefighter
A company does not view environmental issues as a critical priority, ad-
dressing them only as necessary and allocating budget as problems occur
Concerned citizen
A company views environmental management as a worthwhile function
and provides some top management commitment and support
Pragmatist
A company takes the time to manage its natural environmental problems
actively
Proactivist
Similar to pragmatist, however the company ranks environmental manage-
ment as a top priority
Roome (1992)
Noncompliance
A company is cost-constrained and cannot react to changing environmental
standards
Compliance
A company uses its environmental stance to gain a competitive advantage
Compliance plus
A proactive position on environmental management, where top management
uses management systems and policies to encourage organizational change
Commercial and environmental
excellence
Views environmental management as good management and strives to be
an environmental leader in its industry
Leading edge
Similar to commercial and environmental excellence
Hart (1995)
End-of-pipe/ Pollution prevention Minimizes emissions, effluents, and waste
Product stewardship
Minimizes life-cycle costs of products
Sustainable development
Minimizes environmental burdens of firm growth and development
Henriques and Sadorksy
(1999)
Reactive strategy
No support or involvement of top management, environmental management
is not necessary, no environmental reporting, no employee environmental
training and involvement
Defensive strategy
Piecemeal involvement by top management, environmental issues dealt with
only when necessary, satisfies environmental regulations, little employee
environmental training and involvement
Accommodative strategy
Some involvement by top management, environmental management is a
worthwhile function, internal reporting by little external reporting, some
employee environmental training and involvement
Proactive strategy
Top management supports and is involved in environmental issues, environ-
mental management is an important business function, internal and external
reporting, employee environmental training and involvement encouraged
Buysse and Verbeke (2003)
Reactive strategy
Similar to end-of-pipe (Hart, 1995)
Pollution prevention
The companies are characterized by the limited development of conventional
green competencies (in terms of product and manufacturing technologies),
little development of employee skills, a limited degree of organizational
competency development, some adaptation of formal management system,
and a rather weak integration of environmental issues into corporate strategies
and limited participation of the environmental managers in strategic planning.
Environmental leadership
Similar to the sustainable development strategy proposed by Hart (1995).
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