Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Santa Cruz, 2001. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-156).

No description available.

Thesis (PhD) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (xiv, 213 leaves ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 657.45 CHI)

The research into the relationship between social-environmental responsibility and financial performance continues to draw the attention of both scholars and practitioners. This is because previous studies have not presented an unequivocal outcome as to the direction of causation between the two constructs. To address this obvious gap, this study explores the relationship between corporate environmental responsibility and financial performance with a focus on the extractive sector where previous studies least investigated empirically and one of the worst culprits in environmental degradation. The study explores the impact of corporate environmental responsibility on the financial performance in the extractive sector using a pooled secondary data of 101 multinational extractive companies for the period of 2008-2010 and primary data from a survey of 275 extractive sector managers. The results of this study show that there is no relationship between corporate environmental responsibility and financial performance while the environmental attitude of managers is positively related to the perceived corporate reputation of their companies. A further investigation shows that sector unique characteristics are responsible for the neutral relationship between corporate environmental responsibility and financial performance. However, some results show statistically insignificant positive relation and this points to the fact that in the long-term, poor sensitivity to the environment may not be sustainable.

<p>This study examines several emerging topics in supply chain management including the dynamic product substitution, the joint optimization of price and order quantity with demand ambiguity, and the implementation of the environmental and social responsibility (ESR) programs.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 786-847). Also available on the Internet.

This paper examines the concept of sustainable development and sustainable consumption in the food industry and how consumers relate with the idea of organic food produce and their alternatives. The research was developed by using the Consumer Decision Making model and the Norm Activation Model to be able to understand what motivates consumers in their buying choices and why. These models break down the steps a consumer goes through before making a purchase and the emotional evaluation that occurs after that decision is made. With a total of 70 responses from a structured survey sent out, the results indicated that consumers are conscious about sustainable products, are aware of the environmental and social impact but 30.6% of consumers have never looked out for sustainable products.

Os desmatamentos ocorridos no Brasil ampliaram a percepção da sociedade quanto aos problemas ambientais deles advindos. Em virtude dessa conscientiação, as empresas madereiras têm enfrentado o desafio de demonstrar aos consumidores como vêm reduzindo os impactos socioambientais de suas operações. Como meio de marketing, muitas empresas fornecedoras de madeira certificada divulgam serem praticantes da responsabilidade socioambiental. O objetivo deste trabalho é a análise dos indicadores da certificação florestal do tipo plantação do Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), utilizados no Brasil para verificar as possibilidades de certificação florestal na atenuação dos impactos sociais e ambientais do setor madeireiro. Foi realizada uma leitura prévia de indicadores de diferentes sistemas de certificação florestal de plantações. Cento e dezessete indicadores do sistema de certificação de plantação FSC foram selecionados por serem considerados mais relevantes. Esses indicadores foram enviados em forma de um questionário para 244 atores sociais envolvidos na certificação. Cada ator social deveria atribuir a cada indicador uma nota de um a dez. Caso não soubesse de sua importância, deveria assinalar a coluna não sabe. Vinte e duas pessoas responderam ao questionário. Os atores sociais foram divididos em dois grupos: 10 atores sociais diretamente ligados à certificação florestal e indiretamente 12 ligados a certificação florestal. Os indicadores foram enfocados em 4 grupos: legal e administrativo; trabalhador florestal; comunidade do entorno da unidade de manejo florestal; e ambiental. Foi realizada uma análise separada para cada grupo social. Duas empresas do setor florestal foram avaliadas, na forma de estudo de casos, para averiguação de como as empresas com certificação florestal de plantação vêm implantando seus programas de responsabilidade social. Foi verificado que os atores sociais ligados diretamente à certificação florestal valorizam os indicadores com enfoque legal e administrativo e os com enfoque no trabalhador florestal. Os atores ligados indiretamente à certificação florestal valorizam os indicadores com enfoque legal e administrativo, com enfoque na comunidade e com enfoque ambiental. Os estudos de caso indicaram que a certificação de manejo florestal trouxe avanços em relação à mitigação dos impactos das operações florestais sobre o meio ambiente, trabalhadores florestais e a comunidade local. / The deforestations done in Brazil have amplified the perception of society to environmental problems and their results. Because of this awareness, the firms in the lumber sector have been challenged to show the consumers how they have been reducing the social and environmental impacts in their activities. As a form of marketing, many firms, which furnish certified wood, advertise that they are firms that practice social and environmental responsibility. The objective of this dissertation is the analysis of the indicators of the system for forest certification, model plantation forests, of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) used in Brazil; to verify the possibilities of forest certification in the attenuation of the social and environmental impacts in the lumbering sector. A prior reading of the different systems of indicators used for forest certification plantations was done. One hundred and seventeen indicators of the system for the certification of forests of the FSC were selected as being the most relevant. These indicators were sent, in the form of a questionnaire, to 244 stakeholders involved in certification. Each stakeholder was to attribute a note from 1 to 10 for each indicator. In the event that he was not certain of its importance, he would mark the column "Don't know". Twenty two persons responded to the questionnaire. The stakeholders were divided into two groups: 10 stakeholders directly connected to forest certification and 12 indirectly connected to forest certification. The indicators were divided into 4 groups: legal and administrative subjects, forest workers, the community living in the areas surrounding the forest management projects, and environment subjects. A separate analysis was done for each social group. Two firms, active in the forestry section, were evaluated, in a form of case studies, to see how firms with the forest certification of plantation are implanting their programs of social responsibility. It was verified that the stakeholders directly connected with forest certification valorize the indicators for legal and administrative aspects and forest workers. Those indirectly involved with forest certification valorize the legal and administrative approaches, the communities, and ecological aspects. The case studies indicate that the certification of forest management brought improvements in relation to the mitigation of the impacts of the forest operations on the environment, forest workers, and the local communities.

Os desmatamentos ocorridos no Brasil ampliaram a percepção da sociedade quanto aos problemas ambientais deles advindos. Em virtude dessa conscientiação, as empresas madereiras têm enfrentado o desafio de demonstrar aos consumidores como vêm reduzindo os impactos socioambientais de suas operações. Como meio de marketing, muitas empresas fornecedoras de madeira certificada divulgam serem praticantes da responsabilidade socioambiental. O objetivo deste trabalho é a análise dos indicadores da certificação florestal do tipo plantação do Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), utilizados no Brasil para verificar as possibilidades de certificação florestal na atenuação dos impactos sociais e ambientais do setor madeireiro. Foi realizada uma leitura prévia de indicadores de diferentes sistemas de certificação florestal de plantações. Cento e dezessete indicadores do sistema de certificação de plantação FSC foram selecionados por serem considerados mais relevantes. Esses indicadores foram enviados em forma de um questionário para 244 atores sociais envolvidos na certificação. Cada ator social deveria atribuir a cada indicador uma nota de um a dez. Caso não soubesse de sua importância, deveria assinalar a coluna não sabe. Vinte e duas pessoas responderam ao questionário. Os atores sociais foram divididos em dois grupos: 10 atores sociais diretamente ligados à certificação florestal e indiretamente 12 ligados a certificação florestal. Os indicadores foram enfocados em 4 grupos: legal e administrativo; trabalhador florestal; comunidade do entorno da unidade de manejo florestal; e ambiental. Foi realizada uma análise separada para cada grupo social. Duas empresas do setor florestal foram avaliadas, na forma de estudo de casos, para averiguação de como as empresas com certificação florestal de plantação vêm implantando seus programas de responsabilidade social. Foi verificado que os atores sociais ligados diretamente à certificação florestal valorizam os indicadores com enfoque legal e administrativo e os com enfoque no trabalhador florestal. Os atores ligados indiretamente à certificação florestal valorizam os indicadores com enfoque legal e administrativo, com enfoque na comunidade e com enfoque ambiental. Os estudos de caso indicaram que a certificação de manejo florestal trouxe avanços em relação à mitigação dos impactos das operações florestais sobre o meio ambiente, trabalhadores florestais e a comunidade local. / The deforestations done in Brazil have amplified the perception of society to environmental problems and their results. Because of this awareness, the firms in the lumber sector have been challenged to show the consumers how they have been reducing the social and environmental impacts in their activities. As a form of marketing, many firms, which furnish certified wood, advertise that they are firms that practice social and environmental responsibility. The objective of this dissertation is the analysis of the indicators of the system for forest certification, model plantation forests, of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) used in Brazil; to verify the possibilities of forest certification in the attenuation of the social and environmental impacts in the lumbering sector. A prior reading of the different systems of indicators used for forest certification plantations was done. One hundred and seventeen indicators of the system for the certification of forests of the FSC were selected as being the most relevant. These indicators were sent, in the form of a questionnaire, to 244 stakeholders involved in certification. Each stakeholder was to attribute a note from 1 to 10 for each indicator. In the event that he was not certain of its importance, he would mark the column "Don't know". Twenty two persons responded to the questionnaire. The stakeholders were divided into two groups: 10 stakeholders directly connected to forest certification and 12 indirectly connected to forest certification. The indicators were divided into 4 groups: legal and administrative subjects, forest workers, the community living in the areas surrounding the forest management projects, and environment subjects. A separate analysis was done for each social group. Two firms, active in the forestry section, were evaluated, in a form of case studies, to see how firms with the forest certification of plantation are implanting their programs of social responsibility. It was verified that the stakeholders directly connected with forest certification valorize the indicators for legal and administrative aspects and forest workers. Those indirectly involved with forest certification valorize the legal and administrative approaches, the communities, and ecological aspects. The case studies indicate that the certification of forest management brought improvements in relation to the mitigation of the impacts of the forest operations on the environment, forest workers, and the local communities.