Gestão Sustentável nas Empresas: uma análise da sustentabilidade na percepção de estudantes de Administração ## Sustainable Management in Companies: an analysis of sustainability in Business Administration students´ perception

As empresas eram vistas apenas como organizações econômicas com responsabilidades referentes a resolver problemas econômicos fundamentais e agora têm presenciado o surgimento de novos papéis que devem ser desempenhados, dentre eles, a conscientização com os problemas ambientais e sociais. O objetivo geral deste trabalho é analisar a gestão sustentável nas empresas, na percepção dos estudantes do Curso de Administração da UFCG e FAI Nordeste. A pesquisa se justifica pela necessidade de incentivar os empresários e futuros administradores a preservarem o meio ambiente, contribuindo também para incentivá-los a realizar práticas de gestão ambiental. A metodologia utilizada é de abordagem quantitativa, natureza aplicada e do tipo descritiva. Para a coleta de dados, foi utilizado um questionário, aplicado a 129 estudantes. Pode-se constatar que muitos estudantes consideram o desenvolvimento sustentável uma ferramenta capaz de manter o equilíbrio entre as dimensões do Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Bem como acreditam que a sustentabilidade gera lucros às empresas, mantendo-as em vantagem competitiva, além de consideram a Educação Ambiental de fundamental importância ao Curso de Administração. Esta pesquisa é de grande relevância para o meio acadêmico e social em geral, pois, ressalta o dever de incentivar a conscientização sobre a preservação do meio ambiente, contribuindo diretamente com a atuação profissional dos futuros administradores a realizarem práticas de gestão sustentável nas empresas. ABSTRACTCompanies were seen only as economic organizations with responsibilities for resolving fundamental economic problems and now have witnessed the emergence of new roles to be played, among them, awareness of environmental problems. The general objective of this work is to analyze the sustainable management in the companies, in the perception of the students of the Administration Course of the UFCG and FAI Nordeste. The research is justified by the need to encourage entrepreneurs and future managers to preserve the environment, and also to encourage them to carry out environmental management practices. The methodology used is a quantitative approach, applied nature and descriptive type. For data collection, a questionnaire was used, applied to 129 students. It can be seen that many students consider sustainable development as a tool capable of maintaining the balance between the dimensions of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). And they believe that sustainability is profitable businesses, keeping them at a competitive advantage, as well as consider the environmental education of fundamental importance to the Administration Course. This research is of great importance for academic and social environment in general, therefore, emphasizes the duty to encourage awareness of the preservation of the environment, contributing directly to the professional performance of future managers to undertake sustainable management practices in companies.

BEST PRACTICES AMONGST TOUR OPERATORS ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN PULAU PAYAR

A beautiful island, pristine natural environment and abundant marine biodiversity essentially attract segmented tourists to visit marine parks in Malaysia. The marine protected areas (MPAs) in Malaysia are bound to comply with the regulations and guidelines in ensuring the sustainability of the marine ecosystem. However, studies focusing on environmental best practices amongst tour operators in MPAs are limited. Hence, this study attempts to examine environmental management practices amongst the tour operators in Pulau Payar. A qualitative method was adopted using observation and a semi-structured interview with registered tour operators in the designated area. Fifteen respondents participated in the interview. Based on thematic analysis, this study revealed that the tour operators’ operating services in Pulau Payar had implemented best practices on environmental approaches using the following: Educate Visitors on Environmental Awareness (1), Using Environmentally Friendly Equipment (2) Conservation Efforts (3) and Waste Management and Amenities (4). In addition, the findings showed that the tour operators play an essential role in educating the tourists and role models to protect the environment.

Toward a holistic understanding of sustainability in corporations: Resource-based view of sustainable supply chain management

Purpose While the three interconnected aspects of the triple bottom line -environmental, social and economic sustainability- are well-established, these aspects have insufficiently been addressed together in the supply chain management literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether environmental and social performance mediates the relationship between environmental management practices and operational performance and whether operational performance mediates the relationship between environmental and social performance and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a data set of 208 firms operating in a wide range of manufacturing industries, the authors test the hypotheses using structural equation modeling. The research context for the study is Turkey, an important emerging market and one of the nexuses of European and Asian supply chains. Findings The findings indicate that all three aspects of sustainability have mutually supportive relationships as demonstrated by positive mediating mechanisms between environmental management practices and operational performance and between environmental and social performance and financial performance. The mediation results correspond with the resource-based view. They indicate that building up capabilities and resources in the form of environmental management practices supports three areas of the triple bottom line and boosts firms’ financial performance. Originality/value Research on sustainability is well-established, yet supply chain management research has, thus, far paid insufficient attention to all three aspects. This paper, thus, sets itself apart by explicitly considering all three aspects of sustainability and contributes to understanding how they relate to one another.

Lake Managment in the Piebalga Region: Climate, Nature and Culture from the 1890s to Now

There are many regions in Latvia with a long history and beautiful landscapes. However, of all the regions, the most beautiful landscapes and the richest culture are in the Piebalga region. Piebalga is located in the Vidzeme highlands, where the longest domestic river in Latvia, the Gauja, has its source. There are several counties in the Piebalga region, the most famous of which is Vecpiebalga, where two of the first Latvian writers were born, the Kaudzītes brothers, who are well-known for their novel The Surveyors’ Time, one of the first books written by Latvians. In this study, the culture, religion and environmental management practices of Piebalga during the 19th century were studied using an extensive analysis of historical literature about the region, and compared to Piebalga in the present, which was studied using case study research. During the research it was discovered that the main influences on Piebalga culture and environmental management practices have been the Hernhutian congregations who influences had shaped the local culture and continues to do so even after being effectively disbanded. It was also discovered that the municipalities in the region are less effective at monitoring lakes than they were during the 19th century due to lacking resources.

Determinants of catfish farmers’ use of sustainable environmental management practices in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study assessed the use of sustainable environmental management practices (SEMP) by fish farmers in Enugu state, Nigeria. Seventy-five catfish farmers selected through multistage sampling procedure were used for the study. Data were obtained with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics, probit regression model and factor analysis. Results showed that most of the catfish farmers did not apply SEMP as only 25.33% of them had a score of 50% and above regarding the application of SEMP. The number of years spent in school and being a male significantly increased the likelihood of using SEMP. In contrast, the likelihood of use of SEMP significantly reduced with an increase in the number of production cycles carried out by a fish farmer. The fish farmers' constraints were grouped as poor technical knowledge and feed issues, financial uncertainties, and water supply problems. Government should deliver training packages and provide information on SEMP to catfish farmers through different media, including extension agents, radio and television messages, handbills and billboards. Supporting the farmers with credit facilities through existing credit programmes would help reduce their challenges in applying SEMP.

Effects of productive management of an agroforestry system on the associated diversity of parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

The overuse of pesticides, landscape fragmentation and poor environmental management practices have contributed to the drastic decline of Neotropical unique biodiversity. Parasitoid wasps are widely used as biological control agents, however little is known about the effects of land use and degradation on parasitoid species richness and abundance. This work explores how parasitoid species richness is affected by agroecosystems in which plant diversity is limited (crops; crops adjacent to secondary vegetation). It was found that there is no direct effect of plant diversity in the group of parasitoids studied; however, the number of specialist species (koinobionts) was high, which indicates that diversified agroecosystems probably function as remnants of natural habitat. Future research could help further understand the extent to which landscape fragmentation and plant diversity may alter host-plants interactions and parasitism strategies.

Impact of environmental management practices on corporate sustainability: evidence from the Maldives hospitality industry

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how environmental management practices impact different dimensions of corporate sustainability. It also explores the mediating impact of environmental regulation and reports on the relationship between environmental management practice and corporate sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA brief focus group discussion and a preliminary test were conducted through a focused group meeting with industry experts before data were collected from senior management of 116 registered operations in the hospitality and tourism industry in the Maldives. To analyse the data, a mediation model is proposed and tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling.FindingsResults showed that environmental management practices have a direct and positive effect on corporate sustainability. Furthermore, environmental regulation and reporting positively mediate the effect of environmental management practices on corporate sustainability. Among the sustainability dimensions, it is important to note that the social sustainability aspect has the highest impact, followed by the economic and environmental aspects of corporate sustainability.Practical implicationsFindings provide empirical evidence in understanding achieving corporate sustainability through environmental management practices. The study is practical for stakeholders and policymakers to follow through with the environmental regulations and be transparent on environmental reporting measures that impact overall sustainability.Originality/valueThis study serves as noteworthy research for stakeholders to evaluate against regulatory and reporting requirements for businesses they invest in the future. It adds value to the literature and attempts to advance environmental management and sustainability research in the context of small island developing states.

Effect of Environmental Management Practices and Sustainability on Some Selected Manufacturing Firms in South East Nigeria

The manufacturing sector in South East Nigeria has many challenges concerning the incorporation of sustainability into the corporate strategies and operations of the industry, given its extractive nature and the numerous social and environmental impacts related to production activity. Attaining organizational sustainability requires the implementation of environmental management practice tools that create long-term value by embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental, and social developments. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of environmental management practice tools on the sustainability of manufacturing organizations. The goal of the study was to determine the relationship between environmental management practice tools and sustainability. A survey design was used for this study. A total of 363 questionnaires were distributed to the employees of the manufacturing firms, which included managers, supervisors, and line staff. The data collected were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Primarily, the study established that environmental management practice tools were significantly and positively related to sustainability. Thus, the study concluded that environmental management practice tools contribute significantly and positively to firms’ social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the result of this study underlines the significance to manufacturing firms of carrying out environmental management practices. The ramifications are that manufacturing firms attempting to assert sustainability through EMP should have related knowledge with EMP. Furthermore, their environmental advantages will not convert into sustainability. The study adds to the body of knowledge by giving experimental pieces of proof identifying the interrelationships between EMP and sustainability.

Environmental performance, environmental management and company valuation

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between environmental performance and management and company valuation. With a specific focus on company valuation, this study shows how a firm’s environmental activities, including its environmental management practices, are perceived and valued by its stockholders. Design/methodology/approach Newsweek’s green ranking data between 2014 and 2016 were used to support this analysis. Environmental performances and environmental management practices of 345 Fortune 500 companies from various industries were included in the data set. Findings The analysis finds higher valuations for US companies that are more efficient in managing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it empirically shows that investors place a higher value on companies with the following environment-related management policies: initiatives that reward top management for achieving environmental goals and third-party auditing of environmental performance. Originality/value By incorporating corporate environmental management practices as an additional environmental performance criterion, this research fills a gap in the literature on the potential relationship between corporate environmental performance and company valuation.

The Implication of NESREA Act and Financial Performance on Environmental Disclosure in Nigeria

The study assesses the implication of compliance and enforcement of the NESREA Act, profitability, and Growth on environmental disclosure of cement companies in Nigeria. Secondary data comprising financial and non-financial information were source from annual accounts and reports of the sample companies, spanning a period of five years (2015 – 2019). Panel regression models were considered in assessing the implication of the variables under study. The findings reveal that NDI has a significant P-value which signifies that compliance with NESREA Act increases environmental disclosure by 2.9%. ROA also exerts a significant impact on environmental disclosure. This implies that a 1% increase in the profitability of the sample companies will increase environmental disclosure by 1.4%. Firm Size is also positive and exerts significant impact, by implication, the result suggested that an increase in the total revenue will lead to about 9% increase in environmental disclosure. Hence the study recommends among others that measuring, treatment, disclosure, and reporting of environmental activities need to be standardized and mandated to give a true and fair view of environmental management practices. These will not only protect the environment but will also enhance the firm's competitiveness and subsequently lead to high corporate performance.