Cleaner Production practices, motivators and performance in the Brazilian industrial companies

Abstract

This research develops a relational model between institutional pressures to adopt Cleaner Production and the environmental, economic and operational performance impacts of such practices. Thus, by using a survey with a sample of two hundred and eight (208) Brazilian industrial companies, it was possible to evaluate the principal motivators driving Cleaner Production in these companies, define measures for the levels of adoption of such practices and analyse their contributions to environmental, economic and operational performance. It was concluded that all institutional pressures exert a positive influence on the levels of adoption of such Cleaner Production practices by the companies, with the pressure exerted by the productive chain, of which the companies form a part, particularly standing out, as well as the pressure from internal and external stakeholders. Moreover, it was concluded that the companies' environmental, economic and operational performance is positively impacted by Cleaner Production practices supported by pressure exerted on the organizations. This study fills a gap in theory by advancing the frontier of knowledge in this field and serving as a reference for environmental public policies that support business guidelines regarding the need for investment in clean technology. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.