Technological and non-technological trends in fashion eco-innovations

Purpose – The fashion industry is diverse and demands a high amount of resources and labor for itsoperation. It has powerful tools that can positively impact the environment and society as a whole. In this sense,it becomes necessary for fashion to adopt sustainable strategies quickly. One way would be the adoption of ecoinnovations by companies in the sector. The objective of this research is to identify the main eco-innovationinitiatives carried out by companies in the fashion sector and to verify what the trend is in the sector in relationto the types of eco-innovation, whether technological or non-technological in nature.Design/methodology/approach – To meet the objective, the sector’s sustainability reports are analyzedbased on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) initiative. The method used to treat the data is content analysis.The authors chose to use the GRI-G4 and GRI-Standards versions of the GRI structure, as they include topicsrelevant to its stakeholders. The analysis based on these criteria considers 18 reports prepared by fourcompanies (Cia Hering, Grupo Malwee, Dudalina and Lojas Renner).Findings – From the data analysis, it was noticed that eco-innovations of technological trends prevail inBrazilian fashion, in the first place, those of process (24.56%), followed by eco-innovations of product (10.53%).The pressure exerted by internal or external stakeholders will be fueled by the current scenario of sustainabledevelopment, positively influencing the adoption of eco-innovation. This characteristic can be attributed to thefashion sector, since technological eco-innovations overlap with non-technological ones in all the years thatmake up the analysis.Research limitations/implications – As limitations of this research, it is worth mentioning the availabilityof GRIs in the fashion sector. Even considering it a step forward, noting that larger companies support theadoption of these reports, it is important to highlight that only four companies make up the available database(Cia Hering, Lojas Renner, Dudalina and Malwee). From the adoption of the dissemination of sustainabilityreports by other organizations, the base could be expanded.Practical implications – From this study, practical questions emerge that can contribute to managers andcompanies in the Brazilian fashion sector. Initially, the focus on eco-innovations is predominantly related to thetechnological component, with an emphasis on process eco-innovations. In this sense, business actions seek toresolve the accusations normally attributed to the sector, such as the adoption of unsustainable practices. Forexample, in cotton production, firms use large amounts of pesticides and water, despite the sector beingaccused of not taking proper responsibility regarding sustainability related issues.Social implications – Investment in eco-innovations indicates a positive attitude and change resulting frompressure and the need to return the market to society’s demands for more sustainable production technologieswith less environmental impact. Originality/value – The originality of the study lies in the systematization of a GRI analysis model applied tomeasure eco-innovations in fashion. Through the applied methodology, it is possible to emphasize that ecoinnovations of technological trend prevail in the industry, first in processes and then in product development

RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL EMPRESARIAL: CLASSIFICAÇÃO DAS INSTITUIÇÕES DE ENSINO SUPERIOR EM REATIVAS OU ESTRATÉGICAS SOB A ÓTICA DA GOVERNANÇA CORPORATIVA

El artículo busca evaluar las estrategias de responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE) observadas en instituciones de enseñanza superior (IES) bajo la óptica de la gobernabilidad corporativa. Para cumplir el objetivo central del artículo, fue construida topología de gobernabilidad, basándose en las recomendaciones del guía de mejores prácticas del Instituto Brasileño de Gobernabilidad Corporativa. Las acciones de RSE de las IES fueron clasificadas como estratégicas o reactivas, de acuerdo con ese modelo. La metodología de investigación es la cualitativa y el análisis de los datos tiene carácter descriptivo. La colecta de datos fue realizada mediante la investigación documental y utilizó como fuente primaria de informaciones los sites de las IES y sus demostraciones financieras. En este artículo se identificó que las IES privadas se posicionan predominantemente en la estrategia de RSE reactiva, o sea, se vuelcan al cumplimiento de las disposiciones legales. Así, se identifican oportunidades de progreso de las IES para prácticas dirigidas a la RSE estratégica, principalmente las vinculadas a la ampliación de la transparencia en su relación con los stakeholders. En consecuencia de la creciente importancia de la gobernabilidad y de la ética en las empresas, el trabajo contribuye para el perfeccionamiento de la gestión de enseñanza superior en aspectos relacionados a la transparencia y gobernabilidad corporativa, además de estimular gestores de IES, mediante sugestiones prácticas, rumbo a una mayor transparencia en ese mercado.O artigo busca avaliar as estratégias de responsabilidade social empresarial (RSE) observadas em instituições de ensino superior (IES) sob a ótica da governança corporativa. Para o cumprimento do objetivo central do artigo, foi construída tipologia de governança, com base nas recomendações do guia de melhores práticas do Instituto Brasileiro de Governança Corporativa. As ações de RSE das IES foram classificadas em estratégicas ou reativas, de acordo com esse modelo. A metodologia de pesquisa é a qualitativa e a análise dos dados tem caráter descritivo. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de pesquisa documental e utilizou como fonte primária de informações os sites das IES e suas demonstrações financeiras. Neste artigo identificou-se que as IES privadas se posicionam predominantemente na estratégia de RSE reativa, ou seja, são voltadas ao cumprimento das disposições legais. Assim, identificam-se oportunidades de progresso das IES para práticas dirigidas à RSE estratégica, principalmente as ligadas à ampliação da transparência em sua relação com os stakeholders. Em decorrência da crescente importância da governança e da ética nas empresas, este trabalho contribui para o aprimoramento da gestão do ensino superior em aspectos ligados à transparência e governança corporativa, além de estimular gestores de IES, por meio de sugestões práticas, a promoverem à maior transparência nesse mercado.This article aims to assess the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies in higher education institutions (HEIs) from the corporate governance perspective. To accomplish the central purpose of the article, a governance typology was built based on Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance’s best practice guide. The CSR actions of the HEIs were classified as strategic or responsive, according to this framework. The research methodology is qualitative and the data analysis is descriptive. Data collection was conducted through desk research and were used as primary information source HEIs’s websites and their financial statements. The article identified that private HEIs are positioned predominantly in reactive CSR strategy, i.e., they are geared to compliance with legal provisions. Thus, we identify progress opportunities for HEI to practices aiming at strategic CSR, mainly related to increasing transparency in their relations with stakeholders. Due to the growing importance of governance and ethics in business, the work contributes to the improvement of higher education management in aspects relating to transparency and corporate governance, encouraging HEIs’s managers, through practical suggestions, towards greater transparency this marke

Brazilianness: a Look at the Multiple Faces of the Brazilian National Identity

Over the past few years, Brazil has been gaining visibility internationally due to its increasing role in the global context. This leads to the interest, from society and academics, to better acknowledge the elements that characterize Brazilian culture. Therefore, the objective of this research is to understand the representations of Brazil's image and the diverse meanings of the Brazilianness concept though different views. Although the discussion about Brazilianness is not new, there are many interpretations about the characteristics that comprise national identity and culture, as well as those that make it unique. This research articulates the theoretical discussion about the theme, exploring what has already been presented by other authors on diverse fields as anthropology, sociology, social sciences, management and other areas. As such, the study was developed as an essay and gathers several visions on the theme, which is its main contribution. This study allows future studies with the use of the Brazilianness concept to managers and academics

Strategic ecoefficiency determinants of Chinese companies in Brazil

Preocupações com sustentabilidade ambiental são recorrentes tanto no meio acadêmico, como no meio empresarial. Elas ecoam ao se pensar no crescimento econômico chinês e nos impactos das atividades produtivas no meio ambiente. A China é o país emergente com as maiores taxas de crescimento econômico no mundo, porém sua imagem também reflete sua vulnerabilidade com relação à ecologia. Tendo isso em consideração e procurando compreender como isso repercute nas operações internacionais, esta tese estuda os determinantes estratégicos das empresas chinesas em operação no Brasil, pelas lentes teóricas do tripé da estratégia. A sustentabilidade ambiental se operacionalizou em ecoeficiência, termo desdobrado em eco-inovação, eco-reputação e manufatura verde. Dado que os aspectos estratégicos direcionam as ações empresariais, isto se torna ainda mais complexo ao se analisar a operação internacional, uma vez que além dos aspectos internos e de mercado, a empresa é influenciada por forças institucionais relacionados com seu mercado de origem e com o mercado de destino das vendas externas. Esta tese inova ao relacionar aspectos do tripé da estratégia com as estratégias de ecoeficiência de empresas chinesas no Brasil. São utilizadas técnicas quantitativas para testar as hipóteses. A análise é feita utilizando modelo de equações estruturais, com o software SmartPLS v3. Os resultados indicam que há associação positiva entre os recursos internos da empresa e ações de ecoeficiência nos seus três desdobramentos (eco-inovação, eco-reputação e manufatura verde). No caso da visão baseada na indústria, encontrou-se associação positiva com manufatura verde e eco-reputação, mas não com as iniciativas de eco-inovação. Os aspectos institucionais do mercado brasileiro não puderam ser associados com nenhuma das iniciativas de ecoeficiência. Esta tese contribui para o entendimento de determinantes estratégicos na adoção de iniciativas ambientais, ao indicar a importância dos recursos na implantação dessas estratégias. Não se confirma a importância da vertente institucional no modelo teórico-conceitual, o que mostra limitação à extensão dessa teoria. Os resultados, do ponto de vista gerencial, mostram que as forças de mercado estimulam as empresas a empreender em iniciativas de eco-reputação e os processos de manufatura. Contudo, verifica-se que os aspectos de eco-inovação nas empresas chinesas ainda não foram influenciados pelas demandas do mercado brasileiro.Concerns about environmental sustainability are recurrent both in academy and in business. This concern echoes especially because of the impact of Chinese productive activities on the environment. China is an emerging country with the highest economic growth rates in the world, but its image also reflects their vulnerability on ecological issues. Taking this into consideration, this thesis studies the strategic determinants of Chinese companies operating in Brazil by the theoretical lenses of strategic tripod. Environmental sustainability is operationalized into eco-efficiency, a term translated into eco-innovation, eco-reputation and green manufacturing. To the extent that strategy directs business actions, it becomes even more complex when analyzing the international operation, as well as internal aspects and market, the company is influenced by institutional forces from home market and the target market of foreign sales. This thesis contributes to relate aspects of the strategy tripod with the eco-efficiency strategies of Chinese companies in Brazil. This thesis contributes to relate the strategy tripod with the eco-efficiency strategies of Chinese companies. To this end, methodology was quantitative, with data collected and examined in order to confirm or refute the hypothesis. They were analyzed by structural equation model, with SmartPLS v3 software. The results indicate that there is a positive association between the internal resources and eco-efficiency in its three developments (eco-innovation, eco-green reputation and manufacturing). About the industry-based view, there is a positive association with green manufacturing and eco-reputation, but not with eco-innovation initiatives. Brazilian institutional aspects could not be associated with any of the eco-efficiency strategies. To literature, this thesis contributes to the understanding of strategic determinants on adopting environmental initiatives. It highlights the importance of resources in the implementation of eco strategies. However, tests do not confirm the importance of institutional aspects in the theoretical-conceptual model, which exposes the limited extent of this theory. From the managerial side results show that market forces encourage companies to engage in eco-reputation and green manufacturing process initiatives. However, it appears, according to the data, which aspects of eco-innovation in Chinese companies have not been influenced by the Brazilian market demands

Cadeia Global de Valor, Clusters e Rede de Empresas: uma Análise Relacional

International audienc

Brazilianness: a Look at the Multiple Faces of the Brazilian National Identity

Over the past few years, Brazil has been gaining visibility internationally due to its increasing role in the global context. This leads to the interest, from society and academics, to better acknowledge the elements that characterize Brazilian culture. Therefore, the objective of this research is to understand the representations of Brazil's image and the diverse meanings of the Brazilianness concept though different views. Although the discussion about Brazilianness is not new, there are many interpretations about the characteristics that comprise national identity and culture, as well as those that make it unique. This research articulates the theoretical discussion about the theme, exploring what has already been presented by other authors on diverse fields as anthropology, sociology, social sciences, management and other areas. As such, the study was developed as an essay and gathers several visions on the theme, which is its main contribution. This study allows future studies with the use of the Brazilianness concept to managers and academics

Cadeia Global de Valor, Clusters e Rede de Empresas: uma Análise Relacional

International audienc

Análise do setor metal-mecãnico sob a ótica de um modelo de clusters de negócios

Este artigo analisa o aglomerado de empresas do setor metal-mecânico de São Carlos - SP com base nas preposições Marshallianas e Jacobianas. A metodologia empregada é a qualitativa, pois serão analisados os fundamentos do modelo escolhido com base em dados secundários. Com apoio no modelo de Zaccarelli et al. (2008), a pesquisa verifica que, apesar da diversidade setorial identificada no pólo industrial de São Carlos, estas empresas constituem um aglomerado no sentido Jacobiano. Isto significa que a cidade de São Carlos apresenta ambiente de negócios propicio a instalação de empresas, ao se observar diversos efeitos de transbordamento positivos nas organizações ali instaladas. As vantagens locacionais identificadas favorecem o desempenho da indústria em São Carlos em patamares superiores aos da média nacional

Innovation in the main Brazilian business sectors: characteristics, types and comparison of innovation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the innovation process of organizations representing the main sectors of Brazilian economic activity. Design/methodology/approach The literature review focuses on analyzing the innovation process characteristics regarding the innovation types. The authors carried out interviews with executives and managers in charge of innovation at the leading large companies in the respective sectors analyzed. The data analysis of this qualitative research was structured in three steps. The first step is the analysis of data collected for encoding, the second step, the summarization of the common points presented by the companies in each sector and, finally, the interpretation of these data, aided by triangulation from secondary data that support the analysis of the collected primary data. Findings The main contribution of this study is to characterize the innovation process of organizations representing the main sectors of the Brazilian economy, with a classification regarding the sectoral innovation standard. Practical implications The authors’ intent is that the paper can contribute with a comparative analysis among companies of the same sector and, subsequently, among companies of the different surveyed sectors. Thus, the characterization aims to present the companies’ innovation process and the comparative analysis aims to verify the innovation sectoral patterns. In addition, as implications for management practice, some strategies for better knowledge management in the organization are suggested for each type of innovation. Originality/value The main theoretical contribution focuses on the development of a conceptual model that structures the analyzed variables of the constructs “innovation process” and “innovation sectoral patterns”, allowing not only the characterization but also the comparative analysis of the representative organizations present in the sample