Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,7, University of Würzburg, language: English, abstract: Changes in the business environment affect strategic decisions sustainably. The problem firms are facing is that due to the ongoing globalization and cross-linking of companies around the globe, strategic decisions are influenced by both our own environmental changes and those happening to business partners. Hence, decision making has become more complex over the last few decades. The business environment is affected by several factors. Ward et. al. (1995) identified four different variables: business costs, labor availability, market hostility and dynamism. In this paper the focus is on changing environmental regulations and their effects on corporate strategies. As Larsson et. al. (1996) showed legislative changes have a major effect on strategic decisions and can be decided before long. This makes legislative changes a general concern for change management. Moreover, environmental standards differ from country to country or at least from region to region. Environmental regulations have to be kept in mind if investment decisions are to be made. In this paper it will be discussed how environmental regulations affect company's strategies on the basis of Rugman's and Verbeke's framework. Before introducing this framework two frequently discussed effects in economic research will also be looked at to point out what variables influence companies' decisions concerning their strategic environmental decisions.

International agreements and environmental regulations are important constraints in today's business context. By analyzing development and case studies within NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), the authors demonstrate how firms can develop strategies which utilize international trade and environment regimes to open up international markets.

Sinclair-Gesgagn ( cole Polytechnique, France) presents this collection of 33 previously published papers with the intention of demonstrating key contributions for corporate management of environmental resources and risks. Originally appearing in business policy and economics journals between 1973 and 2003, the papers describe aspects of corporate

Drawing on prior work on corporate environmentalism, Thomas Lyon and John Maxwell argue that corporate environmentalism is the result of firms attempting to anticipate public policy changes and influence the legislative process in their best interests. Presenting a general framework that highlights the links between corporate environmentalism and public policy, they use analytical tools of positive political economy and game theory to provide insights into corporate strategy and the effects of corporate and government policies on overall social welfare.

Consensus is growing internationally that traditional command-and-control approaches to environmental regulation have borne much of their low-hanging fruit. Yet it is far from clear what should complement or replace them. Regulatory agencies and policy-makers are struggling with a lack of information about regulatory reform, about what works and what doesn't, and about how best to harness the resources of both government and non-government stakeholders. Progress is being impeded unnecessarily by a lack of shared knowledge of how similar agencies elsewhere are meeting similar challenges and by a lack of data on the success or otherwise of existing initiatives. Despite recent and valuable attempts to deal with such problems in the European Union and North America, these remain islands of wisdom in a sea of ignorance. For example, when it comes to dealing with small and medium-sized enterprises, very little is known, and what is known is not effectively distilled and disseminated. Much the same could be said about the roles of third parties, commercial and non-commercial, as surrogate regulators, and more broadly of many current initiatives to reconfigure the regulatory state. Based on the authors' work for the OECD, Victorian Environmental Protection Authority and the Western Australian Department of Environment Protection, Leaders and Laggards addresses these problems by identifying innovative regulatory best practice internationally in a number of specific contexts, evaluating empirically the effectiveness of regulatory reform and providing policy prescriptions that would better enable agencies to fulfil their regulatory missions. Focusing primarily on the differing requirements for both corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises in North America and Europe, the book aims to complement existing initiatives and to expand knowledge of regulatory reform by showing: how existing experience can best be put to practical use "on the ground"; by drawing lessons from experiments in innovative regulation internationally; by reporting and extrapolating on original case studies; and by advancing understanding on which instruments and strategies are likely to be of most value and why. The authors argue that the development of theory has outstripped its application. In essence, Leaders and Laggards aims to ground a myriad of theory on the reinvention of environmental regulation into practice. The book will be essential reading for environmental policy-makers, regulatory and other government officials responsible for policy design and implementation, academics and postgraduate students in environmental management, environmental law and environmental policy, and a more general readership within environmental policy and management studies. It will also be of interest to those in industry, such as environmental managers and corporate strategists, who are considering the use of more innovative environmental and regulatory strategies, and to environmental NGOs.

This is a guide to introducing systems-based environmental management into organizations of all sizes, including SME's and local authorities, with reference to environmental strategies of leading firms. It covers environmental auditing, policies and reporting.

Union Carbide and the development of strict auditing standards; ARCO and the development of environment-friendly gasoline; AT & T and the role of strategic alliances in the initiative to eliminate CFCs from electronics production; Warner-Lambert and the drive to develop truly biodegradable plastics. At a time when the fate of many companies hinges on the environmental strategies they adopt, this book offers managers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the success stories of four companies that have transformed themselves into environmentally progressive firms. More importantly, it shows them how to apply the lessons they learn to their own organizations.

This is the second in a two volume study of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate behaviour from around the world, taking in viewpoints from five continents and over ten countries. These case studies represent one of the most comprehensive collections on contemporary business practices in the significant area of Corporate Social Respo

How can policy-makers pursue environmental goals while simultaneously keeping the burdens on industry to a minimum? Why does innovation play the key role in this balancing act, and what are the implications for the development of sustainable industrial societies? This book examines the evolution of environmental policy in 6 OECD countries. Through numerous examples, it contrasts the widely-varying political and regulatory styles and their consequences for innovation. Two industry-specific case studies provide a transnational perspective on the co-evolution of technology and environmental policy. The book concludes that innovation can be successfully harnessed by setting credible, long-term environmental goals and ensuring that regulatory instruments are grounded in flexibility, dialogue and trust.

What Makes Business Initiatives Regarding the Environment Succeed or Fail? With this book you'll gain the necessary skills to develop an effective corporate environmental strategy. It is organized around three classic global needs shared by both business strategists and environmental leaders: achieving compliance, recognizing business opportunity, and answering public expectations. The cases in this text are designed to reach both experienced managers and newcomers, through a compelling conceptual narrative that connects basic business needs with mounting environmental and energy choices. "Environmental compliance is no longer the target but the floor from which economic value can be created. Recognizing economic opportunities and getting the affected public to understand the greater benefits are why we hired the AHC Group and its Rensselaer team of researchers in the first place. This books brings these critical components in focus with practical examples, insightful discussions and helpful resources to assist any company's management in developing successful environmental business strategy. Its appeal to newcomers resides in its readability and effective prose." —Steven P. Rowe, Assistant General Counsel and lead environmental manager at Holnam, Inc.