Sustainability in the Brazilian Heavy Construction Industry: An Analysis of Organizational Practices
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Federal Fluminense University, MSG/LATEC, Rua Passo da Pátria 156, sala 329-A - Bloco E, CEP 24210-240, Niterói - RJ, Brazil
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INESC Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Rua Antero de Quental, 199, Coimbra 3000-033, Portugal
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Federal Center of Technological Education, Sockow Celso Fonseca, Av. Maracanã, 229 sala 01 - Bloco A, CEP 20271-110, Maracanã- RJ, Brazil
4
Civil Engineering, Federal Fluminense University, Rua Passo da Pátria 156, sala 329-A - Bloco E, CEP 24210-240, Niterói- RJ, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2013, 5(10), 4312-4328; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104312
Received: 7 August 2013
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Revised: 24 September 2013
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Accepted: 26 September 2013
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Published: 30 September 2013
This study performs a comparison between the theoretical frameworks of sustainable development and its incorporation in the decision-making practices and models used by heavy construction companies. This study was conducted by using documentary analysis of corporate sustainability reports. Specifically, the content analysis method was used to examine the sustainability reports disclosed by the companies studied. The results indicate four main conclusions: first, the social, political and economic context directed the companies towards implementing sustainable management practices; second, human resource development follows the traditional model of training and development; third, there is an evident effort to balance economic goals and profit-making with social responsibility practices as a way to characterize the corporate commitment with sustainability; fourth, effective and indispensable measures to transform decision-making models were not adopted in the business practices analyzed, and thus the economic factor continues to be prioritized at the expense of social and environmental aspects in those models. This paper, in looking at three Brazilian multinational heavy construction companies, examines the synergy between the theoretical and the identified corporate sustainability practices. Lastly, this paper may be characterized as a descriptive study based on a literature review and an analysis of sustainability reports from the companies studied.
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Keywords:
corporate social responsibility; sustainable development; heavy construction; organizational practices
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
MDPI and ACS Style
Arruda, L.R.; De Jesus Lameira, V.; Quelhas, O.L.G.; Pereira, F.N. Sustainability in the Brazilian Heavy Construction Industry: An Analysis of Organizational Practices. Sustainability 2013, 5, 4312-4328. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104312
AMA Style
Arruda LR, De Jesus Lameira V, Quelhas OLG, Pereira FN. Sustainability in the Brazilian Heavy Construction Industry: An Analysis of Organizational Practices. Sustainability. 2013; 5(10):4312-4328. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104312
Chicago/Turabian StyleArruda, Luis R., Valdir De Jesus Lameira, Osvaldo L.G. Quelhas, and Fernando N. Pereira. 2013. "Sustainability in the Brazilian Heavy Construction Industry: An Analysis of Organizational Practices" Sustainability 5, no. 10: 4312-4328. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104312
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