Corporate strategies in environmental management

Environmental management has become an issue of substantial concern, partic ularly in the chemical industry. A comparative study of U.S. and German che mical companies shows that they adopt substantially different strategies to express this concern. Four different strategies have been identified, and the characteristics that indicate responses to environmental factors are su bstantially different among the clusters. It is suggested that regulatory, agencies should take these differences into account, and that companies tha t have adopted a particular strategy should be aware of alternative approac hes by their competitors. Th choice of new technology and the R&D portfolio will be affected by the strategies chosen.