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more selective in the materials purchased from them. There are already long-term
strategic alliances, and the selection of one supplier over another will depend on
environmental factors. A large and growing number are already ISO 14001 certified.
We also observed a greater environmental involvement linked to infrastructural
manufacturing decisions. Firstly, the company uses Design for the Environment (DfE).
Not only this, but one of the company’s principal investments is in researching ecological
vehicles. Secondly, the natural environment has influenced the role of workers.
Management considers environmental training indispensable for its employees. It
provides suggestion boxes and continuous training courses and encourages individual
and group ideas on the natural environment. The company is certified to the ISO 9001
quality standard. Nevertheless, to adapt to the environmental requirements of the new
regulation, implementation and certification to the ISO 14001 standard is more useful.
Fourthly, the new environmental requirements have not increased difficulty in
manufacturing planning, although company processes have been formalised to greater
detail. In terms of customer relationships, as most are private, to facilitate the value
recuperation in vehicles at the end of their useful life, a commitment is needed on the
part of their owners for their delivery to treatment centres, instead of leaving them
abandoned. Sixthly, the natural environment has altered the relationship with
stakeholders. The company collaborates with other groups, such as the Biona
Foundation. The company is also a member of the Spanish automobile manufacturers
association (ANFAC). The company has environmental performance systems. On the
other hand, environmental requirements have affected organisation with the creation of
an environmental department.
To conclude the analysis, the customer buying a new car requires that all components
are also new. For this reason, recycled parts are only used in second-hand vehicles and
for after-sales service. Finally, the natural environment can provide new business
opportunities. In fact, the particle filter for Peugeot 607 introduced in 2000 is a
component of more than a million of vehicles today.
Case analysis
Under this heading, the results shown above are analyzed. Companies in the best
position from an environmental viewpoint demand stricter control of regulatory
compliance on the part of the authorities. In fact, although not referring to the automotive
sector, other studies have shown how the degree of environmental development in
companies affects the role required of the public authorities as regards environmental
protection (Brío et al. 2002). From this, we can draw the following hypothesis:
Proposition 1.
The greater the degree of environmental development at an automotive
company, the greater the importance given to the role of the public authorities as strict
controllers of compliance with preventive command-and-control regulation, including of
those companies that are not their direct competitors.
A key element is the degree of involvement of environmental objectives in the
manufacturing strategy. Although Handfield et al. (1997), also through case analyses,
deny equal priority for the classic manufacturing objectives and those for the natural
environment, Angell and Klassen (1999) say that they should be given equal treatment.
In our analysis, in the plant of CEDASA, the environmental objective is important,
although not to the same degree as those more classic. Factory Valeo has made even
greater progress. Peugeot has a continuous process to introduce environmental product
innovations. From this, we can draw the following conclusion:
