Corporate Culture and Environmental Practice: Making Change at a High-Technology Manufacturer

`Although much has been written about how corporations deal with environmental problems, few books delve into the inner-workings of a company seeking to deal with environmental demands as deeply as Corporate Culture and Environmental Practice. Through first-hand observation, Howard-Grenville provides unique insights into the cultural factors that shape environmental management decisions in a major semiconductor manufacturing firm. By analyzing those decisions through a framework that relates internal and external factors, she provides a new cultural perspective on corporate environmental practices that should be of strong interest to both business leaders and students of corporate environmental management.'
- Dennis A. Rondinelli, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, US

`Culture - patterns of meaning and associated actions - speaks volumes about what matters and what doesn't. Jennifer Howard-Grenville's study describes how corporate culture enables organizational change in some instances, or blocks it in others. As the need for corporate response to increasingly vital environmental issues looms more important, we need change models to help companies adapt to new realities. This study is vital reading for scholars and practitioners who care about the future.'
- Jim Post, Boston University, US

`I found the writing style very engaging. The author writes clearly and with little jargon. She makes the technology come alive and gives a feel for elements that might be very complex in the hands of another writer.
Alfred Marcus, University of Minnesota, US

This innovative book explores from an insider's perspective a company's environmental decisions and actions. Based on close observation at a major semiconductor manufacturer, Jennifer Howard-Grenville details how the company s culture revealed through its internal practices, decisions, and norms guided action on environmental issues.

While demonstrating gaps between the mainstream work of the company and the demands placed by environmental considerations, the author s analysis demonstrates how differences were negotiated over time, offering important insights into the processes of change that can advance environmental issues within a company. Her unique viewpoint offers an important addition to current research, which often explains companies environmental actions solely as responses to external pressures.

Scholars of organizational culture and those at the intersection of business and environmental issues will find this study of great value. The challenges and opportunities surrounding the greening of corporations will also interest members of companies at all levels, as well as consultants and members of non-governmental organizations. The book is written to be accessible and engaging to managers interested in making changes around environmental issues and offers a realistic assessment of the challenges and prospects for such change.