The Environmental Dimension: Role and Scope in the Strategic Formula

This chapter introduces the role of “environmental dimension” in firm’s strategies system. In the past decade, research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) rapidly expanded; the academic debate on this theme has determined progressive verticalization and several categorizations on topics. The studies related to environmental strategy can be categorized on four main criteria: the environmental drivers/reasons; the levels of firm strategy; the activity sector; the strategic horizon. Indeed, the studies have considered the environmental issue as a sub-dimension of social strategies. However, current literature has provided new reflections and critical points to stimulate an evolution on the role and scope of environmental dimension in firm’s strategies system. In this seam of research, scholars have developed the environmental social responsibility (ESR) as an autonomous research topic. By this way, we advance a crossover study on environmental dimension in order to underline the value of this variable in the corporate and business strategies. Accordingly, we argue that environmental dimension is a critical variable for the strategic positioning of firms not only in social strategies but also for implementing successful competitive and financial strategies.