Abstract:
Based on the assumption that market economies are regulated by social orders that regulate or limit trades based on conventions, standards and values, the present study seeks to investigate the set of meanings attributed to sustainability by business actors and their transformation in courses of action in companies. Since sustainability refers to a value in constant dispute and the effectiveness of the meanings attributed to it depends on the representation about its validity, the research turned to the conceptions of sustainability and transformations promoted by companies that adhered to the green plastic, a plastic whose raw material is renewable. The analysis of the data points to a conception of sustainability as an endogenous management model for the business, sensitive to criticisms and challenges, but permeated by its limitations in relation to economic growth. The results also point to the relevance of sustainability in the construction of expectations that allow the complex coordination of diverse actions in the capitalist economic process.
Keywords:
Corporate sustentability; Markets; Economic sociology; Green plastic