Environmental uncertainty and environmental management perception: A multiple case study

This paper seeks to answer two questions about environmental uncertainty. (1) How does environmental uncertainty differ across sectors? (2) How can environmental uncertainty impact on managers’ perceptions of the natural environment as a competitive opportunity? The analysis of the nature, sources and extent of environmental uncertainty serves to identify its different components, which fall into two main categories. These categories associate with the information-related environmental uncertainty approach and with the natural resource dependence theory. A multiple case study helps highlight the similarities and differences in the perceptions of environmental uncertainty of the managers of eight Spanish firms belonging to primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The findings show that environmental uncertainty is inherent in managerial decisions in two ways: in the changes that managers identify in the business environment; and in the changes that the managers themselves produce as a result of the initiatives they undertake in response to the business environment. The paper finishes with some recommendations for managers.