In most industries, networks of alliances have become more and more important for firm performance. Yet, their strategic implications from the perspective of social and environmental responsibility have hardly been investigated by academics and rarely considered in firms' strategic planning. This article intends to give some contribution to filling this gap by sharing the results of a study on the impact of alliances and networks for the strategic management of the largest energy company in Brazil, Petrobras, considering their socio-environmental dimension. The study focused on this company because of the challenge it is facing to sustain its competitiveness when adopting a socially responsible posture. The data was collected by way of documental/telematic investigations, structured questionnaires and interviews. The interpretation and analysis of the data were carried out with the help of Macedo-Soares' SNA Model (2002) for strategic analysis from a relational viewpoint, i.e., that takes into account the strategic implications of relationships, notably alliances and the networks formed by these, in which the firm operates. The research's results showed that analysis from the relational perspective adds value to the traditional one, for example, that of the positioning school, which does not contemplate these relationships, thus contributing with new relational insights for Petrobras' strategic decision-making, considering its socio-environmental orientation.
strategy; alliances; networks; social and environmental responsibility; Petrobras; energy
