Abstract
In recent decades, the expansion of economic activity has been accompanied by negative environmental impacts. In response, there have been dramatic changes worldwide in terms of an increased demand for environmentally friendly products and services. To achieve these eco-innovations, firms have sought to acquire knowledge and implement operational flexibility by cooperating with different agents such as universities through a value cocreation system that is also expected to enhance firms’ performance. Using a sample of 250 companies, the present paper examines the role of cooperation with universities in the development of diverse environmental innovations and building operational flexibility and, through this, improving firm performance. Results show that firms that value cooperation with universities develop a wider range of environmental innovations and increase their sales and benefits.
Highlights
During the last few decades, the development of the internet and data analysis (Geczy et al, 2014), the abundance of available information (Southwell, 2005), globalization (Mark, 1996), and increased consumer power (Kucuk, 2008), or what is known as the sharing economy (Belk, 2018), have brought about dramatic changes that affect people and organizations (Sobrino et al, 2019), as well as have negative environmental impacts
Because most firms lack sufficient knowledge to respond to these expectations on their own, they must cooperate with different agents; as a result, their image extends beyond a traditional image of a supplier that produces goods and services to be offered to customers, to a value cocreation system in which participants integrate their resources and competencies to increase the creation of value in a service system (Vargo et al, 2008; González-Torres et al, 2020)
We examine how cooperating with universities and research institutions may foster the development of valueadded environmental innovations that improve firms’ performance
Summary
During the last few decades, the development of the internet and data analysis (Geczy et al, 2014), the abundance of available information (Southwell, 2005), globalization (Mark, 1996), and increased consumer power (Kucuk, 2008), or what is known as the sharing economy (Belk, 2018), have brought about dramatic changes that affect people and organizations (Sobrino et al, 2019), as well as have negative environmental impacts. Environmental issues have become a top priority for governments, which, through regulations and fiscal incentives, among others, have been promoting “eco-innovations” (OECD, 2009). These innovations seek to reduce pollution and other negative impacts of economic and business activities on the environment (Kemp and Pearson, 2007). There is a market pull toward environmental innovations, providing a means for firms to improve their competitive advantage. Because most firms lack sufficient knowledge to respond to these expectations on their own, they must cooperate with different agents; as a result, their image extends beyond a traditional image of a supplier that produces goods and services to be offered to customers, to a value cocreation system in which participants integrate their resources and competencies to increase the creation of value in a service system (Vargo et al, 2008; González-Torres et al, 2020)
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