Success factors for environmentally sustainable product innovation: An updated review

Abstract

Considering environmentally sustainable product innovation, studies point to developing green products as a critical element of environmentally sustainable success and business performance. Especially in recent years, green product innovation has been the focus of numerous studies, which has made the literature on the subject evolve and expand significantly. In this scenario, we updated a widely cited systematic literature review published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in 2014 (de Medeiros et al., 2014). The study was carried out by observing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) review protocol. As for the success factors, the advancement of the theoretical body in the area made it possible to expand and complement the established labels. The factors resulting from this literature update are: (i) political-legal environment favorable to green innovation; (ii) socio-cultural environment favorable to green innovation; (iii) capacities and learning oriented towards green innovation; (iv) interfunctional and inter-organizational collaboration; and (v) resources and technological domain. Additionally, we identified that a set of interconnected variables constitutes the antecedent system to produce behavior patterns that lead to successful green products innovation. For example, markets characterized by environmental regulations and pressure from suppliers and consumers for green practices accelerate companies towards a strategic organization of eco-innovation capabilities. In addition, environmental certification systems and government incentives facilitate the reorganization of resources to innovate in an environmentally sustainable way. Finally, we have organized a subsection with suggestions regarding the use of theories, methods, and contexts for future research on the topic.