Abstract
Purpose Conditioning factors of the globalized world have created new requirements and opportunities in developing management models for organizations that englobe sustainability aspects, which presume substantial investments in innovation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the relation between sustainable innovation practices and the performance of industrial companies. Design/methodology/approach This was a quantitative study and carried out by applying a research survey in Brazilian industrial companies. Findings The results showed that there are significantly positive associations between several variables related to sustainable innovation practices and company performance, being, therefore, possible to confirm the original proposed hypothesis. Research limitations/implications The main limiting factors were theoretical choices, comprehension of the phenomenon through the perception of the respondents, and the number of companies in the sample, as little representation was found in the researched population. In this manner, the results cannot be applied to the universe of considered research, being restricted solely to the group of companies in the sample. Practical implications From the main contributions, it is possible to highlight, at a theoretical level, the joint approach to issues of sustainable innovation and performance, since there are few studies covering the impact of adopting innovation practices on company performance. At a practical level, understanding of how the behavior of Brazilian industrial companies contributes to the wide distribution of practices that may contribute to better business performance and generate competitive advantages. Social implications At a social level, understanding of the benefits in adopting sustainable innovations practices favors the minimization of negative socio-environmental impacts. Originality/value By analyzing the themes of sustainable innovation and industrial performance, the present study may contribute to adopting business behavior that strategically and systemically integrates the objectives of sustainable innovation.
Highlights
The patterns of production and consumption have changed substantially in the last decades, leading to transformations in society and in the environment, and creating demands and constraints for companies, so that competitiveness is increasingly related to the adoption of innovation management that includes sustainability.companies have realized the importance of adopting sustainable innovation practices in order to minimize negative social and environmental impacts that result from their activities and, achieve superior corporate performance
Companies have realized the importance of adopting sustainable innovation practices in order to minimize negative social and environmental impacts that result from their activities and, achieve superior corporate performance
Companies are characterized by their lifetime, industrial sector, number of employees, gross operating revenue in 2014, type of predominant innovation introduced in the previous five years, and main responsibility for the innovation activity
Summary
The patterns of production and consumption have changed substantially in the last decades, leading to transformations in society and in the environment, and creating demands and constraints for companies, so that competitiveness is increasingly related to the adoption of innovation management that includes sustainability. Companies have realized the importance of adopting sustainable innovation practices in order to minimize negative social and environmental impacts that result from their activities and, achieve superior corporate performance. Legislation and the society itself are demanding from organizations that innovation in products, services, processes and business models be accompanied by the responsibility for sustainable development. A key factor for this confrontation is to implement innovations that promote sustainable development. Sustainable innovation is the creation of something new that improves performance in the three dimensions of sustainable development: social, environmental and economic
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