Abstract
This study aims to investigate the influence of organizational and process eco-innovations on the introduction of product eco-innovations in R&D-intensive companies. We covered theory gaps by empirically demonstrating to what extent non-technological and technological eco-innovations are related. We used the Survey method to investigate a sample of Brazilian manufacturers from the electrical and electronics sectors, and we processed the data through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings of this study evidenced that non-technological eco-innovations are able to influence technological eco-innovations, both process and product, suggesting that the organizational eco-innovation strategy leads to sustainable technological path dependence in R&D-intensive companies. Additionally, findings demonstrated that the association between organizational and product eco-innovation is stronger whether mediated by process eco-innovation, so the result confirms an evolutionary perspective regarding the differentiated types of eco-innovation. We conclude that by investing in eco-innovative R&D projects, new environmental systems, teams' formation, information flow, and trends monitoring, the company creates a path dependence for technological eco-innovation of process and products.
Highlights
Climate changes and extreme events are strong evidences of the Earth's reaction towards environmental balance (Lovelock, 1972; IPCC, 2014)
We used the Survey method to investigate a sample of Brazilian manufacturers from the electrical and electronics sectors, and we processed the data through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
Complementing previous studies in traditional sectors, we have isolated knowledge-intensive companies in order to investigate whether active companies in the use of technological and scientific knowledge are succeeding in the eco-innovation introduction, we investigated R&D-intensive companies, which stand out among those that most invest in R&D activities in Brazil (IBGE, 2016)
Summary
Climate changes and extreme events are strong evidences of the Earth's reaction towards environmental balance (Lovelock, 1972; IPCC, 2014). Natural resources management and a better relationship with the natural environment is a priority agenda for industrial competitiveness in the 21st century. Companies can achieve this new holistic mindset by adopting eco-innovations (Shrivastava, 1995; Klassen & Whybar, 1999; Horbach, Rammer & Rennings, 2012; Pujari, 2006; Cheng, Yang & Sheu, 2014; Lee & Min, 2015). Eco-innovations are the production, assimilation or exploration of a product, production process, service or management method - which is new to the organization and results, throughout its life cycle, in the reduction of environmental risk, pollution and other negative impacts on resource use, including energy - when compared to relevant alternatives (Kemp & Pearson, 2007). The effort to introduce eco-innovations can be rewarded by the improvement of the companies' economy (Cheng & Shiu, 2012; Cheng et al, 2014; Brasil et al, 2016; Hojnik, Ruzzier & Manolova, 2018), social (Wagner, 2010; Shrivastava, 1995; Arena et al, 2009; Horbach et al, 2012) and socioeconomic results (Tumelero, Sbragia & Evans, 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
