Abstract
In this study, we pursue two objectives. First, we analyse the influence of product, process, and non-technological innovation on environmental performance. Second, we explore the existence of complementarities or substitutabilities between the different combinations of these three types of innovations to learn which combinations improve or worsen environmental performance. The analyses were performed using data from the 2013 Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for Spanish manufacturing companies. We use the two-stage least-squares method as an instrumental variable estimator, which allows us to control the endogeneity and obtain consistent estimators. Our findings indicate that product innovation and process innovation have a negative influence on environmental performance. Likewise, we have also found that the simultaneous implementation of product innovation and process innovation is unconditionally substitutive and that the joint implementation of process innovation and non-technological innovation is conditionally substitutive. This result reinforces the position of those researchers who have pointed out that the association between a greater technology orientation and a better firm environmental performance is probably too simplistic. Finally, it should be emphasized that only non-technological innovation contributes to achieving better environmental performance and that the joint implementation of product innovation and non-technology innovation is conditionally complementary.
Highlights
Environmental innovation is similar to conventional innovation [1]
Taking into account that the non-technological innovation variable is formed by organizational innovation and marketing innovation, and being aware of the synergies expected and previously commented on between these two types of innovation and process innovation, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 6
In Spain, product innovation and process innovation are introduced by 44% and 40%, respectively, while the corresponding figures for France are 67% and 61%, respectively
Summary
Environmental innovation is similar to conventional innovation [1]. What differentiates environmental innovation and conventional innovation is the objectives that they pursue. The achievement of the objectives that environmental innovation pursues is influenced by the different types of innovation that exist and are implemented [3]. These types of innovations can be classified as technological, in case of product or process innovations, or as non-technological, in the case of marketing or organizational innovations [4]. We analyse the extent to which the different types of classical innovation (product, process, organizational, and marketing) contribute to achieving the objectives that environmental innovation pursues (hereinafter, environmental performance). Our paper contributes to extending and completing this investigation by providing more empirical evidence about the impact of the four basic types of innovation on the objectives that environmental innovation pursues
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