Sustainable Innovation Research Articles (Page 1)

The growing demand for organizational effectiveness has intensified interest in the integration of quality management (QM) and performance appraisal (PA). Yet, their relationship remains fragmented in both theory and practice. While QM emphasizes continuous improvement, customer focus, and operational efficiency, PA is primarily concerned with evaluating employee contributions and aligning them with organizational goals. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of consolidated insights into how these two domains intersect, particularly in terms of enhancing both organizational performance and employee engagement. This study aims to critically review the literature to identify consistent and emerging themes that define the relationship between QM and PA, as well as the associated challenges and future directions. The study employed a systematic literature review approach, synthesizing peer-reviewed research articles, conceptual papers, and case studies across management and organizational performance domains. Findings reveal three consistent themes: the enduring influence of Total Quality Management (TQM) on organizational performance, the role of performance management systems in employee motivation, and the adoption of innovative appraisal methods. In addition, two rising themes were identified: the integration of QM with innovation performance, and the expansion of QM systems in specialized industries such as healthcare and automotive. The implications of this study are both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, it bridges QM and PA as mutually reinforcing processes within organizational performance frameworks. Practically, it highlights the need for hybrid models that align QM practices with modern, technology-driven appraisal systems, offering pathways for sustainable growth, innovation, and employee engagement.

This case explores the strategic, organisational, and technological challenges faced by a rapidly growing Nigerian SME – Kora Foods – as it confronts the limitations of its informal digital infrastructure. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kora has scaled swiftly by supplying frozen, ready-to-eat meals to supermarkets and schools across southwest Nigeria. However, as order volumes increase, the company’s reliance on manual processes, fragmented tools, and centralised decision-making by the CEO, Temi Adebayo, begins to undermine efficiency and reliability. The case introduces an operations manager, Musa Ibrahim, who advocates for formalising Kora’s IT function and implementing an integrated digital system. This proposal sparks a strategic dilemma as to whether the organisation should invest in structured technology now or continue relying on lean, people-driven processes. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of infrastructure limitations, cultural resistance, and a founder’s instinct to retain control. Set in a dynamic emerging-market context, the case challenges students to examine how IT strategy can be aligned with business growth, how change should be managed in resource-constrained environments, and how SMEs can design technology systems that are fit for context. Through Musa and Temi’s conflicting perspectives, students are invited to engage with complex questions of governance, organisational readiness, leadership, and sustainable innovation.

ABSTRACT This study examines the interaction among Chief Executive Officer Trust, organizational commitment, and sustainable infrastructure, industrialization plus innovation (SDG 9) in Ghanaian Small and Medium‐sized Enterprises. Using a stratified sampling methodology, primary data was collected from 374 Chief Executive Officers. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to analyze the multifaceted associations among the constructs, providing insights into the direct and indirect influence of Chief Executive Officer Trust on Sustainable Development Goal 9. The results reveal significant correlations between Chief Executive Officer Trust, organizational commitment, and Sustainable Development Goal 9. Notably, organizational commitment partially mediates the association between Chief Executive Officer Trust and Sustainable Development Goal 9, underscoring its crucial role in driving sustainable industrial development. This research highlights the importance of Chief Executive Officer Trust and organizational commitment in cultivating dynamic capabilities that promote sustainable development, offering valuable insights for Small and Medium‐sized Enterprise managers as well as policymakers in emerging economies like Ghana.

The complex, heterogeneous nature of challenging precursors, as seen in end-of-life wind turbine blades, typically comprises glass or carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites with polyvinyl chloride foam cores. This complexity poses a significant material synthesis challenge, particularly for achieving high-value recovery with precise structural control. A transformative one-step, ultrafast carbothermal shock (CTS) process is presented that selectively converts these intricate, unseparated composites into high-value SiC polytypes or novel graphene structures. Leveraging ultrafast Joule heating, CTS enables remarkable atomic-scale phase control, facilitating kinetic trapping of specific non-equilibrium structures such as metastable 6H-SiC and a unique hybrid AB-turbostratic graphene. This unique hybrid graphene combines the high charge carrier mobility of AB-stacked nanodomains with the enhanced mechanical interlocking of turbostratic nanodomains. This results in exceptional electrical conductivity (1791 Sm-1) and substantial mechanical reinforcement (+21.8%) in composites, significantly outperforming conventional reduced graphene oxide. Multiscale characterization and simulations elucidate the atomic-scale mechanisms driving this phase evolution and kinetic trapping. The study establishes a new paradigm for advanced materials synthesis from complex feedstocks, transforming critical waste into on-demand functional materials with compelling environmental benefits and dramatically lower operational costs. This sets the stage for sustainable material innovation and a circular economy.

In an increasingly competitive market environment, a differentiated marketing strategy has become a crucial path for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to gain a competitive advantage and achieve sustainable development. Due to constraints in resources, talent, and brand influence, SMEs face numerous challenges and difficulties in formulating and implementing their differentiation strategies. This paper first elaborates on the necessity and theoretical foundations for SMEs to pursue differentiation. It then deeply analyzes key issues encountered during the strategy formulation phase, such as inaccurate market positioning, difficulty in selecting differentiation points, and resource constraints. Subsequently, it explores critical difficulties faced during the strategy implementation phase, including insufficient execution capability, poor innovation sustainability, organizational coordination challenges, and weak risk control. Finally, the paper proposes a series of countermeasures and suggestions, including strengthening core competencies, focusing on technological and model innovation, building a flexible organizational structure, and leveraging digital technology to enhance efficiency. The aim is to provide theoretical reference and practical guidance for SMEs to more effectively formulate and implement differentiated marketing strategies, helping them stand out in niche markets.

Topics such as sustainable development, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and corporate innovation are increasingly important for maintaining corporate competitiveness. A growing number of companies recognize the need to inform their stakeholders about sustainable initiatives undertaken to safeguard the environment and the local area by adopting various approaches and strategies: cleaner technologies, new environmental management systems, energy efficiency initiatives, and carbon dioxide emission reductions. All these approaches are based on corporate innovation. We are facing a significant evolution that requires a paradigm shift in the way business is conducted, where innovation must not be oriented solely towards improving economic performance, but must also be geared towards achieving positive environmental and social outcomes. This is the context in which the two main drivers of corporate sustainable innovation emerge: sustainability on the one hand and innovation on the other. Both are of interest to companies regardless of size or sector. The challenge is daunting and requires communicating investments in sustainable innovation to gain greater market recognition and ensure a competitive advantage. Sustainable innovation has quickly attracted the attention of the academic world because, by integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions, it can promote long-term value creation by balancing profit with social and environmental well-being, driving development towards more resilient and innovative business models. Studies empirically addressing the impact of sustainable innovation on corporate performance appear limited to date. For this reason, this paper aims to examine, on a sample of companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italiana), the extent to which investments in sustainable innovation improve corporate performance according to the sustainable innovation approach of “triple bottom line” (TBL). Three key performance indicators were established to delineate, in accordance with the TBL framework, the sustainable environmental, economic, and social performance of each organisation in the sample.

The healthcare sector contributes over 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As healthcare systems pursue carbon reduction targets, sustainable innovations in clinical operations are essential. Hemodialysis (HD) relies heavily on dialysate concentrates as one of its major consumables. This study evaluates the environmental impact of implementing a central acid concentrate delivery system (CCDS) using dry concentrate powder at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) and examines its broader global applicability. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess the environmental impacts of acid concentrate delivery via single-use liquid canisters versus CCDS using dry powder in reusable barrels at UMC Utrecht. The analysis includes additional scenarios involving long-distance distribution to Italy in Europe, Kenya in Africa, and the Philippines in Asia. Implementation of CCDS at UMC Utrecht reduced carbon emissions by 58%. Endpoint impacts on human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity were reduced by more than half. Despite longer transport distances in global scenarios, CCDS consistently outperformed the canister system across most impact categories, driven by reuse of packaging and reduced transport volume and weight. CCDS offers a more sustainable alternative, with substantial environmental benefits even in long-distance applications. Operational advantages include reduced manual handling and simplified logistics. By enabling local dialysate production and decreasing reliance on imported disposables, CCDS may also improve accessibility in low-resource settings. Widespread adoption could thereby advance environmental sustainability globally.

Farms are increasingly recognized as carbon sinks with significant potential to mitigate climate change. This study documents how farms can become positive climate assets by using portable sensors, satellite imagery, blockchain, and AI to quantify and monetize carbon removal. This technological integration enables the issuance of traceable and secure carbon credits, promoting sustainable land use and granting a range of farms access to carbon markets. We evaluated the reliability and spatial consistency of soil carbon retention in agricultural and forestry systems on four rural properties in Brazil during the 2022/2023 harvest. Using a protocol certified by the Brazilian legislation, we compared sensor-derived carbon estimates with reference measurements in farmland and forest areas. In agricultural areas, sensor readings showed high agreement with reference standards, reflecting strong adherence to certified standards. Agreement was more heterogeneous in forested areas, suggesting spatial variations in carbon stocks not captured by conventional methods. Spatial analysis revealed distinct patterns of autocorrelation between land use types, with stronger spatial clustering in agricultural systems. The results demonstrate that proprietary sensors integrated with artificial intelligence platforms are effective for estimating carbon retention, especially in cultivated areas, and offer great potential for supporting the certification of carbon credits based on auditable data. The results also highlight the effectiveness of land management practices and the potential of forest and agricultural areas as legitimate sources of regulated carbon credits. These credits can serve as effective tools for the transition to a low-carbon economy, especially in sectors that are harder to decarbonize. In addition, they promote social and climate justice by linking the carbon sequestration potential of the Global South with the North’s demand for compensation, providing environmental, economic, and social benefits.

In recent years, the urgency of addressing environmental degradation has intensified the call for businesses to adopt more sustainable practices. While Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) has become an established component of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of how CER translates into sustainable business practices across diverse organizational contexts. This gap highlights the need to synthesize current research to clarify how CER contributes to long-term business resilience, stakeholder trust, and ecological stewardship. The aim of this study is to critically examine the relationship between CER and sustainable business practices by identifying consistent, rising, and novel themes emerging from the literature. The study employed a structured literature review approach, drawing on peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus. A thematic analysis was conducted to categorize findings into three levels: consistent themes, such as the enduring role of CSR and green innovation in sustainability; rising themes, including the growing focus on the link between sustainability practices and financial performance; and novel themes, notably Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM) and corporate environmental governance in China. The findings indicate that CER serves as both a strategic imperative and a driver of innovation, with consistent themes underscoring the enduring relevance of CSR in aligning business goals with sustainable development. Rising themes suggest a stronger business case for sustainability, as organizations increasingly recognize financial gains associated with environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, novel themes expand the discourse by integrating human capital and regional governance into the sustainability agenda. The study carries both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, it advances sustainability scholarship by integrating environmental governance, innovation, and organizational behavior perspectives. Practically, it highlights pathways for businesses to embed sustainability into core strategies, foster green corporate cultures, and align with global sustainability goals. These insights provide a foundation for future research exploring the multidimensional impacts of CER.

Purpose This study analyzes the sustainability and innovation decisions of 150 Italian food companies selected from a monitored sample of 444 firms across diverse sectors and sizes. Design/methodology/approach The research employed a survey of 150 respondent firms. Analyses were conducted using both standard linear regression (with and without industry fixed effects) and instrumental variable (IV) regression (also with and without industry fixed effects). Findings This study shows that firms that formalize their sustainability strategies and actively communicate their efforts externally achieve superior growth. Top performers not only embrace sustainability, but also pioneer radical innovations in production processes, accelerating their transition to more resilient, sustainable business models. Research limitations/implications The results of this study may have been influenced by the specific characteristics of the sector analyzed, where there is considerable pressure to transform the production system. This pressure is likely to contribute to the relatively high level of proactivity observed among firms with respect to sustainable innovation. Practical implications The importance of formalizing sustainability strategies and the impact of radical process innovations suggest that these developments may have significant implications for firms' business models. Originality/value Our study is original because we have analyzed a very large number of firms of the Italian food industry, not only, but the study examines how sustainability strategies are defined, how they are communicated externally, and what organizational changes they induce, particularly in production processes. Our analysis also includes sustainability practices related to supplier relationships, particularly the selection of suppliers based on their sustainability credentials.

The biopharmaceutical industry in Iran has made significant progress in recent years, supported by multiple innovation policies aimed at its development. Nevertheless, challenges such as limited resources, skill and managerial gaps, weak networking, and restricted access to funding and incentives have hindered sustainable innovation. This study aims to examine the role of intermediaries in supporting biopharmaceutical companies and to analyze how innovation policies influence technological capabilities, networking, human capital development, and access to funding and incentives in Iran. A qualitative approach was employed, using purposive sampling to select 19 participants from the governmental, academic, and industrial sectors. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis (2006). Data credibility and validity were ensured through member checking, triangulation, and independent coding by two researchers. The findings indicate that innovation policies have advanced across four main dimensions-exploitation of results and production, networking and facilitation, human capital, and funding and incentives-but each dimension faces specific challenges. Intermediaries, including accelerators, technology centers, industry associations, and specialized investment funds, play a key role in addressing these challenges by providing practical training, financial and technical support, facilitating cross-sector collaborations, and establishing professional networks, thereby fostering sustainable development and innovation in the biopharmaceutical sector. Strengthening intermediaries and implementing targeted policies based on companies' real needs can enhance the effectiveness of innovation policies, reduce import dependence, and improve the global competitiveness of Iran's biopharmaceutical industry.

Water supply systems (WSS) face various threats such as climate change, declining freshwater availability, and over-extraction of groundwater. To improve the resilience and sustainability of WSS, both technological innovation and effective institutional and economic mechanisms are required. This study evaluates China’s recent water resource fee-to-tax reform as a quasi-natural experiment. It analyzes panel data from 222 prefecture-level cities between 2012 and 2023 and applies a multi-period difference-in-differences model to assess the impact of this reform on water use structure and efficiency. The two main research goals are to examine whether the reform has enhanced the structural resilience of WSS in terms of the shift from groundwater dependence to surface water, and whether it has improved water use efficiency to ensure sustainable water use. Our results show that the reform significantly reduced reliance on groundwater and increased the proportion of surface water use, thereby enhancing the structural resilience of urban water supply systems. Further analyses confirm that these effects are most pronounced in eastern and central regions, where water stress is higher. On the other hand, while the reform improved water use patterns, its positive impact on water use efficiency remains limited due to the current tax design. Overall, our research results demonstrate how fiscal instruments can be leveraged to improve sustainability of WSS. They provide policy insights for strengthening resilience of WSS against resource scarcity and environmental risks.

ABSTRACT Tourism simultaneously contributes to the causes of climate change and suffers from its consequences. While it supports global economies through employment, it faces growing risks from rising temperatures, extreme weather, and disrupted seasonal patterns. At the same time, tourism’s built environment intensifies climate change through energy use emissions and waste impacts. The link between tourism, the built environment, and climate change has become a critical area of research, understanding the correlations between these factors and their implications. A mixed-methods review of peer-reviewed studies (2003–2025) reveals that 95% of examined tourism infrastructure lacks climate-adaptive building features, highlighting the urgency of sustainable retrofitting design solutions. This study provides a three-part analysis of sustainable design: (1) it identifies key sustainability and resilience strategies; (2) it explores the conceptual frameworks underpinning them; and (3) it assesses the barriers to implementation. Throughout, the analysis highlights how these elements advance integrated environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Despite limitations of existing research, an integrative framework emerges that combines sustainable design, community participation, and policy innovation.

This study is one of the studies that examines CBT as an approach to developing wellness tourism, the potential of the slopes of Mount Welirang that can be used for forest healing and marketing using the 5P concept (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People). The method used in this study is a qualitative method based on Community Based Tourism (CBT). Data collection was carried out using focus group discussion (FGD) techniques, interviews, observation, and documentation studies. Data analysis techniques used an interactive model on the application of Community Based Tourism (CBT) implemented in the development of forest healing on the slopes of Mount Welirang. The results of the study are as follows: 1) The development of forest healing with the application of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is based on three pillars, namely community empowerment, ecological conservation, and sustainable community innovation. 2) The potential of the slopes of Mount Welirang lies in its geological and topographical foundations, biodiversity as natural medicine, amd sencory stimulation. 3) Marketing using the 5P concept. The main products offered are the development of forest healing destinations that include forest-based healing activities, integrated tourism packages, and educational added value. Price refers to a value-based pricing approach. Place focuses on the slopes of Mount Welirang as the main object. Promotion is carried out using a digital approach based on transformational narratives. People focuses on the community, which is at the center of the overall forest healing development on the slopes of Mount Welirang.

Consumer innovativeness and uncertainty avoidance in the acceptance of sustainable food innovations

Green innovation has become a crucial approach to addressing sustainability challenges within global economic and environmental contexts. This study maps the development of green innovation research through a bibliometric analysis using data from the Scopus database covering the period 2021–2024. Bibliometric techniques were applied with VOSviewer and R Studio to examine publication trends, citation patterns, author collaboration, and keyword networks. The results show a significant growth of publications in the last five years, with major themes focusing on sustainable development, environmental technology, and economic implications of green innovation, while leading contributions come from China. Influential journals in innovation and environmental management are identified as key publication outlets, and keyword analysis reveals the integration of green innovation into sustainability strategies and economic policy discussions. This study contributes to a clearer understanding of the intellectual structure and emerging directions of green innovation research, offering insights for scholars, business practitioners, and policymakers in advancing sustainable innovation practices.

Regional innovation governance plays a critical role in aligning economic development with sustainabilityobjectives. According to Systems of Innovation theory, regional actors, including municipalities, research institutions, andbusinesses, form interconnected systems that shape the generation, diffusion, and commercialization of knowledge.Effective governance within these systems is essential for enabling regions to respond to societal transitions, including theshift toward green and circular economies. This paper explores how regional innovation ecosystems can serve as enablersof sustainable entrepreneurship and corporate development. Focusing on a pilot project led by the City of Lappeenranta, inpartnership with Ikigaia and Servitium, and supported by Sitra, the study examines how cross-sectoral collaboration can bestructured to address shared sustainability challenges and stimulate innovation in green growth sectors. Drawing onInnovation Ecosystem Theory and the Triple Helix Model, the research investigates how public, private, and academicactors co-develop governance models, pilot initiatives, and communication platforms that support entrepreneurship inemerging fields such as biomaterials, hydrogen (Power2X), and small modular reactors. The project’s methodology includesstakeholder interviews, participatory workshops, and comparative benchmarking with other Finnish "InnoCities" to cocreatenew collaboration models. Through the lens of Stakeholder Theory, Collaborative Governance, and DynamicCapabilities, the paper reveals how shared leadership and adaptive processes foster a culture of sustainable innovation. Italso identifies persistent challenges such as fragmented funding, misaligned organizational timescales, and knowledgeaccessibility, offering actionable strategies to overcome them. The findings contribute to ongoing discourse on sustainableinnovation governance by presenting a replicable and flexible model for ecosystem-based co-creation. It offers insights forlocal governments, innovation intermediaries, and corporate leaders seeking to align entrepreneurial activity with longtermenvironmental and societal objectives.

This study aims to analyze the influence of green branding strategy on consumer loyalty by considering the mediating role of brand trust among eco-friendly product consumers in Central Java. The research employed an explanatory quantitative approach with a survey design. The population consisted of consumers of green cosmetics, organic food, and eco-labeled household products, with a sample of 140 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale adapted from previous studies. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that green branding strategy has a positive and significant impact on consumer loyalty, both directly and indirectly through brand trust. The results indicate that the stronger the green branding strategy implemented by a company, the higher the consumer trust, which in turn fosters greater loyalty. Brand trust serves as a partial mediator, implying that while green branding strategy can directly enhance loyalty, its effect becomes stronger when consumers also trust the brand’s sustainability commitment. Theoretically, this study enriches the green marketing literature by providing empirical evidence of the strategic role of green branding in building loyalty through the psychological mechanism of trust. Practically, it suggests that companies should strengthen environmental information transparency, consistent brand communication, and sustainable innovation to build both trust and long-term loyalty. From a policy perspective, the study highlights the importance for regulators to strengthen green labeling standards and enhance consumer education in order to reduce greenwashing practices.

This study investigates how product innovation influences the business sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia, considering competitive advantage as a mediating variable and gender as a moderating variable. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), the study posits that innovation acts as a strategic internal capability that strengthens competitive advantage and long-term business survival. Data were collected from 91 MSME owners in the Solo Raya region through online and offline surveys and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that product innovation significantly enhances competitive advantage and business sustainability. Competitive advantage also directly and indirectly contributes to sustainability, confirming its mediating role in the innovation–sustainability relationship. However, gender does not moderate this relationship, indicating that innovative capability and sustainability outcomes are not inherently gendered. These findings highlight the importance of continuous innovation and strategic differentiation for MSME resilience in volatile post-pandemic markets, while emphasizing the need for inclusive policies to ensure equal access to innovation resources for all entrepreneurs.

This research investigates the synergistic relationships between Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices and product innovation in marketing performance and organizational sustainability within Thailand’s processed food industry. Building upon Resource-Based View theory and Stakeholder Theory, this study addresses a critical gap in understanding how environmental practices interact with innovation strategies to create sustainable competitive advantages in emerging markets. The research employs a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative insights from industry expert interviews with quantitative analysis through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Primary data were systematically collected from 300 strategically selected enterprises representing small (≤50 employees), medium (51–200 employees), and large-scale (>200 employees) operations across diverse product categories within Thailand’s processed food sector. The analytical framework examines three core GSCM dimensions—green purchasing, green production, and green distribution—alongside three innovation aspects—quality innovation, safety innovation, and sustainability innovation. Eleven hypothesized relationships were rigorously tested to examine direct and indirect effects on marketing performance indicators (sales growth, market share expansion, brand enhancement, customer satisfaction, and cost optimization) and organizational sustainability metrics (environmental impact reduction, regulatory compliance, competitive positioning, and resource efficiency). SEM results revealed that Green Production practices significantly enhance marketing performance (β = 0.16, p < 0.01), demonstrating the strategic value of environmentally responsible production processes in achieving market success. Conversely, Green Distribution exhibited negative effects on both marketing performance (β = −0.106, p < 0.10) and organizational sustainability (β = −0.152, p < 0.05), indicating potential operational trade-offs and infrastructure limitations that require strategic optimization. The model demonstrated excellent fit indices (GFI = 0.929, CFI = 1.000, TLI = 1.000, RMSEA = 0.000, RMR = 0.034), validating the theoretical framework’s robustness. However, modest explanatory power (R2 MP = 0.050, R2 OS = 0.029) suggests that additional contextual factors, firm-specific capabilities, and market dynamics significantly influence these outcomes, warranting future investigation of mediating and moderating variables.