Types Of Eco-innovation Research Articles

Combinatorial analysis of eco-innovation drivers in slaughterhouses

Purpose Literature on eco-innovation brings insights that help to understand which factors trigger innovation focused on sustainability in companies. However, when analyzing the studies that comprise such drivers, it appears that most of them were focused only on describing them in isolation. Therefore, this study aims to understand which are the combinations of drivers that favor the adoption of eco-innovation in slaughterhouses located in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Design/methodology/approach This study has used the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA) as the data analysis technique, in addition to the previous application of Most Similar Different Outcome/Most Different Same Outcome (MSDO/MDSO). Findings This study identified eight internal and external drivers that explain the differences in performance of eco-innovative and non-innovative slaughterhouses. These drivers generate 13 combinations of factors capable of favoring the adoption of five types of eco-innovation. Research limitations/implications A limitation identified was the difficulty to obtain information held by companies on environmental issues. In addition, in each company the authors only approached one respondent. Practical implications The use of combinations is identified by companies and governmental and non-governmental organizations to promote eco-innovation in slaughterhouses. Originality/value This study may be considered original for its contribution to the improvement of eco-innovation literature by describing how the drivers identified combine to favor the adoption of certain types of eco-innovation. In addition, the authors also made an original use of csQCA, linked with MSDO/MDSO, in the field of eco-innovation.

The Drivers of Technological Eco-Innovation—Dynamic Capabilities and Leadership

In the paper, a theoretical framework that combines the multidimensional conceptualization of dynamic capabilities (sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring) with two leadership styles (transactional and transformational) and two types of eco-innovation (incremental and radical) was developed and empirically tested. The purpose of this study is to answer the key question: how different leadership styles influence the potential of dynamic capabilities to generate ecological changes. The research examining the theoretical framework was quantitative and was based on a deliberately selection of the sample, which included 54 of the most evo-innovative Polish companies. The results indicate that transformational leadership moderates the positive relationship between seizing capability and both incremental and radical technological eco-innovation, whereas transactional leadership moderates the positive relationship between reconfiguring capability and both types of analyzed changes. This paper contributes to the development of the literature by integrating three theoretical concepts, showing the importance of a given leadership style as a factor enhancing the potential of dynamic capabilities for the development of technological eco-innovation. Moreover, the study may be a contribution to a broader discussion on the specifics of eco-innovative activity and its behavioral conditions.

Four types of eco-innovation for Baltic firms

Using the Community Innovation Survey data, in this paper we explore the external and internal drivers influencing the four types of eco-innovation in the Baltic manufacturing sector. For this purpose, we estimate a quadrivariate probit model to reveal potential complementarities across the four types of eco-innovation and identify the differences among sectors and countries. The empirical findings show that: i) some factors such as future eco-policies and voluntary actions are significant for most categories eco-innovation; ii) cost saving is the main driver for the eco-process; iii) government grants, subsidies or other financial incentives and current regulation are never significant and finally iv) cooperation is a crucial driving factor for the productive process.

On the contribution of eco‐innovation features to a circular economy: A microlevel quantitative approach

AbstractThe circular economy (CE) and eco‐innovation (EI) are two concepts deemed instrumental in achieving a sustainable transition. They have been proposed in the academic literature and by practitioners and have acquired very high public policy relevance, being endorsed by policymakers and ultimately leading to regulations supporting them. It has been argued that both concepts are compatible and interrelated and that EI is instrumental in achieving the CE. However, little is known about how different EI features contribute to the CE at the microlevel. This article tries to cover this gap. Its aim is to assess and quantify the causal relationship between different EI features and the CE with the help of a unique dataset of small‐ and medium‐sized firms in Spain and an econometric analysis. Our results show that only systemic EIs contribute to a global CE, whereas other EI types such as component additions or small changes in existing production processes could even be barriers to high levels of circularity. It is found out that technological novelty is not relevant for reaching the CE. The results support the understanding of how EIs enable a transition to the CE. Care should be taken not to promote incremental EIs that do not only achieve low (or no) circularity but that effectively lock‐in the economic system in solutions that entail a barrier to the achievement of high‐level circularity.

Going Green and Failing: Evidence from Propensity Score Matching on Types of Eco-Innovations and Project Failure

This paper examines, for the first time, the impact of firms’ pursuit of eco-innovation upon the failure of innovation projects. The empirical analysis employs propensity score matching to account for endogeneity and unobserved firm heterogeneity using Spanish firm-level data during the 2008-2016 period. We find that eco-innovation increases firms’ exposure to failure. Also, we find that the likelihood of innovation failure differs across types of eco-innovations and phases of the innovation process. Our results suggest that eco-process innovators that improve the efficiency of materials are more likely to fail during the implementation phase, whereas eco-product innovators that develop new green products are more likely to fail at the conception phase.

Eco-Innovation Research in Indonesia: A Systematic Review and Future Directions

Innovation by considering the impact to the ecological environment, known as eco-innovation, continues to receive increasing attention in at least the past two decades. This paper aims to provide an analysis on recent development of eco-innovation research in Indonesia and provide some potential avenues for future research. Analysis is carried out using systematic literature review (SLR) techniques to synthesize knowledge development of a scientific field in a structured, transparent, and reliable manner. The search was conducted on three academic databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, and the local academic database of Garuda (<em>Garba Rujukan Digital</em>). Data analyzed using content analysis. The analysis shows that scholarly publication of eco-innovation research in Indonesia is still rare. The topics discussed can be categorized into several categories such as the driver of eco-innovation, R&D for eco-innvation, eco-innovation performance, which addresses various types of eco-innovation and different level of analysis. Potential research avenues are then identified at the end of the paper. This is the first systematic review on eco-Innovation in Indonesia, and first combining systematic search strategy in the both local and international academic database.

Financing eco-projects: analysis of factors influencing the success of crowdfunding campaigns

PurposeThis research identifies and explains the key factors influencing the success of crowdfunding campaigns for eco-projects with the objective of detecting the types of eco-projects that may be most successful in raising funds.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examined over 100 crowdfunding platforms (donation, reward and equity types) and selected 41 active eco-projects for further analysis. Data were collected from the selected platforms on ongoing and historical campaigns. The final sample was derived from observations of 139 eco-projects across 11 reward-based crowdfunding platforms. Logit models on variables related to the type of eco-innovation and characteristics of the campaign were used.FindingsThe results suggest that if they are treated as homogenous group eco-projects, they are no different than other types of projects present on a crowdfunding platform. However, variations are observed when they are divided into subcategories. The authors confirm that updates (positive), comments (positive) and targeted amount (negative) have the strongest impact on the success rate of crowdfunding for eco-projects. The authors observed a higher probability of success for projects aimed at saving water resources. Moreover, the findings suggest that emotional narratives do not increase chances of success for crowdfunding of eco-projects.Originality/valueThe authors aim to contribute to the ongoing discussion on whether there is a positive relationship between environmentally focused projects and the success rate. Providing a better understanding of the factors impacting the success rate of eco-projects should help future campaigns' success, contributing to a sustainable society.

The Combinative Effect of Organizational and Technological Eco-innovations in R&D-intensive Companies

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.

Circular economy and eco-innovation in Italian industrial clusters. Best practices from Prato textile cluster

The transition of Italian industrial clusters towards more circular and sustainable models of production could lead to substantial environmental, economic and societal benefits. The aim of this paper is to analyse which specific types of eco-innovations could lead to the implementation of circular economy in industrial clusters. The paper intends to do so not only performing a theoretical analysis but also exploring the case study of the Prato textile industrial cluster that, through the introduction of different circular and symbiotic measures has been able to significantly reduce its environmental impact and at the same time thrive and succeed.

The impact of eco-innovation on the stock returns of technology-based KIBS: role of eco-innovation type and its degree of novelty

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the role of eco-innovation type and its degree of novelty in increasing the stock returns of technology-based knowledge-intensive business service companies (T-KIBS), to advance the development of the concept of eco-innovation within the literature on the effects of innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe effects of four eco-innovation types were examined across three degrees of novelty involved. The event study methodology was applied to the sample of 238 eco-innovation announcements released during the period of January 2016–June 2019 (inclusive) by European T-KIBS.FindingsWhile the implementation of product and organisational eco-innovation was the most beneficial, the results indicated that a high degree of novelty resulted in larger increase of stock returns in the case of all the four eco-innovation types.Research limitations/implicationsThe eco-innovation announcements were gathered from specialised databases. However, it could be the case that companies may have used different communication channels (e.g. social media) to communicate innovation. Furthermore, a certain amount of bias undoubtedly exists, as the data came only from the European Union. Expanding the spatial scope to include the North American (especially the USA) and Asian economies appears necessary.Practical implicationsThe practical insights into the role that the degree of novelty plays in eco-innovation announcements were formulated, which may be used to increase the market valuation of the firm.Social implicationsStrategies supporting eco-innovation are crucial for business development as the value created for the stakeholders involved transmits in time into the enterprise value.Originality/valueThe paper attempts to fill the research gap concerning the impact of eco-innovation on the stock returns of T-KIBS.

Eco-innovation and its role for performance improvement among Chinese small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises

Due to the growing public quest for environmental protection, small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs) are under pressure to adopt eco-innovation to improve their operations. However, whether and how eco-innovation efforts can bring performance improvements may rely on the implementation level of eco-innovation and other traditional environmental management (TEM) practices. Drawing on the contingency theory, we develop and empirically test a model which proposes the existence of different firm clusters of SMMEs based on their eco-innovation implementation levels and that the performance improvement associated with eco-innovation practices is contingent on the firm clusters and TEM practices (i.e., internal source reduction, external compliance and communication, and internal management and control). Using survey data collected from 382 SMMEs in China, our cluster analytic results reveal two firm clusters of SMMEs characterized by three types of eco-innovation (technology, management, and marketing) implementation. From the results, we observed eco-innovation adopters involving 225 SMMEs (58.9% of the sample). The rest of 157 SMMEs (41.1% of the sample) are labeled as eco-innovation planners. T-test results show that the implementation levels of eco-innovation and TEM practices, as well as environmental and economic performance improvements, are different between eco-innovation planners and adopters. Results from hierarchical regression analyses further show that implementing certain eco-innovation practices jointly with TEM practices is beneficial for performance improvements. External compliance and communication are helpful for management innovation to bring environmental performance among eco-innovation planners, but it can be detrimental to environmental image together with marketing innovation. For eco-innovation adopters, internal source reduction is helpful for both technology and management innovation to deliver environmental performance. Technology innovation and internal source reduction can jointly bring economic performance improvement among eco-innovation planners, but such joint efforts can weaken the economic performance improvement for eco-innovation adopters. Our paper contributes knowledge on the role of eco-innovation to bring performance gains among SMMEs in China, a major manufacturing hub in Asia servicing global production demands. We also examine the performance contingencies of eco-innovation with TEM practices in the SMMEs, providing practical implications for them to improve operations, as well as policy insights for governments to promote the performance benefits of eco-innovation, particularly targeting for the smaller-sized manufacturers in the industry.

A Taxonomy of Eco-Innovation Types in SMEs: Exploring Different Firm Profiles in the Canadian Wine Industry

The paper examines eco-innovation strategies in the Canadian wine industry. It uses firm-level data of 151 wine firms that developed eco-innovations between 2015 and 2017 to build a taxonomy of four eco-innovation strategies: (i) eco-innovation laggers, (ii) product-oriented eco-innovators, (iii) process-oriented eco-innovators, and (iv) fully integrated eco-innovators. We then characterize these eco-innovation strategies with respect to firm-level innovation capabilities, firms’ knowledge openness, and firms’ specific characteristics. The results reveal heterogeneity in eco-innovation strategies and show that these strategies exhibit different configurations of innovation-related conditions and firm characteristics.

How Do Anticipated and Self Regulations and Information Sourcing Openness Drive Firms to Implement Eco-Innovation? Evidence from Korean Manufacturing Firms.

Building upon institutional theory and the concept of openness to external sources in terms of breadth and depth, this study investigates the following three understudied drivers of eco-innovation in terms of external and internal factors: Anticipated regulation and self-regulation as external drivers, and information sourcing openness comprised of breadth and importance as internal drivers. Toward this end, this study employs a sample of 1824 Korean manufacturing firms collected from the Korean Innovation Survey 2010, which is compatible with the Oslo Manual and the Eurostat Community Innovation Survey (CIS). The current research adopts a multivariate probit model for the nine binary outcome variables and a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model for a count variable. It is found that, both anticipated regulation and self-regulation positively affect eco-process innovation and eco-product innovation across all of the nine eco-innovation types. The empirical findings on the effects of the breadth of external sources and the importance of used information acquired from external sources for innovative activities indicate that both the breadth and the importance have positive impacts on the number of types of eco-innovation with which a firm is engaged.

Many or trusted partners for eco-innovation? The influence of breadth and depth of firms' knowledge network in the food sector

Although literature on open eco-innovation has recently increased, empirical research on this topic in traditional low-tech sectors is still relatively scarce. The present paper examines how open innovation activities can promote eco-innovations in the food industry, an industry that is sometimes considered a technological laggard with traditionally low cooperation. The paper focuses on the relationship between a firm's interactions with stakeholders, particularly the breadth and the depth of the firm's knowledge network and the firm's propensity to develop different types of eco-innovations. Using a novel and more accurate measure of breadth and depth and addressing endogeneity with instrumental variables, the paper studies their influence on technological eco-innovation in a random sample of 279 food firms in Spain. The results show that coordination difficulties and bounded rationality explain an inverted U shape in the relationship of breadth of external knowledge sources and the propensity to eco-innovate both in product and process eco-innovations. Additionally, our findings confirm that it is important to rely on deep, frequent and intense relationships with stakeholders in order to create the required atmosphere to foster fluent knowledge sharing among partners specially to develop eco-process innovations, but a learning effect appears. Future research should extend the analysis to other countries and sectors to address the limitations of this study.

Building a taxonomy of eco-innovation types in firms. A quantitative perspective

Eco-innovations, or innovations that reduce the environmental impacts of production and consumption activities, are considered crucial for sustainability transitions and a key element of a Circular Economy. Although previous contributions have acknowledged the existence of different types of eco-innovations (e.g., product vs. service or incremental vs. radical), a precise conceptualization of eco-innovation types, which takes into account its multifaceted character, is missing. Yet such a conceptualization is crucial in order to understand how eco-innovations contribute to a sustainable transition, how policy makers can promote different eco-innovation types, and how business practitioners can develop eco-innovations. This article covers this gap in the literature. Its aim is twofold: 1) to develop a quantitative method to categorise different eco-innovation types in a particular setting, taking into account their distinct features and dimensions; 2) to apply this method in a given sector and country, building a taxonomy of eco-innovation types. It draws on a survey of 197 Spanish industrial small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) which developed or adopted an eco-innovation between 2012 and 2013. The statistical analyses reveal the existence of a taxonomy of five eco-innovation types: systemic, externally driven, continuous improvement, radical (technology-push initiated) and eco-efficient. They differ in their techno-economic configurations, contribution to environmental sustainability and corporate goals and required changes in the firms. Specific policy and managerial implications are deducted.

Carbon Footprint as a Lever for Sustained Competitive Strategy in Developing a Smart Oenology: Evidence from an Exploratory Study in Italy

In the wine sector, the choice of a sustainable strategy based on smart marketing has gained more relevance due to the growing importance of sustainability. The literature illustrates a multiplicity of perspectives, wherever firms are committed to improving sustainability and market performance. This exploratory paper aims to make sense of the extant literature by analysing 10 case studies in Italy, focusing on sustainable competitive resources and strategies, considering the role of CF (Carbon Footprint) as a crucial factor. The research has considered a complementary theoretical framework based on both Resource-Based Theory and Competitive Advantage Theory. Data were analysed by descriptive statistical techniques. The results show a bundle of unique resources and strategies in pursuing firm performance, wherever CF may lead to significant sustained competitive advantages in firms’ value capture (ex. image and reputation and customers’ relationships loyalty, entrance into new foreign markets). Findings highlight that perceiving the costs and benefits of investments in lowering CF may guide to a more accurate understanding of the value-creating from the different type of eco-innovation for building tailor-made communicational and marketing strategies.

Making the world a better place by making better products

PurposeThis paper aims to examine whether consumers respond differently to different types of eco-innovations and to explore how and under what conditions eco-friendly consumer innovativeness (ECI) impacts consumers’ perception and adoption intentions.Design/methodology/approachTwo online experiments with real consumers in the USA were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships. Two eco-innovation products were examined: a connected vacuum cleaner (Study 1) and an innovative smartphone (Study 2).FindingsFirst, consumers tend to express more positive product beliefs, higher preferences and stronger adoption intentions toward resource use elimination innovations compared with the other types of eco-innovations across two product categories. Although consumers are not willing to pay more, they would adjust their payment equity by increasing consumption levels for resource use elimination innovations. Second, this research demonstrates ECI affects adoption intentions via formulating consumer perceptions of product eco-friendliness. Perceived trade-offs between eco-friendly benefits and product effectiveness strengthens the positive effect of ECI while weakening the impact of perceived product eco-friendliness on adoption intentions.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies may validate and extend the results for marketing communication to different types of eco-friendly innovative consumers to determine which marketing messages best match the perceptions and preferences of certain eco-friendly innovative consumers.Practical implicationsThis study offers useful insights for strategic research-and-development investment and decision-making processes in selecting the best-suited approaches to developing eco-innovations and maximizing their success in the commercialization phase. Specifically, firms should place greater emphasis on resource use elimination innovation, which could evoke more positive consumer responses than resource use efficiency innovations and resource use substitution innovations. Moreover, it is important to improve the segmentation of the early adopters in the eco-innovation market with respect to specific types of eco-innovations so that marketers can distinctively address eco-friendly innovative consumers that best fit the potential user profile of their products.Originality/valueThe current research is novel as neither an empirically nor a theoretically founded framework has been suggested to examine how and why consumers respond differently to different types of eco-innovations. The findings shine new lights on eco-innovation research by providing useful insights into the underlying mechanisms and the conditions under which ECI affects consumers’ responses.

Regulation and regenerative eco-innovation: the case of extracted materials in the UK

Regenerative eco-innovation, demanding radical and architectural change to restore, renew and revitalise the natural system, is arguably the most important type of eco-innovation to address the pressing challenges of sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of the regulatory framework and wider contextual conditions in facilitating or hindering regenerative eco-innovations. This is especially relevant for the built environment, a sector that is highly regulated and where rates of innovation are typically slow. We combined a review of relevant archival material with an interview programme involving key stakeholders from the UK's built environment sector. We contribute to the literature by extending and elaborating our understanding of regenerative eco-innovation in two ways. First, we extend the literature on regulation and eco-innovation by exploring what constitutes high quality regulation in the context of regenerative development. Second, we elaborate on how regenerative eco-innovations are facilitated or hindered by wider contextual conditions. Our paper also has practical utility. More understanding of how effective regulation can support regenerative eco-innovations, and of how the wider contextual conditions facilitate or hinder regenerative eco-innovations, allows industry and government to respond better to the urgent global challenge of closing material cycles.

State of the art on the role of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving in Sustainable Product-Service Systems: Past, Present, and Future

The transition towards Sustainable Product-Service Systems (SPSS) is not an easy journey. The literature indicates several difficulties in obtaining success in the development of SPSS offers. These hardships indicate the need for well-structured methods supporting the systematic generation of sustainable innovations and solving contradictions during the stages of the servitization process. The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is worldwide recognized by its potential to systematically solve contradictions and generate innovations. However, the research framework available and its application into SPSS domain· are still very limited. Thus, to address this gap, this paper aims to explore the contributions and challenges of the adoption of TRIZ in the development of SPSSs. A systematic literature review of the foundations and advances in this topic was conducted. The primary results indicate the main contributions from TRIZ to SPSS development, the types of eco-innovations resulting, the artifacts (e.g. models, methods, proposition or instantiation) that applied TRIZ towards SPSS and the most frequent category of PSS resulting according to TRIZ. Findings suggest that the systematic innovation proposed by TRIZ has great potential to enable the development of systematic SPSS offers. Synergies between TRIZ and the sustainable strategies of Cleaner Production also were mapped. Finally, our study proposes a research agenda and indicate the main challenges to apply the TRIZ in SPSS models. A new concept emerges in servitization field: the Systematic and Sustainable Product-Service Systems (SSPSS).

Drivers and barriers of eco‐innovation types for sustainable transitions: A quantitative perspective

AbstractFirms are influenced by internal factors (resources and capabilities) and external factors (e.g., regulation) when taking the decision to eco‐innovate. However, the analysis of the internal factors has received much less attention than the external ones. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing the role of resources, competences, and dynamic capabilities (RCCs) as determinants (drivers and barriers) of different eco‐innovation (EI) types. Those EI types contribute differently to the sustainable transition of the economy and society, that is, towards the circular economy. The statistical analyses reveal that RCCs are quite relevant as determinants of EIs, and that different RCCs are more or less relevant for different EI types. In particular, the determinants of systemic and radical EIs substantially differ from those for continuous improvements. Our results suggest that physical RCCs, involvement in green supply chains, an EI‐friendly corporate culture, technology‐push and market‐pull, and internal financing resources represent drivers to these EIs, whereas cooperation, organizational learning, an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) ecological certification, and technological path dependency are barriers. The results may guide firms to pursue competitive and sustainable advantage by innovating through certain EI types corresponding to available and dedicated RCCs. They may also be useful to policy makers who are willing to promote specific EI types.