Systematic Review - Network for Business Sustainability

STUDY PURPOSE FINDINGS
Del Brío and
Junquera
(2003)
To review the literature on
environmental innovation
management in small and
medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) — takes a strategyoriented
perspective
OECD (2009) To review relevant
concepts and practices
relating to sustainable
manufacturing and ecoinnovation
for policy and
practitioner audience
Klewitz and
Hansen
(2011)
Schiederig et
al. (2012)
Pereira and
Vence (2012)
To systematically review 82
peer-reviewed publications
regarding sustainabilityoriented
innovation in SMEs,
1987 to 2010
To clarify the concept of
“green innovation” and to
provide an overview of the
existing body of literature in
the field of green innovations,
1990 to 2010
To explore the determinants
of eco-innovation at the firm
level, 2006 to 2011
SMEs are different from multinational enterprises (MNEs) and require specific
support from public administrations to promote sustainability-oriented innovation
(SOI). The determining factors of SMEs’ environmental strategy alternatives include
financial resources, organizational structure, management style, human resources,
environmental management status, manufacturing activity, technological approach,
innovative capacity and external co-operation.
• Practices for sustainable manufacturing have evolved from end-of-pipe solutions
to a focus on product life cycles, integrated environmental strategies and
integrated management systems.
• Sustainable manufacturing calls for multi-level eco-innovations: integrated
initiatives such as closed-loop production can potentially yield higher
environmental improvements but require appropriately combining a wide range of
innovation targets and mechanisms.
• Eco-innovations in manufacturing tend to focus primarily on technological
advances, though some advanced players have adopted new business models
or alternative modes of provision.
A conceptual framework of SOI in SMEs can be developed, consisting of the
following:
• Strategic orientation: a focus on being reactive, compliant, proactive, innovative.
• Degree of innovativeness: reactors are incremental, innovators are more radical.
• Predominant practices: from incremental process innovations to product and
business model innovations.
• Mechanisms of influence: reactors are driven by regulation, innovators are more
influenced by and influence collaborations and partnerships.
• Involvement of external actors: engagement of governments, regulators, value
chain partners and knowledge institutions.
• Predominant driver: external regulation gives way to a market-driven orientation.
When referring to green innovation, a range of synonymous terms are used
interchangeably, including sustainable innovation, environmental innovation and
ecological innovation. These terms have only minor conceptual differences. In both
conceptualization and operationalization, the ecological dimension is privileged over
the social dimension.
In the fields of business, administration, finance and economics, the focus of study
is on economic topics at the medium and large scales of innovation science (i.e. at
the industry level and national policy level) not at smaller scales, such as managerial
topics (i.e. at the intra-firm level). Journal of Cleaner Production is identified as the
most prolific publisher in these fields.
The following determinants of eco-innovation are identified:
• Sector: the greatest activity is observed in the most polluting sectors.
• Financial: eco-innovation is not incompatible with business logic, can affect
efficiency savings and competitiveness.
• Market expectations: consumers are an increasingly important driver.
• Technological capabilities: such as R&D.
• Use of tools: adoption of environmental management systems and other tools
such as life-cycle assessment and eco-labelling can positively influence ecoinnovation.
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