A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System
A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System
A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System
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The <strong>Management</strong> of Waste and Sustainable Development<br />
as Eco-<strong>Innovation</strong> and Source of Per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />
Carine Deslee<br />
MCF - IMMD - Université de Lille 2 – SKEMA, Université Lille Nord de France,<br />
Lille School Of <strong>Management</strong> Research Center, France<br />
cdeslee@gmail.com<br />
Abstract: This idea of eco-innovation is fairly recent. One of the first appearances of the concept of ecoinnovation<br />
in the literature is in the book by Fussler and James (1996). In a subsequent article, James (1997)<br />
defines eco-innovation as ' new products and processes which provide customer and business value but<br />
significantly decrease environmental impacts '. Eco-innovation boosts economic growth whilst protecting the<br />
environment and can be a source of competitive advantage <strong>for</strong> an established firm? We consider how the device<br />
of Participative innovation (Telgborg, 2010; Durieux, 2000; Everaere, 1996) interacts with the development of<br />
eco-innovations. This <strong>for</strong>m of innovation emanates from a desire at the head of the company not to book<br />
innovation to a few specialists, but to spread it among all company employees. Our question is as follows: How<br />
the management of waste and sustainable development can be a source of innovation and per<strong>for</strong>mance? We<br />
consider here the case of the SNCF Company and more particularly the device of Participative <strong>Innovation</strong> (PI)<br />
which can lead innovativeness towards eco-innovations. Its aim is to involve all stakeholders of the company in<br />
search of innovations, both in terms of products and services. Our interest in this research is how the SNCF<br />
company can successfully meet the challenges ahead concerning the management of waste and sustainable<br />
development as a source of innovation and per<strong>for</strong>mance in a context of opening of its market and competition. In<br />
this single case study, we access all different sources of data: documentation, archival records, interviews, direct<br />
observation, participant observation, and physical and cultural artefacts. More recently, the concern of<br />
sustainable development stakes have impulsed innovativeness towards the management of waste and<br />
sustainable development. We will prove through the development of several innovations - <strong>for</strong> instance noise<br />
reduction, green technology concerning high speed train compressor - in the case of the SNCF company how the<br />
management of waste and sustainable development is a source of innovation and per<strong>for</strong>mance.<br />
Keywords: sustainable development, eco-innovation, waste management, per<strong>for</strong>mance, participative <strong>Innovation</strong>,<br />
SNCF (société nationale des chemins de fer français)<br />
1. Introduction<br />
Faced with international competition, economic, social and environmental crisis, innovation is a key to<br />
business development and eco-innovations. This context strives firms to integrate these new issues<br />
into their strategies. The European Commission defines sustainable development as " the voluntary<br />
integration, by enterprises, of social and environmental concerns in their business operations and<br />
their relationships with their stakeholders " (European green book, july 2001). The brand of clothing H<br />
& M <strong>for</strong> example launched in 2011 a collection of eco-friendly clothing made from organic cotton,<br />
Tencel ® and recycled polyester.<br />
Hawken (1995 : 21) asks : can we create profitable businesses that grow without destroying, directly<br />
or indirectly, the world around them ? Integrating principles of sustainable development seems to be<br />
inevitable <strong>for</strong> companies today. But how to crystallize its diverse and sometimes conflicting issues is<br />
in question within companies?<br />
In fact, to develop eco innovation can be leverage <strong>for</strong> savings and sustainable development. Ecoinnovations<br />
can be considered as commercial application of knowledge to develop direct or indirect<br />
ecological improvements. Eco-innovation is a term used to describe products and processes that<br />
contribute to sustainable development. It is often used to describe a range of related ideas, from<br />
environmentally friendly technological advances to socially acceptable innovative paths towards<br />
sustainability. First, we will develop our theoretical framework with the questions of the management<br />
of waste and eco-innovation versus per<strong>for</strong>mance, some points on Participative innovation and<br />
innovation and the context of a bureaucratic structure such as the SNCF company be<strong>for</strong>e we<br />
<strong>for</strong>mulate our research question. Then, we will focus on Participative <strong>Innovation</strong> (PI) in the context of<br />
SNCF 1 company as far as the management of waste and sustainable development in eco- innovation<br />
1 SNCF means « Société nationale des chemins de fer français ». It is the national railways company in France. It has a long<br />
history that began in 1938 with the merge of five private companies and two public networks. In1983, it became a public<br />
industrial and commercial enterprise (EPIC).<br />
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