This study aims to develop an integrative framework for green new product development (NPD) based on the existing literature and to empirically study the applicability of that integrative framework. This study answers three calls: for research that is rooted in a traditional NPD perspective, for research that integrates marketing aspects in a model of green NPD, and for research that acknowledges variations in greenness. The results from eight case studies in two industries (i.e., the chemical and food industries) substantiate the integrative framework and suggest that it provides a good basis for understanding green NPD. The study demonstrates that green NPD is not fundamentally different from traditional NPD but does contain features and underlying mechanisms that reflect the increased complexity of green NPD. The framework incorporates the targeting and positioning of green product innovations, thus establishing itself as a holistic framework. Most importantly, the study shows how greenness plays a pivotal role in tying the various elements of the framework together. The realized greenness of a new product is a central concept that helps managers understand complex relationships among industry type, green targeting, and green positioning.Index Terms-Case studies, chemical industry, design for the environment, food industry, new product development (NPD), product innovations, sustainability.
An important challenge facing firms and governments is the realization of sustainable development objectives. Sustainable technology, as an effective means to achieve sustainable development, has recently gained much interest from both society and academia. Prior research has investigated the effects of several factors on the adoption of sustainable technologies and provides a basic understanding of firms' sustainable technology adoption behaviours. However, the results of this research are scattered across different disciplines, making that knowledge on sustainable technology adoption fragmented. In this systematic literature review, Elsevier and Web of Science were used as databases to search articles in the field of sustainable process technology adoption. Based on criteria, i.e., document type, languages, definition of adoption and sustainable technology and analysis level, 34 out of 964 articles were selected in the review. A qualitative synthesis method was chosen because the aim of this study is to understand and explain the effect of a specific factor as well as to explain the often-contradictory evidence in different contexts, focusing on not only the convergence but also the divergence in prior studies. Based on the typology from United Nations Environmental Program of sustainable technologies, a classification of sustainable process technologies is provided: CO 2 /emission reduction, material/fuel substitution, energy/material efficiency and recycling technologies. Environmental regulations and firm characteristics are most widely studied factors influencing sustainable process technology adoption. Coercive pressure, market pressure, technology capability, internal support, adoption experience, certified systems, and cooperation are important for sustainable process technology adoption. Firm characteristics (e.g. firm size, ownership) and technology types (e.g. end-of-pipe technology vs. cleaner technology) are
This study investigates the effects of the use of social media in inbound open innovation on capabilities for absorptive capacity of companies. Seven explorative case studies were conducted in an R&D and business context of two large global high-tech companies. The results suggest that if the necessary conditions are met, social media usage increases the transparent, moderational and multi-directional interactions that in turn influence four capabilities for absorptive capacity: connectedness, socialization tactics, cross-functionality and receptivity, a hitherto overlooked capability. Hence, we observe that social media are boundary-spanning tools that can be used to build and increase companies' absorptive capacity.
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