Eco-innovation practices’ adoption in the automotive industry

Abstract

Purpose Eco-innovation is a relatively recent construct in the literature, which nowadays more and more researchers and academics consider as one of the strategies that generate a higher level of sustainable and business performance. However, little is known about the influence of eco-innovation practices on sustainable performance and business performance, particularly in the automotive and auto parts industry. Therefore, this paper aims to fill this knowledge gap and explore the aforementioned interdependence. Design/methodology/approach The influence of eco-innovation practices on sustainable performance and business performance is investigated through a research framework consisting of 5 constructs, 25 items and 6 hypotheses derived from an extensive review of the literature. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 460 companies in the automotive and auto parts industry in Mexico. The data were analyzed through a confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. Findings The results obtained indicated that eco-innovation practices have a positive influence on both sustainable performance and business performance in the automotive and auto parts industry. Originality/value This paper provides further insightful evidence of the influence of eco-innovation practices on sustainable performance and business performance, particularly in the automotive and auto parts industry.

Open Innovation Strategies and SMEs’ Performance: The Mediating Role of Eco-Innovation in Environmental Uncertainty

“…The company seeks to integrate eco-innovation into its business strategy [35]. This concept used in various industries includes automotive [36,37], wine [10], and various other industries [38]. The ability of a company to apply or embrace new products, processes or ideas, is referred to as eco-innovation capability, to simultaneously maximize environmental, positive economic outcomes [39], contributing to environmental degradation and sustainability goals [40].…”

“…It was prepared by referring to earlier studies with inbound and outbound innovation [79]. Eco-innovation with indicators on product eco-innovation and process eco-innovation referred to [36]. Sustainable competitive advantage referred to [80], and SMEs performance referred to [81].…”

Drivers of multiple eco-innovation and the impact on sustainable competitive advantage: evidence from manufacturing SMEs in Egypt

“…It is thus seen as the development of a novel business model, products, processes, managerial practices, corporate structures and marketing strategies that meet a target of reducing environmental impacts (Maçaneiro et al , 2013) . Eco-innovations can be placed into three distinct types, eco-product, eco-process and organizational innovation (Maldonado-Guzmán and Garza-Reyes, 2020; Triguero et al , 2013). First, eco-organizational innovation implies the development of a corporate culture and new organizational methods which contribute to upgrading management processes and managing the environmental impact of the organization such as eco-training programs, eco-auditing and eco-learning techniques (Ch’ng et al , 2021; Cheng et al , 2014).…”

“…As such, some studies have recommended more investigation and detailed evidence to be carried out in identifying the critical drivers that affect the different eco-innovation types (Cai and Zhou, 2014; Hojnik and Ruzzier, 2016a; Kesidou and Demirel, 2012). As concluded by Maldonado-Guzmán and Garza-Reyes (2020), the adoption of different eco-innovation practices, especially in emerging economies, has yet to be widely explored in the literature.…”

Environmental Innovation and Green Growth in the Repair and Maintenance of Cars—Case Study

“…However, little is known about the influence of eco-innovation practices on sustainable performance and business performance, particularly in the automotive and auto-parts industries. Therefore, the research carried out by Maldonado-Guzmán aims to fill this knowledge gap and explore the aforementioned interdependence [13].…”