Green Practices and Organizational Design as Sources of Strategic Flexibility and Performance

Abstract

Green competences are dynamic capabilities based on practices (green practices), routines and structures that can be used to detect opportunities, make the most of them and use them to transform organizations. With this in mind, we explore the relationships between environmental management, organizational performance, and organizational processes and practices. We identify three key constructs related to green competences: (1) hybrid structures, (2) environmental best practices and (3) strategic flexibility, a key variable connecting structural design and green practices to organizational performance. We propose that the implementation of specific organizational structures characterized by the inclusion of market-driven control practices within hierarchies (internal hybrids) could enhance firms' environmental responsiveness and deployment of green best practices. In addition, we suggest that green practices and structures are positively related to the development of strategic flexibility, driving aboveaverage returns in dynamic environments. To test these hypotheses, we use data from the European aviation industry.

Achieving Sustainable Development by Collaborating in Green Product Innovation

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Customer and Supplier Collaboration in Green Product Innovation: External and Internal Capabilities

“…Environmental practices include having an environmental plan, offering environmental training to employees and controlling hazardous materials (Hofmann et al ., ). It is suggested that green practices should be combined with internal organizational management practices (Perez‐Valls et al ., ). The GPI projects existed in corporate settings where the environmental culture of the firms was clearly stated in visions, strategic documents and sustainability reports.…”

Environmental Management, Strategic Practices and Praxis: A Study in Santa Catarina Industrial Companies

“…"There is also a growing conviction that environmental sustainability challenges require actions that directly impact business strategies and supply chain practices" (Coyle et al, 2015, p. 365). In this sense, sustainable practices can generate new opportunities and, consequently, transform organizations (PerezValls, Cespedes-Lorente, & Moreno-Garcia, 2015).…”