Page 107 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 107
Consequences of Eco-innovation Adoption 107
found that the least innovative firms have achieved greater international
scope than firms that are moderately innovative. In more detail, they sug-
gest that firms whose goal is entry in foreign markets should either use a
low innovation strategy to minimize development costs or invest more
effort to become sector leaders by investing in leading edge innovations
(Dai et al. 2013).
Cassiman and Golovko (2011) found that successful product inno-
vation spurs firm to get involved in international activities, usually in ex-
ports; moreover, investments in product innovation are associated with
success on global export markets (D’Angelo et al. 2013). Thereby, firms
that successfully implement eco-innovations expand their operations on
foreign markets; they have an opportunity to internationalize because of
successful implementation of eco-innovation. Martin-Tapia et al. (2008)
found a positive relationship between advanced environmental strate-
gies and internationalization (i.e., export intensity); moreover, proactive
environmental strategy is positively related to a company’s export per-
formance (Martin-Tapia et al. 2010). This means that proactive environ-
mental strategy helps to improve export performance, while its effect in-
creases with firm size; that is, this effect is stronger for smaller enterprises
than for micro enterprises, and it is greater for medium enterprises than
for smaller ones (Martin-Tapia et al. 2010). Moreover, the study conduct-
ed on a sample of export firms from the Spanish food industry has shown
that, for export firms that work and spend time in markets with different
environmental institutional profiles, gaining a background of complex
knowledge is positively related to the adoption of a proactive environ-
mental strategy (Aguilera-Caracuel et al. 2012). Leonidou et al. (2013b)
found in their study that eco-friendly marketing strategy contributes
to the achievement of superior export performance (such a strategy has
turned out to be of even greater necessity when firms are selling industri-
al goods versus consumer goods and targeting developed rather develop-
ing countries).
In addition, Beise and Rennings (2005) argued that national regu-
lations, which stimulate environmental innovation, have to be proper-
ly set and need to comply with international markets, demand and inter-
national regulations in order for the “doors to international markets [to]
be opened”; otherwise, these eco-products and services will only be nich-
es just in regional and national markets. Therefore, countries that apply
more stringent environmental standards and possess higher innovation
capabilities have a greater export capacity for those environmental friend-
ly technologies whose adoption is induced by regulations (Costantini and
found that the least innovative firms have achieved greater international
scope than firms that are moderately innovative. In more detail, they sug-
gest that firms whose goal is entry in foreign markets should either use a
low innovation strategy to minimize development costs or invest more
effort to become sector leaders by investing in leading edge innovations
(Dai et al. 2013).
Cassiman and Golovko (2011) found that successful product inno-
vation spurs firm to get involved in international activities, usually in ex-
ports; moreover, investments in product innovation are associated with
success on global export markets (D’Angelo et al. 2013). Thereby, firms
that successfully implement eco-innovations expand their operations on
foreign markets; they have an opportunity to internationalize because of
successful implementation of eco-innovation. Martin-Tapia et al. (2008)
found a positive relationship between advanced environmental strate-
gies and internationalization (i.e., export intensity); moreover, proactive
environmental strategy is positively related to a company’s export per-
formance (Martin-Tapia et al. 2010). This means that proactive environ-
mental strategy helps to improve export performance, while its effect in-
creases with firm size; that is, this effect is stronger for smaller enterprises
than for micro enterprises, and it is greater for medium enterprises than
for smaller ones (Martin-Tapia et al. 2010). Moreover, the study conduct-
ed on a sample of export firms from the Spanish food industry has shown
that, for export firms that work and spend time in markets with different
environmental institutional profiles, gaining a background of complex
knowledge is positively related to the adoption of a proactive environ-
mental strategy (Aguilera-Caracuel et al. 2012). Leonidou et al. (2013b)
found in their study that eco-friendly marketing strategy contributes
to the achievement of superior export performance (such a strategy has
turned out to be of even greater necessity when firms are selling industri-
al goods versus consumer goods and targeting developed rather develop-
ing countries).
In addition, Beise and Rennings (2005) argued that national regu-
lations, which stimulate environmental innovation, have to be proper-
ly set and need to comply with international markets, demand and inter-
national regulations in order for the “doors to international markets [to]
be opened”; otherwise, these eco-products and services will only be nich-
es just in regional and national markets. Therefore, countries that apply
more stringent environmental standards and possess higher innovation
capabilities have a greater export capacity for those environmental friend-
ly technologies whose adoption is induced by regulations (Costantini and
