Page 44 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 44
In Pursuit of Eco-innovation
son 2007) have written that organizational eco-innovation refers to the
introduction of new organizational methods and management systems
for coping with environmental issues in production and products. Fur-
thermore, they have classified organizational eco-innovation as: pollution
prevention schemes (prevention of pollution through input substitution,
a more efficient operation of processes and small changes to production
plants); environmental management and auditing systems (formal system
that involves measurement, reporting and responsibilities for dealing
with issues of material use, energy, water and waste; e.g., EMAS and ISO
14001); and chain management (cooperation between companies to close
material loops and to avoid environmental damage across the value chain
– “from cradle to grave”). Among the management instruments on a firm
level are eco-audits (Rennings 2000). “The Eco-audit should provide a
44 list of recommended actions, in terms of increasing cost-effectiveness in
addressing the critical environmental issues. This list should include in-
terim and long-term targets and a timetable for achieving them, togeth-
er with an indication of the investments and other resources (human, in-
formation, and so on) that would be required. The following points relate
to the procedures for the execution of an Eco-Audit” (World Bank, 1995
in Sarkar 2013, 214). Cheng and Shiu (2012) distinguish the following
types of organizational eco-innovation: use of novel systems to manage
eco-innovation, use of eco-innovation as one of a unit’s management pol-
icies, collection of information on eco-innovation trends, active engage-
ment in eco-innovation activities, communication of eco-innovation in-
formation to employees, applying the concept of eco-innovation to unit
management, investment of a high ratio of R&D in eco-innovation and
communication of experiences among various departments involved in
eco-innovation. Organizational eco-innovations include any reorganiza-
tion in the company intended to reduce the negative impact on the en-
vironment, such as environmental management systems (Chassagnon
and Haned 2014, 3). Organizational eco-innovations, therefore, com-
prise: environmental management systems (e.g., ISO 14000 family stand-
ards or the voluntary EU instrument on the Eco-Management and Au-
dit Scheme (EMAS)) or other specific environmental management tools
such as process control tools, environmental audits or “chain” manage-
ment (Reid and Miedzinski 2008). In addition, ISO 14001 is more a re-
sponse to external pressure (customer requirements, public image, stake-
holders’ and regulatory pressure), while EMAS tends to be motivated
internally by corporate culture and influential individuals (Neugebau-
er 2012). Regarding environmental management systems (focusing on
son 2007) have written that organizational eco-innovation refers to the
introduction of new organizational methods and management systems
for coping with environmental issues in production and products. Fur-
thermore, they have classified organizational eco-innovation as: pollution
prevention schemes (prevention of pollution through input substitution,
a more efficient operation of processes and small changes to production
plants); environmental management and auditing systems (formal system
that involves measurement, reporting and responsibilities for dealing
with issues of material use, energy, water and waste; e.g., EMAS and ISO
14001); and chain management (cooperation between companies to close
material loops and to avoid environmental damage across the value chain
– “from cradle to grave”). Among the management instruments on a firm
level are eco-audits (Rennings 2000). “The Eco-audit should provide a
44 list of recommended actions, in terms of increasing cost-effectiveness in
addressing the critical environmental issues. This list should include in-
terim and long-term targets and a timetable for achieving them, togeth-
er with an indication of the investments and other resources (human, in-
formation, and so on) that would be required. The following points relate
to the procedures for the execution of an Eco-Audit” (World Bank, 1995
in Sarkar 2013, 214). Cheng and Shiu (2012) distinguish the following
types of organizational eco-innovation: use of novel systems to manage
eco-innovation, use of eco-innovation as one of a unit’s management pol-
icies, collection of information on eco-innovation trends, active engage-
ment in eco-innovation activities, communication of eco-innovation in-
formation to employees, applying the concept of eco-innovation to unit
management, investment of a high ratio of R&D in eco-innovation and
communication of experiences among various departments involved in
eco-innovation. Organizational eco-innovations include any reorganiza-
tion in the company intended to reduce the negative impact on the en-
vironment, such as environmental management systems (Chassagnon
and Haned 2014, 3). Organizational eco-innovations, therefore, com-
prise: environmental management systems (e.g., ISO 14000 family stand-
ards or the voluntary EU instrument on the Eco-Management and Au-
dit Scheme (EMAS)) or other specific environmental management tools
such as process control tools, environmental audits or “chain” manage-
ment (Reid and Miedzinski 2008). In addition, ISO 14001 is more a re-
sponse to external pressure (customer requirements, public image, stake-
holders’ and regulatory pressure), while EMAS tends to be motivated
internally by corporate culture and influential individuals (Neugebau-
er 2012). Regarding environmental management systems (focusing on
