Sustainabilty integration in product portfolio for sustainable development: Findings from the industry

Many companies decide which services, products, and technologies to include in their product portfolio using evaluation criteria, which often consider cost, quality, risk, revenue, time, and market position. Incorporating sustainability in the portfolio evaluation criteria could ensure the development of sustainable solutions from the early stages of the product development process, where there is more room for innovation. The aim of this paper is to understand how sustainability can be integrated in the company portfolio development. Semi-structured interviews were performed with experts in the field and representatives from multinational manufacturing companies with operations in Sweden. Main findings from this study include a proposed definition of a sustainability product portfolio concept and suggested portfolio evaluation criteria from an industry perspective. Future research will develop a method to guide manufacturing companies in sustainability integration and implementation in product portfolios.     

矿产资源业可持续发展初探

本文首先分析了我国矿产资源业的现状,并从理论与实践的结合上探讨了我国矿产资源业的发展规律和可持续发展问题,最后从发展战略、法制建设、加快企业改革步伐、开展科技攻关、落实走出去战略、加强科学发展观教育等六个方面,提出了矿产资源业可持续发展的政策选择.     

Measuring performance in new product development projects: A case study in the aerospace industry

Implementing a performance measurement system (PMS) for research and development (R&D) is fundamental for supporting decision making and motivating researchers and engineers; however, this is a very challenging task, because effort levels are not measurable and success highly uncertain. Even if the subject has largely been debated in academic and practitioners literature so far, an acknowledged managerial approach is not available yet. This paper investigates the implementation and use of a PMS in new product development (NPD) projects, which represents a relatively unexplored issue in the R&D performance measurement debate. In particular, studying the case of a military aircraft development project, it provides a reference framework that integrates the major literature contributions' findings and suggests a practical approach for the design and implementation of an effective PMS for NPD.     

Understanding sustainable development flexibility: An information perspective

Although flexibility has been considered critical in responding to uncertainty in a business environment, few studies have explored firms' flexibility in sustainable development. To understand the nature of firms that can respond better to uncertainty in their sustainable development practices, this study defines sustainable development flexibility and investigates the mechanism underlying its formation. The study proposes a conceptual framework on the interactions of managers' environmental attitude and cognitive style, as well as firms' information integration on sustainable development flexibility. A questionnaire survey was developed to test the corresponding hypotheses, and 241 valid responses were received from middle- and top-level managers in Chinese firms. The results show that (a) the higher the manager's environmental attitude, the higher the firm's information integration and greater sustainable supply chain flexibility, and (b) the more intuitive the manager's cognitive style, the greater the impact of environmental attitude on sustainable development flexibility.     

Sustainable product innovation and changing consumer behavior: Sustainability affordances as triggers of adoption and usage

This conceptual paper argues that for sustainable product innovation to make a contribution to addressing sustainability issues, we need to understand not only why consumers adopt sustainable products but also what makes them use these in sustainable way. To explain how specific product features can change the ways in which consumers engage with sustainable products in the adoption and usage phase, we draw on affordance theory. Affordances refer to the potential for agentic action of users in relation to a technological object. We develop a conceptual framework that explains how sustainable product innovation can lead to the design of sustainability affordances that stimulate adoption and sustainable usage. The framework shows how three forms of agency—material, firm, and user agency—interact and together influence a product's sustainability affordances that drive adoption and a change in consumer behavior. The framework explains how trade-offs between a product's environmental features and consumer expectations regarding desired functionalities and user experience can be overcome.     

Corporate motivations for environmental sustainable development: exploring the role of consumers in stakeholder engagement

This paper examines the extent to which the end‐consumer appears to influence corporate behaviour towards reporting specific environmental management activities, through examination of environmental disclosures by the UK FTSE 100 companies. The paper also explores whether proximity to the end‐consumer is associated with particular motivations for environmental management – whether cost‐reducing or reputational benefits, hypothesizing that close‐to‐consumer companies (C2C) will have a greater focus on reputational benefits than their counterparts. The results established that C2C companies were significantly more active in particular environmental measures (climate change and management processes) than their counterparts. They were also more likely to undertake environmental activities for which there was no explicit cost‐reduction benefit, suggesting that reputation with consumers/society may be a particular business motivator for them. These findings are important to policy makers, government and investors in terms of identifying which companies are leading particular aspects of the corporate environmental agenda and understanding the driving forces for it. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

The effect of ownership on sustainable development and environmental policy in urban waste management: An explicatory empirical analysis of Italian municipal corporations

This paper investigates the effect of ownership on sustainable development and environmental policy in Italian municipally owned corporations (MOCs) dealing with urban waste management, trying to understand if multiple ownership can generate better performance compared to single ownership and if the presence of private partners could be crucial in this. The research question is answered by analyzing 41 MOCs of the largest Italian cities operating in urban waste management. In this specific sector, public administrations have tried to improve their offer in terms of sustainable development, environmental policy, and efficiency. The paper covers the Italian case study, where urban waste production per capita is higher than the European average figure. The waste cycle management service is operated in Italy at local level through totally publicly owned companies (monoadministration or multiadministration), mixed (public–private) companies, or via a full externalization achieved by means of public tenders. Through a multinomial ordered probit panel, we show that MOCs with multiple owners perform better than those having a single owner and perform much better with the presence of a private partner, confirming those academic findings according to which collaborative arrangements can increase efficiency, do better than public sector bureaucracy, and lower the costs of service provision. The results of this paper can be used by academics, practitioners, and policy makers alike. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only study that applies this perspective to the analysis of the current international waste management scenario with relation to MOCs having multiple ownerships.     

浅论建筑业的可持续发展

创新是行业发展的灵魂,人类环保意识的增强要求建筑业必须树立可持续发展的创新理念,以生态平衡原则实施可持续建筑创新战略。文章阐述了企业可持续性发展概念的来源与内涵,分析了我国建筑业企业面临的挑战,并提出应对措施。     

Sustainable development and intangibles: building sustainable intellectual capital

Sustainable intellectual capital is a promising starting‐point for the incorporation of environmental aspects into the general management system of a firm. This paper examines how sustainable intellectual capital helps to overcome the shortcomings of conventional approaches to environmental management systems. It does this by extending the concept of sustainability from relational capital to the three pillars of intellectual capital: human, structural and relational intellectual capital. A multiple case study was carried out with Spanish firms characterized by their high level of environmental leadership. The findings indicated that sustainable human intellectual capital, environmental training, information and awareness sessions help in the accumulation and utilization of knowledge. As for sustainable structural intellectual capital, the environmental technology portfolio is improved and new environmental departments are created. Regarding sustainable relational intellectual capital, the firm–environment link is very important. In the primary and secondary sectors suppliers become involved to a greater extent in the environmental management process, whereas in the service sector it is the customer who becomes more involved. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Sustainable product disposal: Consumer redistributing behaviors versus hoarding and throwing away

Business strategies involving sustainable product disposal have focused mostly on technical aspects but neglected to adequately incorporate the nature of consumers' behavior. The current study addresses this void. We study consumer product disposal behavior and subsequently offer insights to businesses on how to incorporate consumer input into their strategic decision making in the light of opportunities to mitigate environmental impacts. Consumers' redistributing of unwanted but still useful products to others by reselling, passing along, or donating, rather than hoarding or throwing away, contributes to product lifetime extension and waste management. We study factors influencing product redistribution and explore profile of consumers who engage in various disposal behaviors. Findings from two online surveys, on mobile phones and sunglasses, reveal that specific waste attitudes, that is, waste minimization and waste aversion, rather than general environmental concern, are key determinants of product redistribution choice. Product cost is positively related to reselling and giving behaviors. Furthermore, product quality and product self-image congruency significantly reduce the odds of throwing away. The method of product redistribution is also influenced by consumers' demographic characteristics including age, education level, and income. This paper advances extant literature on product disposal from the perspective of the consumer and provides input into development of business strategies that incorporate consumers' sustainable disposal behaviors. We also offer input to policy makers on how to curb or delay waste and pollution.     

Radical innovations in new product development and their financial performance implications: An event study of US manufacturing firms

At the dawn of the 21st century, global competition continues to increase at an accelerating rate and radical innovation is recognized as a potent weapon for firms to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. Academics, practitioners and consultants share the view that radical innovation is important to the long-term financial success of firms. Nevertheless, empirical studies on the relationship between radical innovation and firm performance have been dominated by survey research, which provided little concrete evidence on the financial impact of radical innovation. In this study we traced the financial performance of publicly traded manufacturing firms in the United States that introduced radical innovations over the period 1986-2000 and examined whether radical innovation could lead to superior financial performance in these firms. We employed the event-study method, matching each sample firm with a control group of firms in the same industry with similar pre-event performance and firm size. Our results show that while radical innovation helps firms maintain sales growth and return on sales (ROS), firm profitability in terms of return on assets (ROA) is not significantly improved. In fact, manufacturers suffer from a decline in profitability upon the introduction of radical innovations in new product development.     

Green aviation industry sustainable development towards an integrated support system

Sustainable development is becoming increasingly crucial for the green aviation industry. To promote the sustainable development of the green aviation industry, researchers all over the world have attempted to explore and experiment with new initiatives. This study investigates green aviation industry development trends by a bibliometric-based data analysis system. Cluster, timezone, and timeline visualizations are employed to identify the current development trends of the green aviation industry within three topics: noise, environmental impacts, and green image. In response to environmental challenges, an integrated green aviation industry support system that involves stakeholder engagement should be established, including business strategies, innovative technologies, environmental policies, and public support. In this study, the innovation and sustainability potential of the green aviation industry is evaluated. Then, the roles of strategy improvement, technology integration, policy support, and public participation in forming the integrated support system are examined. The outline of this system may prove helpful for the sustainable development of the green aviation industry.     

The role of environmental innovation through the technological proximity in the implementation of the sustainable development

This paper explores the relationship between a firm's knowledge sourcing strategy and green innovation. The data are taken from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development REGPAT database, February 2016, relative to the European Patent Office firms' patent applications published up to December 2015. The study contributes to the literature by focusing on the moderating role of integration between different activities related to environmental performance on the relationship between knowledge sources and green innovations. The results from 240 firms indicate a shift in the focus from internal knowledge to external knowledge when developing environmental innovations. Government policies promoting more knowledge complementarity and coordination between environmental fields will help to promote more knowledge transfer, allowing more sustainable development.     

Business-oriented environmental regulation: Measurement and implications for environmental policy and business strategy from a sustainable development perspective

Business-oriented environmental regulation is expected to have a fundamental role in mitigating the adverse effects of human activity on the natural environment. However, its effectiveness and efficiency are not well established. A systematic literature review reveals validity and reliability problems in the measurement of business-oriented environmental regulation. From a sustainable development perspective, we develop a theoretical framework that aims to enhance the measurement and assessment of this kind of regulation. Our theoretical framework proposes that the goals of business-oriented environmental regulation must articulate a measurement system in a 3 × 3 matrix: three measurement levels (stringency, response, and outcome—in this cause–effect order) and three sustainability dimensions (environmental, social, and economic—in this constraint order). For each cell, we propose a combination of objective and subjective indicators. This theoretical framework expands existing approaches to business-oriented environmental regulation measurement by integrating a sustainable development perspective into a measurement framework in a structured theory-driven manner. Not only will this measurement system be useful for improving environmental policy, but it will also allow companies to improve their business strategy and come closer to complying with environmental regulations in order to effectively contribute to solutions for current environmental problems and help achieve a sustainable development.     

企业生态经济效率与可持续发展

认为可持续发展是当今社会发展的主题,生态经济是现代乃至未来经济发展的方向;随着经济发展由工业时代向环境时代、由经济效率向生态效率的转变,将生态环境因素纳入企业管理决策中显得愈发迫切,在业绩评价中融入生态经济效率概念,对于企业可持续发展有着重要的现实意义。从业绩评价的角度对生态经济效率的相关概念、内涵、特点及作用进行了诠释和解读,指出生态经济效率融合了环境业绩与经济业绩,要求企业以较少的生态环境影响实现较大的经济效益,从而实现可持续发展的战略目标及创造长期的价值。     

Assessing efficiency and innovation in the 3PL industry: an empirical analysis

ABSTRACT

The Third-party Logistics (3PL) industry is facing both important growth rates and increasing competitive pressure. 3PL providers are required to continuously sustain a more and more competitive cost structure (i.e. efficiency) and develop capabilities to improve their services (i.e. innovation); hence, the evaluation of these key success factors is considered a key issue. This paper develops a quantitative analysis of 71 Italian 3PL providers by using Data Envelopment Analysis to jointly assess efficiency and innovation. Furthermore, through a case study research, it corroborates the quantitative results by investigating the strategies of best-in-class companies. Results allowed identifying 13 3PL providers as efficiency leaders and 6 as leaders from both the efficiency and the innovation side. Their input composition indicates a diversification of the business models. A breakdown of the analysis by size and industry focus, along with empirical evidence on the strategies enhancing efficiency and innovation, is also provided.     

小城镇可持续化发展评价指标体系框架研究

小城镇发展是中国近年来城镇发展的一个非常重要的过程,也出现了不少问题。为了能实现可持续发展的目标,小城镇发展必须遵循科学发展的路径。文章提出一套实验性的小城镇可持续化发展指标体系框架,可用于检验小城镇发展过程中产生的问题并且提供针对性指导。     

城市胁迫发展理论--城市可持续发展的生态学视角

将生态学的胁迫概念引入到城市的可持续发展领域中,探讨了城市的供应系统、生产系统、消费系统在面临资源、能源以及环境不足时产生的胁迫调整规律.同时对胁迫调整的作用力进行了分析,并进一步提出了城市胁迫发展的概念,对其核心问题进行了细致的阐述,从而为解决城市的可持续发展提供了一条行之有效的发展模式.     

The association between environmental sustainable development and internalization of a quality standard

This work empirically examines the importance of the internalization of a quality standard for environmental sustainable development in Spanish hotels. It aims to examine the direct relationships between the internalization of a quality standard and environmental practices and performance and the mediating role of environmental practices on the relationship between the internalization of a quality standard and environmental performance. The work uses a sample of 176 hotels and applies the partial least squares (PLS) approach to test these relationships. The results show that (a) the internalization of a quality standard (through daily practices and continuous improvement) is positively related to environmental practices and performance and (b) environmental practices partially mediate the relationship between the internalization of a quality standard and environmental performance. The study extends the literature by explaining that the internalization of a quality standard strengthens environmental sustainable development.     

基于产业生态链的经济技术开发区可持续发展研究

认为作为对外开放的窗口和改革的试验田,我国沿海开发区自20世纪80年代创办以来,取得了令人瞩目的成就;经过20多年的发展,一部分开发区出现了明显的后继乏力,开发区的可待续发展已经引起了学术界和政府有关部门的关注;从产业生态链的视角,分析了我国经济技术开发区可持续发展中存在的问题,并提出了相应的对策.