Do stakeholder capabilities promote sustainable business innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises? Evidence from Italy

Convergence innovation in the digital age and in the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

“…To compete successfully in the hyper-competitive and unstable environment, organizations must develop dynamic capabilities based on agility, flexibility, resilience, and speed ( Aghina, De Smet, Lackey, Lurie, & Muraka, 2018 ). Thus, sustainable innovation has become a strategic priority for every type of organization, be it a business, government, or nonprofit enterprise ( Ettlie, 2006 , Lee and Lim, 2018 , Veronica et al, 2019 ).…”

The psychological distance and construal level perspectives of sustainable value creation in SMEs

“…Several studies have investigated the relationship between stakeholder engagement and the SMEs' ability to achieve their desired sustainability outcomes (e.g., Del Giudice et al, 2017;Klewitz, 2017;Salem, Shawtari, Shamsudin, & Hussain, 2018;Veronica et al, 2019).…”

“…Some studies suggest that innovations are fundamental to the introduction of sustainable products, services and new sustainability practices and ultimately the creation of sustainable value (Aboelmaged & Hashem, 2019; Klewitz & Hansen, 2014; Knight, Megicks, Agarwal, & Leenders, 2019; Zhang & Walton, 2017). SMEs that pursue sustainable innovations are more likely to do so under certain conditions: (a) when they face uncertainty in their environments (Del Brío & Junquera, 2003); (b) when they have increased access to slack resources (Álvarez Jaramillo, Zartha Sossa, & Orozco‐Mendoza, 2019; Del Brio & Junquera, 2003; Del Giudice et al, 2017; Halme & Korpela, 2014; Klewitz & Hansen, 2014; Viesi, Pozzar, Federici, Crema, & Mahbub, 2017); (c) when they are owned and managed by individuals with strong sustainability values (Klewitz & Hansen, 2014; Melander, 2018); (d) when they have large stakeholder networks (Del Giudice et al, 2017; Klewitz, 2017; Veronica, Alexeis, Valentina, & Elisa, 2019), and (e) when they have strong absorption capacities and simplified structures to utilise new knowledge (Aboelmaged & Hashem, 2019; Bos‐Brouwers, 2010; Johnson, 2017; Schaltegger & Wagner, 2011). For such SMEs, their goal may be to ensure that in the process of creating their economic value, value for multiple stakeholders is simultaneously created.…”

“…Several studies have investigated the relationship between stakeholder engagement and the SMEs' ability to achieve their desired sustainability outcomes (e.g., Del Giudice et al, 2017; Klewitz, 2017; Salem, Shawtari, Shamsudin, & Hussain, 2018; Veronica et al, 2019). These studies suggest that a strong relationship with their multiple stakeholders through regular dialogue and the ability to respond to the interests of the latter can generate sustainable value (Aragon‐Correa et al, 2008).…”

Role of entrepreneurial opportunity identification factors in the eco‐innovation of agribusiness

“…For example, McDonald's adopted an eco‐innovation strategy by reducing packaging to minimize raw materials and better protect the environment (Ahmed & Kamruzzaman, 2010). Undoubtedly, eco‐innovation practices are expected to consume less energy and natural resources, in addition to creating new sustainable processes, methods, and products (Veronica, Alexeis, Valentina, & Elisa, 2019). Most importantly, eco‐innovation is transforming problem solving and entrepreneurial opportunity to address environmental issues, as well as to support business performance.…”