Green Product Innovation: Where we are and Where we are Going

Abstract

Green product innovation (GPI) is becoming more and more relevant for policy makers, companies and society as a whole. As a result, over the last few years the number of studies on GPI development has increased substantially, thus prompting the need to analyse and synthesize the results of these studies. With this aim, this study reviews the body of knowledge on the topic. In particular, a systematic review of the literature is conducted, guided by three main research questions. Specifically, this paper identifies the antecedents, the outcomes and the success factors for GPI development. 63 studies are included in the review. Results show that many factors drive the development of GPI, both internal and external to the firm. Among internal factors, the most important are the prospect of competitive advantage, cost reduction, market benefits, improved reputation and opportunities for innovation. Among external factors, the most important are environmental regulations -current and/or expected -and market demand. In terms of outcomes, this study provides evidence that the most relevant ones are cost savings, achievement of competitive advantage, increased market share, increased sales, increased turnover, higher profits, better reputation, increased exports and higher productivity. Finally, this study highlights that many factors can influence the successful development of GPI, such as top management commitment, building networks of collaborations as well as enhancing knowledge flows, both within and outside the firm, cross-functional integration and development of resources and capabilities. This study provides important implications for companies, policy makers and scholars.

Integrando sustentabilidade ambiental e gestão de portfólio de projetos: estudo de caso em uma empresa de energia

“…The lack of technological knowledge available in certain projects, another of the difficulties highlighted and illustrated in the study by the case of "fish elevators," is also revealing as regards barriers to the integration of environmental aspects into projects (Dangelico, 2015;Van Hemel & Cramer, 2002). In response to this question, Dangelico et al (2013) suggest that competencies in this area can be improved by firms through internal efforts in terms of R&D projects focused on the environmental area; by strengthening skills for the development of environmentally sound products and processes; and by the development of transversal skills and knowledge, which can occur through collaboration with diverse actors, such as partner companies, universities, and research centers.…”

“…Dangelico & Pujari (2010) and Dangelico et al (2013) highlight the fact that in the area of business and operations management, environmental sustainability has become one of the main themes in the areas of strategy, marketing, and innovation. This is because more environmentally sustainable companies tend to reap benefits, such as an increased market share, improved reputation, improved innovative capacity, better compliance with legislation, and increased exports, among others (Dangelico, 2015).…”

“…The pressure from stakeholders, including governments (Dalhammar, 2016) and various actors in consumer markets (Ji et al, 2015), to adopt sustainable practices has been increasing. This importance and pressure to adopt environmental sustainability has been evidenced since 1972 with the United Nations conference for the environment that occurred in Stockholm, and the global problems of environmental sustainability have been part of the political agendas of most countries (Dangelico, 2015). For example, in 2015 the main goal of the meeting in Paris called COP21, which was attended by representatives of over a hundred countries, was to reach an agreement with universal participation among all nations to reduce the use of carbon and increase the use of renewable energies (Robbins, 2016).…”

An Empirical Study on Design Partner Selection in Green Product Collaboration Design

“…To adapt to these trends, an environmental impact assessment should be considered as an important factor in the development phase of new products, in addition to the cost and quality of the product [24]. Therefore, the design and development of green products has attracted the attention of many scholars [25][26][27][28]. Green and sustainable product design partners, as an important part of the collaborative design of green products, need to be studied in depth.…”

Clustering product innovators: a comparison between conventional and green product innovators

“…Recently, a review specifically focusing on green product innovation published by Dangelico (2016) makes an important contribution by analysing 63 studies in the field. It is affirmed that "with regard to capabilities in common with conventional new product development, it would be interesting for future research to investigate whether there is a difference between GPI development and conventional new product development in terms of relative importance of these capabilities and in terms of their extent of use" Dangelico (2016:574).…”