Towards an integrated framework for sustainable innovation

Flores, Myrna; Canetta, Luca; Castrovinci, A.; Pedrazzoli, Paolo; Longhi, Renzo; Boër, Claudio R.

doi:10.1080/19397030802496339

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…However, pursuing both is difficult because sustainable innovation requires changing designs, development and production processes (Flores et al 2008), while customisation challenges traditional operational boundaries (Åhlström and Westbrook 1999). In this paper, we argue that TI firms should not consider customisation and sustainable innovation as a trade-off.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TI firms are urged to prioritise both sustainability (Flores et al 2008;Figge and Hahn 2012) and customisation (Davie, Stephenson, and De Uster 2010). However, pursuing both is difficult because sustainable innovation requires changing designs, development and production processes (Flores et al 2008), while customisation challenges traditional operational boundaries (Åhlström and Westbrook 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, increasing global environmental concerns prompt firms to pay more attention to sustainable innovation, i.e. creating or improving products and processes to contribute to the ecological environment (Boons et al 2013;Chen, Lai, and Wen 2006;Fiksel et al 2014;Flores et al 2008;Foxon and Pearson 2008). While firms have to pursue both customisation and sustainable innovation to remain competitive (Boër et al 2013;Medini, Da Cunha, and Bernard 2015), pursuing both of these goals jointly is perceived as being very difficult (Boër et al 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Balancing modularity and solution space freedom: effects on organisational learning and sustainable innovation

Vos

Raassens

Borgh

et al. 2018

International Journal of Production Research

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Many technology-intensive (TI) firms find it challenging to leverage customisation and achieve sustainable innovation. Although some firms use modularity to tackle this challenge, mixed effects on sustainable innovation have been reported. This study uses organisational learning and ambidexterity theory to provide insights into how TI firms can achieve 'winwin' situations where sustainable innovation is increased through customisation. First, we argue that customisation should be viewed two-dimensionally and identify both modularity and solution space freedom as important dimensions. We argue that modularity reflects knowledge specialisation and solution space freedom reflects knowledge variety. Both of these dimensions affect organisational learning and, in turn, sustainable innovation. Second, we argue that the relationship between customisation and organisational learning is affected by supplier characteristics, specifically supplier sophistication. Survey data from 166 managers were used to empirically test the conceptual model and hypotheses. Polynomial response surface analysis confirms that customising by balancing high degrees of both modularity and solution space freedom results in superior organisational learning. High levels of supplier sophistication do not strengthen these effects. Rather, our results show that combining high degrees of modularity with constrained solution spaces increases learning for TI firms working with less sophisticated suppliers. In addition, organisational learning fully mediates the effect of customisation on sustainable product and process innovation.Keywords: modularity; solution space; customisation; organisational learning; sustainable innovation IntroductionTo adapt to global competitive pressures, firms must accommodate heterogeneous customer needs while mitigating the ecological and environmental impact (Boër et al. 2013;Medini, Da Cunha, and Bernard 2015). On the one hand, the consumerisation of business-to-business (B2B) buying results in customers insisting on complex solutions against lower costs (Davie, Stephenson, and De Uster 2010;Lingqvist, Plotkin, and Stanley 2015). On the other hand, increasing global environmental concerns prompt firms to pay more attention to sustainable innovation, i.e. creating or improving products and processes to contribute to the ecological environment (Boons et al. 2013;Chen, Lai, and Wen 2006;Fiksel et al. 2014;Flores et al. 2008;Foxon and Pearson 2008). While firms have to pursue both customisation and sustainable innovation to remain competitive (Boër et al. 2013;Medini, Da Cunha, and Bernard 2015), pursuing both of these goals jointly is perceived as being very difficult (Boër et al. 2013).The manufacturing paradigms of customisation and sustainable innovation are frequently referred to in the literature, yet mainly treated in isolation. Recent research has brought the two paradigms together and has proposed to simultaneously model customisation and sustainability (e.g. Boër et al. 2013;Medini, Da Cunha, and Bernard 2015). How...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Balancing modularity and solution space freedom: effects on organisational learning and sustainable innovation

Vos

Raassens

Borgh

et al. 2018

International Journal of Production Research

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“…In order to face this challenge, CEMEX 1 & ITESM 2 have joined forces to collaborate in an applied research project to design, validate and deploy a SCLL model to integrate key construction stakeholders and end-users to collaboratively propose and develop the next generation construction innovations for sustainable building solutions. The project will also apply a Sustainable Innovation Framework [Flores et al, 2009] as a guideline to embed four key enablers to achieve the expected results: (1) mass-customization, (2) sustainable development, (3) value network <management> and (4) product/service lifecycle. Main research questions leading this initiative are:…”

Section: Towards a Sustainable Construction Living Lab Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It involves harnessing the creative and innovative ideas of individuals and organisations and utilizing it to bring the new innovations to the market in sustainable way. Therefore, a Sustainable Innovation Living Lab Framework [adapted from Flores et al, 2009] integrates four key enablers "or strategies" to be offered to the SCLL members in order to support the achievement of the expected innovative and sustainable results: (1) mass-customization -relates to the ability to provide customized construction solutions through flexible and resource-efficient processes by delivering what the building owners and end-users want (e.g. user-driven design) and improving construction stakeholders resources consumption through reducing energy and materials wastes as a result of offering products and services just when they are needed (e.g.…”

Section: The Sustainable Construction Living Lab Innovation Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a novel living Lab Model for sustainable innovation in the construction industry

Romero

Flores

Vallejo

et al. 2009

2009 IEEE International Technology Management Conference (ICE)

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According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the construction industry is a key sector to achieve sustainable development, as it can provide important benefits in the complete construction lifecycle considering its three axes: social, economic and environmental. At the same time, negative impacts can be drastically reduced if new collaborative business models and strategies are defined integrating both end-users and different actors in the construction value-chain. Therefore, this paper introduces a general overview of a collaborative research project carried out by ITESM and CEMEX to develop and deploy a novel Sustainable Construction Living Lab (SCLL) model to bring together key construction stakeholders into an open innovation and user-centric environment, supported by a high-tech platform, providing working principles, methods and a governance model to identify next generation construction innovations (e.g. products, services, processes, business models, etc.) in order to satisfy the current and emerging market demands in a sustainable way.

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