The adoption of eco-innovation

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a lot of literature available regarding the factors that influence the adoption of eco-innovation. Out these many different types of factors were twelve factors selected which were used for this research in specific, consisting of six internal factors and six external factors. This research about the influence of these twelve factors on the adoption of eco-innovation was used in order to close the research gap, namely providing a systematic overview of the influence of the different factors and how the influence of these factors change over time. Most of the literature focuses on the adoption of one type of eco-innovation, whereas this research focuses on the adoption of eighty eco-innovations, which yielded richer insights about the adoption of eco-innovations. Also the literature focuses mainly on the adoption of eco-innovations in one specific year, whereas this research focused on the time period 2005 to 2017. This timeframe made it possible to analyse how the influence of the different factors change over time. This information is needed in order to develop specific strategies and policies with the intention of stimulating the adoption of eco-innovations. This research closes the research gap that currently exist by providing a clear systematic overview of the different factors, by analysing the factors which influenced the adoption of eco-innovations in the pulp- and paper industry and the brewing industry. Using a multiple and embedded case study, in both industries ten organisations were analysed about the factors which influenced the adoption of eco-innovations. The organisations were analysed by the use of four eco-innovations which were adopted in the organisation during the period 2005 to 2017. In total twenty organisations and eighty eco-innovations were analysed in this research.

Overall, we can conclude that all the twelve factors have an influence on the adoption of eco-innovations in the pulp- and paper industry and the brewing industry. However, there are some differences in the level of influence of the different factors. The findings show that internal factors were more important, in comparison with the external factors. In the pulp- and paper industry the (F2) financial advantage was the most important factor, as the industry has to deal with small margins and small investment budgets. Whereas the brewing industry focuses on a broader set of factors that had an important influence on the adoption of eco-innovations, namely (F2) financial advantage, (F3) ethical responsibility, (F4) management promotes, and (F6) clear objectives and plans. In addition, the research provides some barriers and stimulatory measures which can be used by organisations, the government, non-governmental organisations, and consultancy firms in order to develop and implement new strategies and policies in order to stimulate the adoption of eco-innovations.