Page 282 - Hojnik, Jana. 2017. In Persuit of Eco-innovation. Drivers and Consequences of Eco-innovation at Firm Level. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 282
In Pursuit of Eco-innovation
cess eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.28), in line with other re-
search works (Ziegler and Rennings 2004; Agan et al. 2013). Moreover,
we found support for the association between customer demand and or-
ganizational eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.12). The influ-
ence of customer demand on different types of eco-innovation was found
to be positive and significant for all four models of eco-innovation; there-
fore, customer demand has been demonstrated to drive the implementa-
tion of different eco-innovation types in the analyzed companies. We can
also observe that the causal relationships between customer demand and
several eco-innovations – the eco-innovation construct, product eco-in-
novation, and process eco-innovation – have received stronger support
than the causal relationship between customer demand and organization-
al eco-innovation. This can be also expected because, generally, custom-
282 ers impose pressure on companies to operate in a more environmentally
friendly way, and thus emphasize the role of process eco-innovation adop-
tion and in such way steer companies toward environmentally friendly
way of manufacturing or demand from companies’ ecological products as
an outcome. Therefore, it is more likely that customers incite companies
to meet their needs by introducing product eco-innovations, which may
lead to certain benefits for the customer (e.g., energy savings) or will satis-
fy customers’ desire for ecological responsibility, awareness and environ-
mental consciousness.
Next, consistent with previous research, we found that managerial
environmental concern (Hypothesis 3) exerts a positive and significant
influence on process eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.23), on
the eco-innovation construct (standardized coefficient 0.12), on organi-
zational eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.08) and on product
eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.01). This is in line with past re-
search, which found support for the effect of managerial environmental
concern on process eco-innovation (Agan et al. 2013), on eco-innovation
in general (Qi et al. 2010; Bocken et al. 2014) and on product eco-inno-
vation (Chang 2014). The influence of the determinant managerial envi-
ronmental concern was positive and significant for all four models, while
its effect was greatest on process eco-innovation and weakest on product
eco-innovation, which is in line with past research. Thus, managerial en-
vironmental concern seems to affect mostly implementation of process
eco-innovations in the analyzed companies.
Hypothesis 4, with regard to expected benefits as a driver of eco-in-
novation, received mixed support when analyzing its effect on different
eco-innovation types. We predicted a positive and significant influence
cess eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.28), in line with other re-
search works (Ziegler and Rennings 2004; Agan et al. 2013). Moreover,
we found support for the association between customer demand and or-
ganizational eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.12). The influ-
ence of customer demand on different types of eco-innovation was found
to be positive and significant for all four models of eco-innovation; there-
fore, customer demand has been demonstrated to drive the implementa-
tion of different eco-innovation types in the analyzed companies. We can
also observe that the causal relationships between customer demand and
several eco-innovations – the eco-innovation construct, product eco-in-
novation, and process eco-innovation – have received stronger support
than the causal relationship between customer demand and organization-
al eco-innovation. This can be also expected because, generally, custom-
282 ers impose pressure on companies to operate in a more environmentally
friendly way, and thus emphasize the role of process eco-innovation adop-
tion and in such way steer companies toward environmentally friendly
way of manufacturing or demand from companies’ ecological products as
an outcome. Therefore, it is more likely that customers incite companies
to meet their needs by introducing product eco-innovations, which may
lead to certain benefits for the customer (e.g., energy savings) or will satis-
fy customers’ desire for ecological responsibility, awareness and environ-
mental consciousness.
Next, consistent with previous research, we found that managerial
environmental concern (Hypothesis 3) exerts a positive and significant
influence on process eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.23), on
the eco-innovation construct (standardized coefficient 0.12), on organi-
zational eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.08) and on product
eco-innovation (standardized coefficient 0.01). This is in line with past re-
search, which found support for the effect of managerial environmental
concern on process eco-innovation (Agan et al. 2013), on eco-innovation
in general (Qi et al. 2010; Bocken et al. 2014) and on product eco-inno-
vation (Chang 2014). The influence of the determinant managerial envi-
ronmental concern was positive and significant for all four models, while
its effect was greatest on process eco-innovation and weakest on product
eco-innovation, which is in line with past research. Thus, managerial en-
vironmental concern seems to affect mostly implementation of process
eco-innovations in the analyzed companies.
Hypothesis 4, with regard to expected benefits as a driver of eco-in-
novation, received mixed support when analyzing its effect on different
eco-innovation types. We predicted a positive and significant influence
