1. How environmental innovations emerge and proliferate in supply networks: a complex adaptive systems perspective
- Author
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Nair, Anand, Yan, Tingting, Ro, Young K., Oke, Adegoke, Chiles, Todd H., and Lee, Su-Yol
- Subjects
Sony Corp. -- Innovations -- Management ,Nokia Corp. -- Innovations -- Management ,Hyundai Corp. -- Innovations -- Management ,Consumer electronics industry -- Case studies -- Innovations ,Telecommunications equipment industry -- Case studies -- Innovations ,Green technology -- Case studies ,Business creativity -- Case studies ,Consumer electronics industry ,Company business management ,Telecommunications equipment industry ,Business, general ,Business ,European Union -- Innovations -- Management - Abstract
Through a qualitative study of two firms' supply networks, we develop a theory of the process by which environmental innovations emerge and proliferate in supply networks. To overcome limitations of current supply network innovation theories, which focus on the diffusion of existing innovations, we employ a complex adaptive systems perspective, which addresses how such innovations come into being in the first place and how they spread in a network over time. Our findings suggest a process model, in which temporally connected processes cross from the organizational to the network level, creating and spreading environmental innovations in supply networks. This model and its corresponding theoretical propositions were generated through an abductive research methodology. Our key insight is that development of environmental innovations in supply networks is an emergent phenomenon. Once in the network realm, the process ceases to be under the control of the dominant buying firm. Instead, self-organization and decentralized coordination prevail. Keywords: environmental innovation; supply networks; complex adaptive systems; emergence; case study; process research; theory development, INTRODUCTION Sustainability has become increasingly important as firms and organizations tackle environmental challenges ranging from water pollution to landfill waste to climate change. To meet their sustainability goals and satisfy [...]
- Published
- 2016