Responsiveness of industry to eco-efficiency improvements in the product chain: the case of Akzo Nobel1<FNR>1</FNR><FN>This paper was one of the invited papers for the special Greening of Industry Network Conference issue of the journal, Vol. 8(5), but had to be omitted due to page budget restrictions. It appears in this issue with apologies to Professor Cramer. </FN>

Increasingly, arguments are being made concerning the benefits of a marriage between ecology and economy in life cycle management. This article provides insights into the business conditions under which market opportunities and eco-efficiency improvements in the product chain can indeed go hand in hand. The study focuses on the differences in responsiveness of six different sub-business units within the chemical company of Akzo Nobel to eco-efficiency improvements in the product chain and how these differences can be explained. The comparative analysis shows the importance of the following three criteria: (i) the level of environmental pressure; (ii) the room for manoeuvre and (iii) the degree to which the environment can be used to obtain a competitive advantage. These criteria may also be valid for other companies. However, research needs to investigate whether additional factors (e.g. the culture of the company, its technological capabilities and market strength) also influence corporate environmental response. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]