Sustainable development has attracted increasing attention of both researchers and practitioners. In order to improve sustainability, companies need to innovate. While the attention of recent sustainability studies has shifted to stakeholder integration (Steurer et al., 2005; Ayuso et al., 2006), there is a need to understand how sustainable development and innovation are interlinked through stakeholder integration (Achterkamp & Vos, 2006; Slootegraaf, 2012). Based on this view, the main purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to show how stakeholder integration referring to three main primary stakeholders, i.e. suppliers, customers and internal - relates to company performance through sustainability practices' adoption and innovation propensity (Agle et al., 1999; Berman et al., 1999; Welcomer et al., 2003). Secondly, to show the relationship between innovation and environmental sustainability performance. Evidence is drawn from a sample of 931 companies in 24 countries from the sixth edition of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey 2013 (IMSS). The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire completed by the director/head of operations/manufacturing and the unit of analysis is the plant/business unit. Structural equation modelling approach has been employed to test the model (provided by hypothesis) and to achieve interpretational clarity of relationships within constructs. The results show that internal integration impacts positively both sustainability and innovation performance with the mediating role of sustainability practices' adoption and innovation propensity, while supplier and customer integration is correlated positively and significantly only with environmental sustainability performance with full mediating role of sustainability practices' adoption. Also, supplier integration impacts positively and significantly internal integration. This could imply the indirect effect of supplier integration on innovation performance. In terms of sustainability and innovation interlink, innovation propensity and sustainability practices' adoption doesn't seem to have a significant impact on each other, while innovation performance impacts positively and significantly the environmental sustainability performance.
Sustainability and innovation cube; The role of primary stakeholder integration
Sarah Behnam;
2015
Abstract
Sustainable development has attracted increasing attention of both researchers and practitioners. In order to improve sustainability, companies need to innovate. While the attention of recent sustainability studies has shifted to stakeholder integration (Steurer et al., 2005; Ayuso et al., 2006), there is a need to understand how sustainable development and innovation are interlinked through stakeholder integration (Achterkamp & Vos, 2006; Slootegraaf, 2012). Based on this view, the main purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to show how stakeholder integration referring to three main primary stakeholders, i.e. suppliers, customers and internal - relates to company performance through sustainability practices' adoption and innovation propensity (Agle et al., 1999; Berman et al., 1999; Welcomer et al., 2003). Secondly, to show the relationship between innovation and environmental sustainability performance. Evidence is drawn from a sample of 931 companies in 24 countries from the sixth edition of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey 2013 (IMSS). The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire completed by the director/head of operations/manufacturing and the unit of analysis is the plant/business unit. Structural equation modelling approach has been employed to test the model (provided by hypothesis) and to achieve interpretational clarity of relationships within constructs. The results show that internal integration impacts positively both sustainability and innovation performance with the mediating role of sustainability practices' adoption and innovation propensity, while supplier and customer integration is correlated positively and significantly only with environmental sustainability performance with full mediating role of sustainability practices' adoption. Also, supplier integration impacts positively and significantly internal integration. This could imply the indirect effect of supplier integration on innovation performance. In terms of sustainability and innovation interlink, innovation propensity and sustainability practices' adoption doesn't seem to have a significant impact on each other, while innovation performance impacts positively and significantly the environmental sustainability performance.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
