Corporate environmental R&D: does organisational innovation matter?

Investments in environmental research and development (R&D) are a crucial element for firms to make superior environmental performance compatible with financial performance. This relevance of environmental R&D suggests a need to identify its drivers. However, the literature on environmental...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Río González, Pablo del, García Quevedo, José, Martínez Ros, Esther
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/391044
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/391044
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Division of work
Eco-innovation
Environmental R&D
External relations
Organisational innovation
Panel data
Work practices
Environmental economics
Descripción
Sumario:Investments in environmental research and development (R&D) are a crucial element for firms to make superior environmental performance compatible with financial performance. This relevance of environmental R&D suggests a need to identify its drivers. However, the literature on environmental R&D has given a prominent focus to external drivers to the firm, with a limited focus on factors internal to the firm. In contrast, the impact of crucial organisational changes in firms, in the form of organisational innovation, has not been addressed. We argue that organisational innovation drives environmental R&D expenditures. Using data on manufacturing firms from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel survey during 2008–2016, we find support for this idea. Further analysis suggests that it is particularly the introduction of new methods of organising workplaces that is positively associated with environmental R&D. This suggests that a regulatory environment that facilitates workplace flexibility may promote environmental R&D investments.