Title: Sustainable product innovation as antecedent to economic success: a survey in manufacturing industries

Authors: Julio Cesar Ferro De Guimarães; Eliana Andréa Severo; Rosana Da Rosa Portella Tondolo; Eric Charles Henri Dorion

Addresses: Post-Graduate Program in Administration (PPGA-UnP) and Post-Graduate Program in Process Engineering (PPGEP/UnP), University Potiguar (UnP), Roberto Freire, 2184, 59082-902, Natal-RN, Brazil ' Department of Master in Business Administration (PPGA-UNP), University Potiguar (UNP), Engenheiro Roberto Freire, 2184, 59082-902, Natal-RN, Brazil ' Faculdade de Administração e Turismo (FAT), University Federal of Pelotas (UFPEL), Gomes Carneiro, 1, 96010610, Pelotas-RS, Brazil ' École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) (Montreal – Canada), Rua Vicente da Fontoura, Porto Alegre-RS, 2929-201, 90640-003, Brazil

Abstract: Innovation for sustainable product is an efficient means of transforming the economic reality of an organisation and reducing environmental impacts caused by industrial activity, driven by increasing consumption of natural resources. In this regard, this research aims to measure the relationship of environmental management practices (EMP), human resources and corporate social responsibility constructs, as antecedents to sustainable product innovation, as well as to evaluate the relationship of this construct with economic success. The research is the result of a survey of 696 companies in the manufacturing industry of the Brazilian metallurgical sector. In analysing the data, the structural equation modelling to articulate the descriptive research was used. This research contributes academically to the provision of scales, theoretically supported and statistically validated. At the management level, our results assist management decisions on the use of strategic resources.

Keywords: sustainable product innovation; EMP; environmental management practices; human resources; corporate social responsibility; structural equation modelling; Brazil.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2020.110500

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2020 Vol.14 No.4, pp.445 - 475

Accepted: 01 Mar 2019
Published online: 22 Oct 2020 *

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