Title: Innovation and environmental sustainability: analysis in Brazilian metal-mechanic industry

Authors: Eliana Andrea Severo; Eric Charles Henri Dorion; Julio Cesar Ferro De Guimarães

Addresses: Faculdade Meridional (IMED), Department of Master in Business Administration (PPGA-IMED), Senador Pinheiro, 304, 99070-220, Passo Fundo-RS, Brazil ' Department of Master in Business Administration, University of Caxias do Sul (PPGA-UCS), Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, 95070-560, Caxias do Sul-RS, Brazil ' Faculdade Meridional (IMED), Department of Master in Business Administration (PPGA-IMED), Senador Pinheiro, 304, 99070-220, Passo Fundo-RS, Brazil

Abstract: Sustainable innovative organisations are able to introduce innovations that generate positive results for companies, the society and the environment. On the basis of such premise, the objective of this research is to propose a framework for analysing the product and process environmental sustainability innovations that are developed by automotive metal-mechanic companies. To test the framework of analysis, a survey was carried out in a leading metal-mechanic automotive cluster of South Brazil. The research protocol includes quantitative procedures through a survey on a sample of 438 companies. The results show that both product and process innovations decreased waste generation, raw materials, energy and water consumptions, and have a positive impact on the environment. The research findings enable the testing and the validation of metrics, as a framework, for the analysis of the relationship between product and process innovations and environmental sustainability.

Keywords: product innovation; process innovation; environmental sustainability; automobile industry; survey; factor analysis; multiple linear regression; framework; Brazil; sustainable development; automotive clusters; automotive manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2017.083286

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2017 Vol.11 No.2/3, pp.230 - 248

Received: 25 Jun 2015
Accepted: 27 Dec 2015
Published online: 23 Mar 2017 *

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