Can eco-innovative orientation be explained? An attempt to understand uncovered patterns

Abstract

[EN] Eco-innovation, understood as innovation clearly focused toward sustainable development, is a key element in the articulation of both public policies and actions at the corporate level as it is a determining differentiating aspect. The objective of this work is to analyze which variables determine that companies go one step further and consider the improvement of the environment as an objective when developing innovative activities. We analyzed 7682 Spanish companies using data from the Spanish Technological National Panel (PITEC) database. Through a structural equations model, the key aspects which explain ecoinnovative patterns in companies are explained. The results show that the environmental orientation of the firm is positively affected by the product and process orientation of the firm while innovating. Further, we report on the positive relation among the importance of market information sources, the previous organizational and commercial innovation activity and the environmental orientation, which is mediated by process and product orientation.