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Corporate tensions and drivers of sustainable innovation: a qualitative study in the food industry

Sergio Román (University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain)
Stefan Bodenstab (Hero Group, Lenzburg, Switzerland)
Luis Manuel Sánchez-Siles (Hero Group, Lenzburg, Switzerland)

European Journal of Innovation Management

ISSN: 1460-1060

Article publication date: 9 March 2021

Issue publication date: 23 June 2022

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Abstract

Purpose

Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of delivering economic, social and environmental benefits through sustainable innovation. This study aims to examine how companies manage tensions derived from sustainable innovation and identify internal and external factors that facilitate its successful implementation in the food industry.

Design/methodology/approach

An abductive and qualitative research approach was followed. Data from a multinational food manufacturer were collected from a variety of sources, which included 23 in-depth interviews with respondents from 9 different countries as well as public documents of the company under study.

Findings

Results suggest that there is no “one-size-fits-all” strategy for dealing with tensions (derived from sustainable innovations), and more than one type of strategy (i.e. winwin, trade-offs) can be used simultaneously. In addition, sustainable innovation drivers do not seem to operate in isolation and follow a particular pattern where external factors motivated the development of a new set of values, which in turn were picked up and integrated into transformations at the strategic and operational level.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the theoretical and practical discussion on sustainable innovation management by providing real business case evidence of how corporate tensions derived from sustainable innovation are managed and offers a comprehensive taxonomy of sustainable innovation drivers in the food industry.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive insights. The authors are also grateful to the company under study and its 23 employees who kindly participated in the interviews.

Citation

Román, S., Bodenstab, S. and Sánchez-Siles, L.M. (2022), "Corporate tensions and drivers of sustainable innovation: a qualitative study in the food industry", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 925-947. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2020-0469

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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