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The Linkage between Sustainability and Innovation Performance in IT Hardware Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Michelino

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

  • Antonello Cammarano

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

  • Andrea Celone

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

  • Mauro Caputo

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

Abstract

This work investigates the relationship between sustainability and innovation performance. Despite the relevance of the issue, few contributions deepen such a relationship after both a conceptual and a quantitative perspective. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to suggest a measure of sustainability for innovation processes and to define which innovation strategies can lead to more sustainable processes. The role of ambidexterity within the corporate sustainability framework is underlined: Ambidextrous organizations are able to improve the innovation performance and better use their resources, improving the sustainability of research and development (R&D) processes. By employing patent data and testing the framework on a sample of worldwide top R&D spending companies in the IT hardware industry, this work suggests which optimal value of ambidexterity will lead to more sustainable innovation. In addition, R&D processes with non-optimal levels of ambidexterity can be managed in a better way. Indeed, results show the usefulness of open innovation adoption to improve the performance of exploration processes. Moreover, R&D activities based on a preponderance of exploitation strategies are more sustainable if they fall into technological domains in which the focal company is highly specialized. The work also contributes to the conceptualization of sustainability and to definition of patent-based metrics related to sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Michelino & Antonello Cammarano & Andrea Celone & Mauro Caputo, 2019. "The Linkage between Sustainability and Innovation Performance in IT Hardware Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:16:p:4275-:d:255602
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    5. Sotiris P. Gayialis & Evripidis P. Kechagias & Georgios A. Papadopoulos & Nikolaos A. Panayiotou, 2022. "A Business Process Reference Model for the Development of a Wine Traceability System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    6. Simeoni, Francesca & Brunetti, Federico & Mion, Giorgio & Baratta, Rossella, 2020. "Ambidextrous organizations for sustainable development: The case of fair-trade systems," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 549-560.
    7. Davide Aloini & Riccardo Dulmin & Valeria Mininno & Alessandro Stefanini & Pierluigi Zerbino, 2020. "Driving the Transition to a Circular Economic Model: A Systematic Review on Drivers and Critical Success Factors in Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-14, December.
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    9. Sommer, Daniel & Bhandari, Krishna Raj, 2022. "Internationalization of R&D and Innovation Performance in the Pharma Industry," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3).
    10. Maria Gil-Marques & Maria D. Moreno-Luzon, 2020. "Building Sustainable Contextual Ambidexterity through Routines: A Case Study from Information Technology Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-19, December.
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    12. Jie Zhen & Cejun Cao & Hanguang Qiu & Zongxiao Xie, 2021. "Impact of organizational inertia on organizational agility: the role of IT ambidexterity," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 53-65, March.
    13. Maria Federica Cordova & Andrea Celone, 2019. "SDGs and Innovation in the Business Context Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Vinicius Minatogawa & Matheus Franco & Orlando Durán & Ruy Quadros & Maria Holgado & Antonio Batocchio, 2020. "Carving out New Business Models in a Small Company through Contextual Ambidexterity: The Case of a Sustainable Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-34, March.
    15. Sunyoung Park, 2019. "Identification of Overall Innovation Behavior by Using a Decision Tree: The Case of a Korean Manufacturer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-54, November.
    16. Yu Zhang & Xuechun Zhang & Hao Zhang & Lusi A, 2022. "The Influence of External Knowledge Searches on Enterprises’ Innovation Performance: A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-23, July.
    17. Joana Costa & João C.O. Matias, 2020. "Open Innovation 4.0 as an Enhancer of Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-19, October.

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