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The role of networks and sustainable intrapreneurship as interactive drivers catalyzing the adoption of sustainable innovation

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  • Chiara Pellegrini
  • Eleonora Annunziata
  • Francesco Rizzi
  • Marco Frey

Abstract

This paper explores which are the drivers and their interactions that can lead organizations to adopt radical sustainable innovation (SI) in unfavorable contexts. We identify external and internal drivers of SI adoption, and we conceptualize sustainable intrapreneurship as an additional driver. We report and discuss the findings from a case study in the water sector based on interviews and secondary data collected among eleven water utilities in Israel, Italy, and Spain. We provide new insights on how interactions between external and internal drivers can generate dynamic cycles that gradually shift utilities from a reactive to an embedding and system change approach in adopting SI. Within this process, networks and sustainable intrapreneurship act as interactive drivers that catalyze internal and external drivers. The study links testable propositions in a conceptual model describing the dynamics triggering SI adoption and argues for the relevance of sustainable intrapreneurship for addressing the systemic nature, complexity, and ambiguity of SI adoption.

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  • Chiara Pellegrini & Eleonora Annunziata & Francesco Rizzi & Marco Frey, 2019. "The role of networks and sustainable intrapreneurship as interactive drivers catalyzing the adoption of sustainable innovation," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(5), pages 1026-1048, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:26:y:2019:i:5:p:1026-1048
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1784
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    Cited by:

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    2. Andrew Mzembe, 2021. "The psychological distance and construal level perspectives of sustainable value creation in SMEs," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 465-478, March.
    3. Shyaam Ramkumar, 2020. "Influence of Inter-Firm Network Relationships on Circular Economy Eco-Innovation Adoption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Nohora Mercado-Caruso & Marival Segarra-Oña & David Ovallos-Gazabon & Angel Peiró-Signes, 2020. "Identifying Endogenous and Exogenous Indicators to Measure Eco-Innovation within Clusters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Lorenzo Ardito & Javier Carrillo‐Hermosilla & Pablo del Río & Pierpaolo Pontrandolfo, 2019. "Sustainable innovation: Processes, strategies, and outcomes," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(5), pages 1009-1011, September.
    6. Enrique Acebo & José‐Ángel Miguel‐Dávila & Mariano Nieto, 2021. "External stakeholder engagement: Complementary and substitutive effects on firms' eco‐innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2671-2687, July.
    7. Nan Wang & Wenxuan Xie & Yalan Huang & Zhenzhong Ma, 2023. "Big Data capability and sustainability oriented innovation: The mediating role of intellectual capital," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5702-5720, December.
    8. Clare Jane M. Burns & Luke Houghton & Heather Stewart, 2020. "Sustainability – A key to Australian finance directors improving their organisation's CSR culture," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(2), pages 1164-1176, March.

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