Chinese Wisdom on Eco-Innovation Management

Jing XIAO

Abstract


Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to find out theoretical ground to improve the eco-innovation performance in enterprises from traditional Chinese ecological point of view.
Design/methodology/approach: Implications of traditional Chinese ecological thoughts on eco-innovation performance were analyzed textually. Based on it, both business and societal benefits as output indicators were proposed to evaluate the eco-innovation performance in enterprises and the theoretical framework was established. To test it, the survey data were collected from 10 electronic and communication equipment manufacturers in P.R.C. and the DEA models were used.
Findings: The estimated results show that it is more efficient to evaluate eco-innovation performance by outputs including business and societal benefits than by solely economic benefits and eco-innovation performance in most selected enterprises is DEA inefficient. The sample study shows the managerial measures of improvement to a DEA inefficient eco-innovative enterprise.
Research limitations/implications: A large samples from high-tech industrial enterprises, as well as multi-industrial samples are more revealing to test the evaluation system than samples from Electronic and Communication Equipment manufacturers. In addition, according to the DEA theory, relative efficiency rather than absolute efficiency of eco-innovative performance is calculated, so the managerial suggestions of the sample study could be weakened.
Practical implications: The ecological values embedded in traditional Chinese wisdom could be applied to guide ecological development of innovation performances in Chinese enterprises. Chinese enterprises should pay same attention to societal benefits as well as business benefits in their eco-innovations, and explore the strength from traditional Chinese wisdom to be sustainable and competitive.
Originality/value: It explains a Chinese characteristic way of evaluating eco-innovation performance by exploring implications from the traditional Chinese ecological ideas.


Keywords


Chinese wisdom; Ecological value; Eco-innovation; Business benefits; Societal benefits

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.mse.1913035X20140801.4396

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