Circular-Oriented Innovation for Solving Grand Environmental Challenges: A Multiple-Case Study
Circular-Oriented Innovation for Solving Grand
Environmental Challenges:
A Multiple-case Study
XXXII ISPIM Innovation conference – Virtual Conference on 20-23 June 2021
Jenni Kaipainen
Leena Aarikka-Stenroos
Paavo Ritala
Circular Economy Catalysts:
From Innovation to Business
Ecosystems
Studying and advancing the Circular Economy Transition with
research-based knowledge,
funded by the Academy of Finland
www.cicat2025.fi
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Based on
Innovation & strategy literature (Garcia & Calantone, 2002; Garud et al., 2013) + CE & sustainability
research (Rovanto & Bask, 2020; Adams et al. 2016)
:
| 3
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Types of companies to best
achieve the strategic fit to
GEC context (Barczak, 2012)?
•
Modifications needed over
time, internally & externally?
•
Practices for successfully
managing the full COI
processes (de Jesus &
Mendonça, 2018)?
Born
circular
Circularity
adopter
Good strategic fit
Bad strategic fit
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| 4
R
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“How companies address GECs over time
via COI and modifications for a strategic fit?”
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Theorizing
how innovator companies with different initial strategic fit towards GECs
implement their COI processes and various necessary modifications over time
Enabling
managers
to harness the COI & conduct the most impactful internal and external
modifications throughout the process to solve global GECs with profitable innovation
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Refining the case sample (expert interviews and initial interviews)
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Circularity adopters vs. born circulars
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Companies tackling GECs with maximum pragmatic relevance based on the UN SDGs
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If a poor strategic fit: rethinking internal activities, leading often to
radical innovation processes
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If a good strategic fit: rethink external activities, likely followed by
incremental and radical innovation processes
-
If a good strategic fit but poor recognition of it: first reflection, then
external modifications
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Interaction between
-
innovation types
-
innovation process and the changing environment
-
Innovation acts as a bridge to companies’ meso- and macro-
levels
-
GEC influence the nature of needed modifications
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:
•
Discovering 3 types of companies with different strategic fit to the GEC-embedded context;
•
Theorizing the
empirical patterns of COI processes and their needed to tackle GECs
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7.9.2024
| 8
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:
Processual understanding of
innovations and diversity of innovation
types that emerge from this process
(see Brammer et al., 2019)
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:
Companies coping with the
development of interconnected
innovations and evolving market &
societal structures.
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:
Companies’ role in systemic
sustainable and CE transition while
tackling GECs (see Iñigo & Albareda,
2016; Rovanto & Bask, 2020)
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:
•
Managers:
•
How to pursue profitable innovation and
competitive advantage while solving
GECs and advancing CE transition;
•
What kind of modifications this requires
over time internally and externally.
•
Other meso/macro-level actors: How to
get involved in tackling GECs through
collaborative COI over time (see Brown
et al., 2021).
F
u
t
u
r
e
r
e
s
e
a
r
c
h
:
•
Extended generalizability for our findings
from studies in other cultural contexts
•
Further investigation of “CE-identity
finders
”
7.9.2024
| 9
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Hello everyone. My name is Jenni Kaipainen, presenting a paper entitled XXX. The paper was co-authored by Leena…
This study explores how companies address Grand Environmental Challenges (GECs) through collaborative circular-oriented innovation (COI). It investigates the necessary modifications over time for companies with different initial strategic fits towards GECs. The research aims to enable managers to effectively implement COI processes and impactful modifications, leading to profitable innovation solutions for global environmental issues.
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Presentation Transcript
Circular-Oriented Innovation for Solving Grand Environmental Challenges: A Multiple-case Study XXXII ISPIM Innovation conference Virtual Conference on 20-23 June 2021 Jenni Kaipainen Leena Aarikka-Stenroos Paavo Ritala
Circular Economy Catalysts: From Innovation to Business Ecosystems Studying and advancing the Circular Economy Transition with research-based knowledge, funded by the Academy of Finland www.cicat2025.fi
Background and motivation Grand Environmental Challenges (GECs) companies & collaborative circular-oriented innovation (COI) (de Jesus & Mendon a, 2018; Brown et al. 2021) Need for Multiple gaps Types of companies to best achieve the strategic fit to GEC context (Barczak, 2012)? Modifications needed over time, internally & externally? Practices for successfully managing the full COI processes (de Jesus & Mendon a, 2018)? Business environment with embedded GECs Bad strategic fit Good strategic fit Born circular Circularity adopter Based on Innovation & strategy literature (Garcia & Calantone, 2002; Garud et al., 2013) + CE & sustainability research (Rovanto & Bask, 2020; Adams et al. 2016): | 3 7.9.2024
RQ & Objective Objective Theorizing how innovator companies with different initial strategic fit towards GECs implement their COI processes and various necessary modifications over time Enabling managers to harness the COI & conduct the most impactful internal and external modifications throughout the process to solve global GECs with profitable innovation RQ: How companies address GECs over time via COI and modifications for a strategic fit? | 4 7.9.2024
Methodology Qualitative multiple-case study with 8 pioneer cases. Refining the case sample (expert interviews and initial interviews) Case selection with maximum variation sampling: Circularity adopters vs. born circulars Companies tackling GECs with maximum pragmatic relevance based on the UN SDGs Multi-sourced rich data Inductive, processual analysis approach and application of critical incident technique | 5 7.9.2024
Results Overview Company type Modifications Circular-oriented Innovation processes Technology/process innovation; Incremental product innovation; Business model innovation Circularity adopters Internal: Various modifications needed External: From new value chains and networks to advancing regulatory development and societal discussion Born circular Internal: Not necessary/needed External: Needed particularly when scaling the business up Service and business model innovations; Technology innovations *Emergent finding* CE-identity finder Internal: Not necessary/needed External: Emphasis on communications Incremental product innovation; Technology/process innovations | 6 7.9.2024
Lessons learned - Interaction between - innovation types - innovation process and the changing environment - Innovation acts as a bridge to companies meso- and macro- levels - GEC influence the nature of needed modifications Circular- oriented innovation processes to tackle GECs Modifications driven at the micro-, meso-, and macro- levels depending on their strategic fit - If a poor strategic fit: rethinking internal activities, leading often to radical innovation processes - If a good strategic fit: rethink external activities, likely followed by incremental and radical innovation processes - If a good strategic fit but poor recognition of it: first reflection, then external modifications | 7 7.9.2024
Conclusions & theoretical contribution Key findings: Discovering 3 types of companies with different strategic fit to the GEC-embedded context; Theorizing the empirical patterns of COI processes and their needed to tackle GECs Theoretical contribution: GEC, CE, and sustainability research: Companies role in systemic sustainable and CE transition while tackling GECs (see I igo & Albareda, 2016; Rovanto & Bask, 2020) Innovation management: Processual understanding of innovations and diversity of innovation types that emerge from this process (see Brammer et al., 2019) Strategic management: Companies coping with the development of interconnected innovations and evolving market & societal structures. | 8 7.9.2024
Practical implications & future research Practical implications: Managers: How to pursue profitable innovation and competitive advantage while solving GECs and advancing CE transition; What kind of modifications this requires over time internally and externally. Other meso/macro-level actors: How to get involved in tackling GECs through collaborative COI over time (see Brown et al., 2021). Future research: Extended generalizability for our findings from studies in other cultural contexts Further investigation of CE-identity finders | 9 7.9.2024
Thank you! Thank you! Questions & Comments? jenni.kaipainen@tuni.fi
