Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stakeholder Involvement in Sustainable Innovation: Toward an Integrated Conceptual Framework

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sustainability in the Gig Economy

  • 1508 Accesses

Abstract

An appropriate starting point to comprehend stakeholders’ role in sustainable innovation is to disentangle the antecedents, management, and potential sustainable innovation outcomes. This chapter presents an interpretative framework of extant literature. Specifically, it addresses the following questions related to the inter-organizational resource-based management of sustainable innovation: (a) with whom to work; (b) when to work; (c) how to work together; (d) what challenges organizations should learn to face. Theoretical and practical implications of our framework are discussed. Attention will be devoted to stakeholder involvement in sustainability in the context of the gig economy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albertini, E. (2018). The contribution of management control systems to environmental capabilities. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(4), 1163–1180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altenburger, R. (2018). Corporate social responsibility as a driver of innovation processes. In Innovation Management and Corporate Social Responsibility (pp. 1–12). Springer, Cham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alves, M. W. F. M., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., D. Kannan, & Jabbour, C. J. C. Contingency theory, climate change, and low-carbon operations management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 22(3), 223–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andries, P., Daou, A., & Verheyden, L. (2019). Innovation as a vehicle for improving socially vulnerable groups’ access to basic provisions: A research note on the development of a questionnaire module. Research Policy, 48(1), 281–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayuso, S., Rodríguez, A. M., & Ricart, J. E. (2006). Using stakeholder dialogue as a source for new ideas: A dynamic capability underlying sustainable innovation. Corporate Governance, 6(4), 475–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bäckstrand, K. (2006). Multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development: Rethinking legitimacy, accountability and effectiveness. European Environment, 16(5), 290–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boar, A., Bastida, R., & Marimon, F. (2020). A systematic literature review. Relationships between the sharing economy, sustainability and sustainable development goals. Sustainability, 12(17), 6744.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breukers, S., Hisschemöller, M., Cuppen, E., & Suurs, R. (2014). Analysing the past and exploring the future of sustainable biomass. Participatory stakeholder dialogue and technological innovation systems research. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 81, 227–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Candi, M., Melia, M., & Colurcio, M. (2018). Two birds with one stone: The quest for addressing both business goals and social needs with innovation. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(4), 1019–1033.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cillo, V., Petruzzelli, A. M., Ardito, L., & Del Giudice, M. (2019). Understanding sustainable innovation: A systematic literature review. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(5), 1012–1025.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colvin, J., Blackmore, C., Chimbuya, S., Collins, K., Dent, M., Goss, J., Ison, R., Roggero, P. P., & Seddaiu, G. (2014). In search of systemic innovation for sustainable development: A design praxis emerging from a decade of social learning inquiry. Research Policy, 43(4), 760–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dagnino, G. B., Picone, P. M., & Ferrigno, G. (2021). Temporary competitive advantage: A state-of-the-art literature review and research directions. International Journal of Management Reviews, 23(1), 85–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Stefano, V. (2015). The rise of the just-in-time workforce: On-demand work, crowdwork, and labor protection in the gig-economy. Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal, 37(3), 461–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delmas, M. A., & Pekovic, S. (2016). Corporate sustainable innovation and employee behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(4), 1071–1088.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dibrell, C., Craig, J. B., Kim, J., & Johnson, A. J. (2014). Establishing how natural environmental competency, organizational social consciousness, and innovativeness relate. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(3), 591–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyck, B., & Silvestre, B. S. (2018). A novel NGO approach to facilitate the adoption of sustainable innovations in low-income countries: Lessons from small-scale farms in Nicaragua. Organization Studies, 40(3), 443–461.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Kassar, A. N., & Singh, S. K. (2019). Green innovation and organizational performance: The influence of big data and the moderating role of management commitment and HR practices. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 144, 483–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elzen, B., & Bos, B. (2019). The RIO approach: Design and anchoring of sustainable animal husbandry systems. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 145, 141–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, S., Partidário, P. J., & Lambert, J. (2007). Industrialization as a key element of sustainable product-service solutions. International Journal of Production Research, 45(18–19), 4225–4246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, F., Etzion, D., & Gehman, J. (2015). Tackling grand challenges pragmatically: Robust action revisited. Organization Studies, 36(3), 363–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flammer, C., Hong, B., & Minor, D. (2019). Corporate governance and the rise of integrating corporate social responsibility criteria in executive compensation: Effectiveness and implications for firm outcomes. Strategic Management Journal, 40(7), 1097–1122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fliaster, A., & Kolloch, M. (2017). Implementation of green innovations—The impact of stakeholders and their network relations. R&D Management, 47(5), 689–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Ballinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frenken, K., Vaskelainen, T., Fünfschilling, L., & Piscicelli, L. (2020). An institutional logics perspective on the gig economy. In Theorizing the Sharing Economy: Variety and Trajectories of New Forms of Organizing (pp. 83–105). Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garriga, E. (2014). Beyond stakeholder utility function: Stakeholder capability in the value creation process. Journal of Business Ethics, 120(4), 489–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehman, J., Jarzabkowski, P., Langley, A., Tsoukas, H., Hardy, C., Howard-Grenville, J., & Keller, C. (2020). Call for Papers Twelfth International Symposium on Process Organization Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • George, G., Howard-Grenville, J., Joshi, A., & Tihanyi, L. (2016). Understanding and tackling societal grand challenges through management research. Academy of Management Journal, 59(6), 1880–1895.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • González-Moreno, Á., Triguero, Á., & Sáez-Martínez, F. J. (2019). Many or trusted partners for eco-innovation? The influence of breadth and depth of firms’ knowledge network in the food sector. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 147, 51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Görög, G. (2018). The definitions of sharing economy: A systematic literature review. Management (18544223), 13(2), 175–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, G., Mehmood, R., & Coles, E. (2015). Exploring future cityscapes through urban logistics prototyping: A technical viewpoint. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 2(3), 341–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gronau, W. (2016). Encouraging behavioural change towards sustainable tourism: A German approach to free public transport for tourists. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(2), 265–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J., Matos, S., & Bachor, V. (2017). From green technology development to green innovation: Inducing regulatory adoption of pathogen detection technology for sustainable forestry. Small Business Economics, 52(4), 877–889.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J., & Vredenburg, H. (2003). The challenge of innovating for sustainable development. MIT Sloan Management Review, 45(1), 61–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healy, J., Nicholson, D., & Pekarek, A. (2017). Should we take the gig economy seriously? Labour & Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work, 27(3), 232–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrera, M. E. B. (2016). Innovation for impact: Business innovation for inclusive growth. Journal of Business Research, 69(5), 1725–1730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hörisch, J., Freeman, R. E., & Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework. Organization & Environment, 27(4), 328–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horng, J. S., Liu, C. H. S., Chou, S. F., Tsai, C. Y., & Hu, D. C. (2018). Developing a sustainable service innovation framework for the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(1), 455–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, M., & Moors, E. H. (2013). Caring for healthcare entrepreneurs—Towards successful entrepreneurial strategies for sustainable innovations in Dutch healthcare. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(7), 1360–1374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, T., & Sandström, J. (2011). Stakeholder theory and globalization: The challenges of power and responsibility. Organization Studies, 32(4), 473–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juntunen, J. K., Halme, M., Korsunova, A., & Rajala, R. (2018). Strategies for integrating stakeholders into sustainability innovation: A configurational perspective. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 36(3), 331–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanter, R. M. (1999). From spare change to real change: The social sector as beta site for business innovation. Harvard Business Review, 77(3), 122–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ketata, I., Sofka, W., & Grimpe, C. (2014). The role of internal capabilities and firms’ environment for sustainable innovation: Evidence for Germany. R&d Management, 45(1), 60–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klassen, R. D., & Vereecke, A. (2012). Social issues in supply chains: Capabilities link responsibility, risk (opportunity), and performance. International Journal of Production Economics, 140(1), 103–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knowles LB, N. (2019). Can the North American ski industry attain climate resiliency? A modified Delphi survey on transformations towards sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(3), 380–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kusi-Sarpong, S., Gupta, H., & Sarkis, J. (2018). A supply chain sustainability innovation framework and evaluation methodology. International Journal of Production Research, 57(7), 1990–2008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lai, W. H., Lin C. C. & Wang, T. C. (2015). Exploring the interoperability of innovation capability and corporate sustainability. Journal of Business Research, 68(4), 867–871.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longoni, A., & Cagliano, R. (2016). Sustainable innovativeness and the triple bottom line: The role of organizational time perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(4), 1097–1120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lüdeke-Freund, F. (2010). Towards a conceptual framework of ‘business models for sustainability’. Eds. Knowledge Collaboration & Learning for Sustainable Innovation (pp. 25–29). Delft.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, S., & Reinecke, J. (2016). A modular governance architecture in-the-making: How transnational standard-setters govern sustainability transitions. Research Policy, 45(3), 618–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, S., & Roessler, D. (2013). The formation of cross-sector development partnerships: How bridging agents shape project agendas and longer-term alliances. Journal of Business Ethics, 123(3), 527–547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGahan, A. M. (2020). Where does an organization’s responsibility end? Identifying the boundaries on stakeholder claims. Academy of Management Discoveries, 6(1), 8–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mena, S., de Leede, M., Baumann, D., Black, N., Lindeman, S., & McShane, L. (2009). Advancing the business and human rights agenda: Dialogue, empowerment, and constructive engagement. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(1), 161–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moradi, A., & Vagnoni, E. (2018). A multi-level perspective analysis of urban mobility system dynamics: What are the future transition pathways? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 126, 231–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, B. F., Baer, D., & Lindkvist, C. (2019). Identifying and supporting exploratory and exploitative models of innovation in municipal urban planning; key challenges from seven Norwegian energy ambitious neighborhood pilots. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 142, 142–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Riordan, L., & Fairbrass, J. (2014). Managing CSR stakeholder engagement: A new conceptual framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(1), 121–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Rourke, D., & Strand, R. (2017). Patagonia: Driving sustainable innovation by embracing tensions. California Management Review, 60(1), 102–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, A. Ø., Sofka, W., & Grimpe, C. (2017). Solving environmental problems: Knowledge and coordination in collaborative search. Long Range Planning, 50(6), 726–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pancholi, S., Yigitcanlar, T., & Guaralda, M. (2019). Place making for innovation and knowledge-intensive activities: The Australian experience. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 616–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, W., Alexander, E. A., & Lee, H. (2017). Going it alone won’t work! The relational imperative for social innovation in social enterprises. Journal of Business Ethics, 156(2), 315–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quist, J., Thissen, W., & Vergragt, P. J. (2011). The impact and spin-off of participatory backcasting: From vision to niche. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78(5), 883–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raub, S. P., & Martin-Rios, C. (2019). Think sustainable, act local”—A stakeholder-filter-model for translating SDGs into sustainability initiatives with local impact. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(6), 2428–2447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reypens, C., Lievens, A., & Blazevic, V. (2016). Leveraging value in multi-stakeholder innovation networks: A process framework for value co-creation and capture. Industrial Marketing Management, 56, 40–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romijn, H. A., & Caniëls, M. C. (2011). The Jatropha biofuels sector in Tanzania 2005–2009: Evolution towards sustainability? Research Policy, 40(4), 618–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rühli, E., Sachs, S., Schmitt, R., & Schneider, T. (2015). Innovation in multi-stakeholder settings: The case of a wicked issue in health care. Journal of Business Ethics, 43(2), 289–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarpong, D., & Maclean, M. (2012). Mobilising differential visions for new product innovation. Technovation, 32(12), 694–702.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savitz, A. W. & Weber, K. (2007). The sustainability sweet spot. Environmental Quality Management, 17(2), 17–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidthuber, L., & Wiener, M. (2018). Aiming for a sustainable future: Conceptualizing public open foresight. Public Management Review, 20(1), 82–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A., Kern, F., Raven, R., & Verhees, B. (2014). Spaces for sustainable innovation: Solar photovoltaic electricity in the UK. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 81, 115–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuni, A., & Rentizelas, A. (2019). An innovative eco-intensity-based method for assessing extended supply chain environmental sustainability. International Journal of Production Economics, 217, 126–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vachon, S., & Mao, Z. (2008). Linking supply chain strength to sustainable development: A country-level analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(15), 1552–1560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vos, M. A., Raassens, N., Van der Borgh, M., & Nijssen, E. J. (2018). Balancing modularity and solution space freedom: Effects on organisational learning and sustainable innovation. International Journal of Production Research, 56(20), 6658–6677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, R., Wilson, H. N., Smart, P., & Macdonald, E. K. (2017). Harnessing difference: A capability-based framework for stakeholder engagement in environmental innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 35(2), 254–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, W., Ramanathan, R., & Nath, P. (2017). Environmental pressures and performance: An analysis of the roles of environmental innovation strategy and marketing capability. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 117, 160–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Business and Statistics, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 13, 90128, Palermo, Italy

    Jelena Mazaj, Pasquale Massimo Picone & Arabella Mocciaro Li Destri

Authors
  1. Jelena Mazaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pasquale Massimo Picone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Arabella Mocciaro Li Destri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Ashish Gupta

  2. Department of Economics, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Tavishi Tewary

  3. School of Environment & Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mazaj, J., Picone, P.M., Destri, A.M.L. (2022). Stakeholder Involvement in Sustainable Innovation: Toward an Integrated Conceptual Framework. In: Gupta, A., Tewary, T., Gopalakrishnan, B.N. (eds) Sustainability in the Gig Economy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8406-7_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation