Review and proposed eco-process innovation performance framework

ABSTRACT

Rapid growth of industrial activities throughout the world has resulted in an ever-worsening environmental degradation. Manufacturers must be proactive on environmental issues and link their operations beyond the economic rewards, to consider environmental and social impacts in their processes. In the manufacturing sector, eco-innovation has been recognised as an essential tool for addressing the growing economic, environmental and social concerns and at the same time supporting the achievement of sustainable development target. Eco-process innovation (a type of technical eco-innovation) tools and techniques should be implemented to change the perception that manufacturers are contributing to the negative environmental impacts to the belief of improving society’s standard of living and environmental quality. This paper presents the results of an extensive systematic literature review on 45 empirical researches relating to eco-process innovation published from 2006 to July 2017. They were analysed in terms of research patterns, measurement aspects, approach and performance indicators employed by previous researchers. The analysis indicate a compelling reason to develop and propose an instrument able to measure operational economic, environmental and social performance of eco-process innovation. This review resulted in a conceptual framework for measuring eco-process innovation performance in manufacturing firms which serves as an essential fundamental prior to conducting studies in developing an improved instrument for assessing eco-process innovation performance. Future research is in the throes of conducting a case study for verifying this eco-innovation framework that will be useful to manufacturers.

KEYWORDS:

• Eco-process innovation
• performance indicator
• manufacturing firm
• systematic literature review

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Suziyana Mat Dahan

Suziyana Mat Dahan is a PhD candidate in the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia.  She received her MSc in Engineering Management from the University of Northumbria and BA in Management (Technology) from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.  Her current research focuses on developing indicators of eco-process innovation performance in manufacturing firm.  Her research interests include innovation management, technology management and operational management.  She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University Malaysia Pahang (UMP).

Sha’ri Mohd Yusof

Sha’ri Mohd Yusof obtained his degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Miami, a Master of Science in Integrated Quality Systems from University of Birmingham and Doctor of Philosophy with a focus on Total Quality Management for Small manufacturing business from the University of Birmingham.  He is Professor of Quality Engineering and Management at the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Having graduated from the USA, he spent one-year training in Body Assembling in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Japan and worked with Proton for over five years. He has been in academia since 1990 and his main research interests are in Quality Engineering, Robust Engineering, Lean Manufacturing and Sustainability.