Marcus Brandenburg

Gerd J. Hahn

Tobias Rebs

This book focuses on environmental and social factors in international supply chains and industry networks. It explores whether socially-responsible and environmentally-conscious operations are complementary or conflictive to economic targets. The book elaborates on innovative approaches to manage the economic, ecological and social performance in supply networks from different perspectives. In addition, it links sustainability to operational processes and illustrates specific application contexts. Moreover, it covers the social dimension of sustainability. The rise of sustainability in management forces enterprises to revisit the concept of profitability that drives their operations. Social standards and ecological targets represent critical factors that challenge industry networks. The interplay of these goals requires new insights from scientific research and managerial practice. New approaches and systems are needed to minimize environmental and social harms and to promote sustainability.

Tradeoffs and Synergies

Social and Environmental Dimensions of Organizations and Supply Chains

Susana Garrido Azevedo

Helena Carvalho

Virgílio Cruz-Machado

Environmental challenges such as pollution, climate change, water and natural resources depletion and dwindling bio-diversity are true threats to the survival of our civilization, forcing us to learn how to act now. Fortunately this is exactly what this book does: presenting real life cases, along with theory, methodologies and tools demonstrating how eco-innovation can support sustainable economic growth and save our planet for future generations. Following an introduction describing developments and directions of eco-innovation, Section One discusses Models and Frameworks Supporting Eco-Innovation, with chapters on search strategy for radical eco-innovation; and systematic eco-innovation with TRIZ Methodology. Section Two offers surveys and case studies showing eco-innovation in practice, including a sketch of the eco-innovative landscape in the Brazilian Cellulose, Paper and Paper Products Industry; efforts to eco-innovate among large Swedish companies; progress towards joint product-service business models and more. The third section surveys future directions and emerging trends, among them a new methodology for eco-friendly construction; the development of lightweight small inter-island ferries in Scandinavia and BioTRIZ: a win-win methodology for eco-innovation. The book explores eco-innovation as a framework for supporting the development of new business models which consider the entire business ecosystem, on the way to a sustainable world. Moreover, it explores the eco-innovation process in cross-national and cross-sector perspective.

Lessons from Experience and New Frontiers in Theory and Practice

Eco-Innovation and the Development of Business Models

​​​​​​​Supply chain management (SCM) strives for creating competitive advantage and value for customers by integrating business processes from end users through original suppliers. However, the question of how SCM influences the value of a firm is not fully answered. Various conceptual frameworks that explain the coherence of SCM and company value, comprehended as value-based SCM, are well accepted in scientific research, but quantitative approaches to value-based SCM are found rather seldom. The book contributes to this research gap by proposing quantitative models that allow for assessing influences of SCM on the value of a firm. Opposed to existing models that limit the observation to chosen facets of SCM or selected value drivers, this holistic approach is adequate to • reflect configurational and operational aspects of SCM, • cover all phases of the product life cycle, • financially compare value impacts of profitability-related and asset-related value drivers, and • assess influences of dynamics and uncertainties on company value.​

Marcus Brandenburg

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