Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation–The Drivers of Business Growth?

AbstractNowadays, CSR and Innovation are the foundation of business competencies. CRS and innovation has emerged slowly over the past decade. Improvements in the CRS process can refer to as ‘social innovation’. Companies should do more to tackle the issues such as: social justices, poverty and climate change. The only successful brands of the future will be the ones that see these challenges as opportunities for innovation, rather than risks to be alleviated. As stated by the department of Trade and Industry in the United Kingdom, CSR represent “the integrity with which a company govern itself, fulfils its mission, lives by its value, engages with its stakeholders, measures its impact and reports on its activities” . Further, we analyze the main four topics related to CRS and innovation, starting with Corporate Social Innovation; which will refer to a product innovation with a social purpose, in addition we will focus on the important subtheme of corporate social innovation focused on low-income market - Base of the Pyramid (BOP). Moreover, Social Entrepreneurship will be analyzed since they act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better. Likewise, the paper will point the significance of Eco–Innovation as a new discipline with the purpose of describing products and processes that contribute to sustainable development

The sustainable potential of efficient air-transportation industry and green innovation in realising environmental sustainability in G7 countries

Air transportation has a deep impact on environmental degradation due to the higher fossil fuel consumption. On the other hand, this industry also embraces the highest innovation that may alter its environmental consequences. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that explores the impact of air transportation and eco-innovation on environmental quality. Therefore, this study is a pioneering attempt to examine the role of air-transportation and eco-innovation in reducing environmental degradation in G7 countries using annual data from 1990 to 2019. In doing so, we employed various advance econometric approaches to handle issues arises from panel data such as Pesaran (2007) and Bai and Carrion-I-Silvestre (2009) used to examine the presence of unit root, cross-sectional dependency checked through Pesaran (2015) test, and for parameters heterogeneity through Pesaran and Yamagata (2008). Moreover, the Westerlund and Edgerton (2008) test and Cross Sectional Augmented ARDL were employed to analyse the long run and short run association among variables. The overall results show that air transportation and eco-innovation play an important role in abating environmental deterioration. Air transportation is negatively correlated with carbon emission and PM2.5 exposure (air quality) due to the improved technical structure of aircraft engines and the use of mixed ration or alternative aviation fuels. These results provide valuable suggestions for all stakeholders

Unravelling open innovation determinants and firm performance relationships in CEE and SEE countries

Purpose Open innovation (OI), by now one of the major concepts for the analysis of innovation, is seen as a methodology for collaboratively designing and implementing solutions by engaging stakeholders in an iterative and inclusive service design process. This paper aims to empirically investigate OI capacities, defined as a cooperative, knowledge-sharing innovation ecosystem, and to explore how it can lead to improved performance of firms in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Southeastern European (SEE) countries. Design/methodology/approach The study builds on the World Bank/European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD’s) Business Environment Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) dataset for 2009, 2013 and 2019. Primarily, the research model was estimated using log-transformed ordinary least squares (OLS). Taking into consideration that this method might produce substantial bias, yielding misleading inferences, this study is fitting Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimators with robust standard errors and instrumental variable/generalized method of moments estimation (IV/GMM) approach for comparative results. Secondarily, the research model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the relationship between five OI capacities and firm performance. Findings The findings indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between most OI capacities and firm performance, except for innovation, which did not show a statistically significant relationship with firm performance. Specifically, research and development (R&D), knowledge and coopetition are statistically significant and positively associated with firm performance, whereas transformation is statistically significant but negatively associated with firm performance. The IV/GMM estimations’ findings support the view that the firm performance is significantly affected by OI capacities, together with some control variables such as size, age, foreign ownership and year dummy to have a significant impact on firm performance. Originality/value This paper fills an identified gap in the literature by investigating the impact of OI on firm performance executed in the specific CEE and SEE country context

Open innovation and entrepreneurship : impetus of growth and competitive advantages

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Ethnic entrepreneurship in Macedonia: the case of Albanian entrepreneurs

International audienceThe objective of this paper is to provide a picture of the characteristics of Albanian entrepreneurs and their enterprises in the Republic of Macedonia. According to State Statistical Office of the Republic of Macedonia (2005), based on the data from the last census of population, households and dwellings in 2002, the Republic of Macedonia had 2,022,547 inhabitants of whom Albanians were 509,083 (25.2%). Since Albanians represent the greatest minority in the Republic of Macedonia, we were interested to analyse businesses that are operated and managed by them. We conducted empirical research during the period April-June 2013 of 89 businesses, owned by Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. We analysed the motives for starting and managing one's own business, problems of these businesses, success factors, forms of organisation, sources of financing, ethics and social responsibility of Albanian entrepreneurs, e-commerce challenges and characteristics, etc