Green Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A Qualitative Approach

Margarida Rodrigues and Mário Franco ()
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Margarida Rodrigues: CEFAGE-UBI Research Center, Instituto Europeu de Estudos Superiores, 4820-320 Fafe, Portugal
Mário Franco: CEFAGE-UBI Research Center, Department of Management and Economics, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: In the face of drastic global climate change, the transition to a green economy is becoming increasingly important and it is understood as an opportunity to redesign and redefine business models, products and services, market approaches, forms of consumption, and production. Thus, this study aims to understand how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adhere to green innovation activities in the management of their business. To answer this objective, the qualitative approach (case study) was used with recourse to interview three SME owner-managers as data collection. From a content analysis, the results obtained show that green innovation is a focus of concern for managers but its operationalization has not proved easy. So two of the SMEs studied here have only implemented measures to recycle the waste produced by their daily activity, although they consider their transition to a green and sustainable business model to be important. The current macroeconomic scenarios reveal the urgent need for SMEs to change their traditional business models to a more sustainable model that involves their managers’ commitment to sustainable development objectives, supported by the green and circular economy, which requires reduction, reuse, and recycling that, as has been shown, still falls far short of expectations. This means that all business stakeholders must understand the reason for adopting green innovation.

Keywords: green innovation (GI); SMEs; sustainability; entrepreneurship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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