Researchers at La Trobe Business School are exploring how senior managers in heavy manufacturing companies can drive innovation to achieve sustainability and cost-reduction goals.
“With increasing environmental degradation, these managers are facing immense pressure to accommodate their environmental responsibilities and operate more cost-effectively,” explained Vida Siahtiri, the school’s professor of service management.
Addressing differing opinions about the role of innovation, she said, “To date, there is little understanding of whether investing in both radical and incremental innovation is required to achieve environmental sustainability and cost-reduction goals.”
Elaborating on the research further, Siahtiri noted that it “sheds light on the significant influence that senior leaders can exert in shaping an organisation’s trajectory towards innovation and environmental responsibility”.
She concluded by saying that “leaders’ attitudes can unlock the benefits of radical and incremental innovation in promoting their company’s environmental sustainability. Our research offers valuable insights for organisations wanting to navigate the complex landscape of environmental sustainability and innovation.”
This article is adapted from one that originally appeared in Business Impact magazine (Issue 1 2024, volume 19)
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