Abstract
Limiting the impacts of climate change and building a resilient world is one of the biggest policy challenges today. There is a broad consensus among science as well as society and politics that no other living-beings have depleted the natural environment, like the humans have done in a short period of time; which posits the most challenging yet overlooked question of the limits of economic growth and development, if there is a possibility to reinvent the wheel or if there is an opportunity to embrace growth in an environmentally benign manner. Eco-innovations or environmental innovations are one such proposed alternative which in its crudest form endeavors to stimulate growth while rooting for environmental sustainability.Eco-innovation is defined as production, assimilation or exploitation of a product, process, service or business method which, in any stage of its life cycle, would result in reduction of environmental risk, pollution and other negative impacts as compared to conventional technologies or approaches. However, owing to the double externality problem associated with eco-innovations, they are not self-enforcing. Therefore, it is emphasized that eco-innovations require a set of certain antecedents or drivers that can successfully establish these innovations in the market. With this background, this study is based on the construction industry of Hong Kong, where eco-innovative practices are yet at a nascent stage and several forces in the socio-political scenario are at play that pushes-and-pulls the prospects of eco-innovation.
Although several studies have concentrated on determining the factors that can enable adoption and diffusion of eco-innovation in the market, a simultaneous sustainability transition has been occurring cutting across market, institutions, and the socio-economic paradigm which has been examined inadequately so far. To bridge this research gap and to address the fragmented knowledge, methodological pluralism is adopted in this research that evaluates the process of eco-innovation in the broader context of antecedents, institutions, deep structures, trajectories, and routines that represent grave lock-ins and strategic management practices that defines the fate of eco-innovations.
Basing on the assumptions of institutional theory, strategic choice theory, and resource-based view, this study conducts a comprehensive questionnaire survey in order to determine the antecedents that influence the adoption of eco-innovative practices in the construction industry of Hong Kong. The results revealed that regulatory instruments, managerial consent and organizational measures play an important role in influencing the firms to be eco-innovative. However, in case of determining likelihood of adoption in the future, although regulatory instruments and managerial consent do influence, firms that are equipped with eco-innovative practices are most likely to adopt in future as well. Therefore, the study demonstrates a strong mediating role of eco-innovative practices on likelihood of adoption. These findings support the Porter hypothesis and indicates towards a possibility of path dependency that innovation breeds innovation.
Further to these findings, an exploratory case study is conducted with the help of a multi-level perspective framework deriving insights from the evolutionary theory. The analysis reveals that pressures such as energy security, GHG emissions, and other growing environmental concerns, coupled with the initiatives taken by several international bodies, have created a favorable landscape that pushes for eco-innovative practices, which in turn has encouraged some serious interest and commitment on a handful of practitioners in the Hong Kong construction industry, which has resulted in niche initiatives. However, breaking out of the niche and entering into the staid and established regime has been the most challenging task. In case of Hong Kong, the regime resistance is strong and is enmeshed with barriers such as resistive policy implications, starting from the discourse on the environmental issues, to policy making process, to the policy instruments, and the socio-economic barriers encompassing land regulations and consumer demand that creates a situation where market penetration for eco-innovations remain far below the required level for adequate adoption and diffusion. Therefore, a wide ‘chasm’ is observed to be created by regime resistance which needs to be crossed for effective establishment of eco-innovations. The process of growth of eco-innovations (even at the niche) also demonstrates a technological trajectory which is highly representative of incremental eco-innovations.
This study makes significant contributions to both theoretical development for the concept of eco-innovation and empirical sustainable transition in Hong Kong. It remedies the instrumental approach in eco-innovation literature and induces power and politics analysis into the framework of MLP. By doing so, it elucidates precisely where transition occurs at the supra-national level, how it evolves, impacts the smaller pockets or the niches levered by technological development and intent of the firm personnel, and how the political atmosphere impels a strong resistive force. Finally, theoretical reflections are made on the multi-level perspective framework to assist future researchers for better understanding of sustainability transition.
| Date of Award | 29 Jan 2020 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | He WANG (Supervisor) & Xiaoling ZHANG (Supervisor) |