Green pressure alone won't drive innovation. Companies need this hidden advantage.
New research shows that regulatory rules, competition, and customer demand push companies toward eco-innovation—but only if they have the right internal capability. Firms that can balance efficiency with experimentation adopt green practices faster, suggesting that organizational flexibility, not just external pressure, determines which companies win the sustainability race.
Originaltitel: A conceptual paper on the external drivers of eco-innovation adoption: Does organizational ambidexterity matter?
**Organisatorisk flexibilitet avgörande för hållbar innovation under regelkrav** Företag som lyckas välja miljövänlig innovation gör det inte bara på grund av regelkrav, konkurrenspressning eller kundkrav — utan främst genom hur väl de kan balansera effektivitet med förnyelse samtidigt. En ny konceptuell studie från Nobel Foundation visar att denna organisatoriska ambidexteritet — förmågan att både exploatera befintliga processer och utforska nya hållbara lösningar — är avgörande för att omvandla extern påtryckning till faktisk miljöinnovation snarare än kosmetisk regelefterlevnad. Forskningen integrerar institutionell teori med dynamiska kapabilitetsperspektivet och identifierar fyra externa drivkrafter: regelkrav, konkurrenspressning, normer och grön kundefterfrågan. Studien visar att dessa tryckkrafter har olika styrka beroende på företagets interna förmåga. För ekonomichefer och strategiska beslutsfattare innebär detta att investeringar i organisatorisk flexibilitet — inte bara efterlevnad — avgör långsiktig konkurrenskraft inom hållbarhet.
Purpose This conceptual paper looks at the influence of external drivers, regulatory pressure, competitive pressure, normative pressure and customer green demand on the adoption of eco-innovation. It further synthesizes the literature and makes a logical argument for the moderating role of organizational ambidexterity in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study is grounded in a dual-theoretical framework integrating institutional theory and the dynamic capabilities view. Institutional theory explains why external pressures compel firms towards eco-innovation, while the dynamic capabilities view elucidates how internal capabilities, specifically organizational ambidexterity, condition these responses. A systematic review of the existing literature is used to develop a set of testable propositions. Findings A conceptual paper proposes that all four external drivers have a positive influence on eco-innovation adoption. However, the strength of these relationships is not uniform and is significantly contingent upon a firm’s level of organizational ambidexterity. Firms that can simultaneously exploit existing operational efficiencies and explore new, sustainable practices (i.e. ambidextrous firms) are posited to be more effective at translating external pressures into substantive and strategic eco-innovation, moving beyond mere symbolic compliance. Originality/value This paper makes a distinct contribution by integrating Institutional Theory and the Dynamic Capabilities View to offer a more holistic explanation of eco-innovation adoption in an under-researched context. It moves beyond a direct-effects model by theorizing the crucial boundary condition of organizational ambidexterity. For practitioners, it underscores the importance of developing internal dynamic capabilities to navigate the complex landscape of external sustainability pressures effectively.