Green transformation and upgrading of enterprises in respect of responsible innovation and dynamic capability

Abstract

Abstract: Green transformation and upgrading of enterprises has been a central focus in governance in China for more than a decade; it is also one of the most important corporate endeavors to promote China′s economic restructuring and high-quality development. This commitment has received extensive attention from academic community. From the perspective of dynamic capacity theory, some researchers attempted at interpreting the connotation of transformation and upgrading of enterprises; other researchers exploring the approaches to promoting and assessing transformation and upgrading of enterprises, and discussing the opportunities and challenges arising from this innovation trajectory.
Inspired by the insights of responsible innovation which is a convergence of technology innovation, corporate responsibility and sustainable development, the present paper intends to explore the approaches to implementing green transformation and upgrading in coal-production enterprises such as CHN Energy Co. Ltd., Yankuang Group Co., Ltd., Jizhong Energy Group Co., Ltd., and Lu′an Group Co., Ltd. through the combination of responsible innovation and dynamic capacity, in the hope of making clear of the motivations, mechanisms, and practical procedures of implementing green transformation and upgrading in such enterprises. The present paper adopted multi-case study approach and the approaches proposed by grounded theory as its research method, to establish general entries for determining specific interrelated conditions, and analyze action-oriented interactive development process at micro level.
This paper had the following finding: (1) Responsible innovation in the green transformation and upgrading of these enterprises was motivated by both internal need and external pressure. While such enterprises undertook the pressure of internal survival and development, severe market competition, played a significant role in implementing green transformation and upgrading in these enterprises. The driving force of responsible innovation, however, is primarily the external institutional response, including national mission, government regulation, social responsibility, green development, and other elements reflecting the unified goals of responsible innovation and green transformation and upgrading of enterprises. (2) Primarily, the green transformation and upgrading of enterprises is the result of the interaction between responsible innovation and dynamic capability of enterprises. Driven by internal and external pressure, the notion of green development is internalized in technology innovation in enterprises; this forms responsible innovation. As dynamic processes, responsible innovation and dynamic capability affect each other; dynamic improvement of the two promotes the green transformation and upgrading of enterprises. (3) Green transformation and upgrading of enterprises could be implemented along two lines: One is to intensify technologically green-process innovation inside enterprises while improve their application-oriented dynamic capability; and the other is to implement green-product innovation in enterprises to improve external market competitiveness and fulfill social responsibility.
Theoretically, the paper proposed a model of "pressure-behavior/ability-performance", which indicates that exogenous and endogenous motivation account for the transformation and upgrading of enterprises, and that the paths for implementing transformation and upgrading in enterprises depend primarily on the enterprise′s dynamic capability of competitiveness and innovation. In addition, this paper identified the four indexes that characterize responsible innovation: anticipation, responsiveness, inclusiveness, and reflexivity. "Anticipation" indicates the enterprise′s pressure for technological innovation. "Responsiveness" indicates the enterprise′s responses to external environment variation. "Inclusiveness" shows the collaborative integration in the process of innovation. "Reflexivity" shows the enterprise′s performance of transformation according to internal and external pressure feedback.
Although we have obtained the above research conclusions and theoretical contributions from the case studies, the above four cases are based on the results of the analysis of large state-owned or state-owned holding groups, and the resulting inferences are still relatively challenging in terms of universality, and further empirical studies are needed in non-state-owned and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Key words: responsible innovation, dynamic capability, energy enterprise, green transformation and upgrading, case study

Guo Pibin, Zhang Aiqin. Green transformation and upgrading of enterprises in respect of responsible innovation and dynamic capability[J]. Science Research Management, 2021, 42(7): 31-39.

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