IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i21p15393-d1269288.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovation as a Tool for Sustainable Development in Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Slovakia

Author

Listed:
  • Erika Loučanová

    (Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia)

  • Martina Nosáľová

    (Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia)

  • Miriam Olšiaková

    (Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia)

  • Zuzana Štofková

    (Department of Economic, University of Zilina, 010 15 Zilina, Slovakia)

  • Florin Cornel Dumiter

    (Economics and Technical Department, “Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad, Bulevardul Revoluției 94, 310025 Arad, Romania)

  • Ștefania Amalia Nicoară

    (Economics and Technical Department, “Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad, Bulevardul Revoluției 94, 310025 Arad, Romania)

  • Marius Boiță

    (Economics and Technical Department, “Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad, Bulevardul Revoluției 94, 310025 Arad, Romania)

Abstract

Background: In the current global market, innovations are one of the tools of sustainable development. Therefore, companies must change their attitudes toward innovation strategies in accordance with international and national environmental standards, laws, and market requirements. We often come across, in particular, the evaluation of economic factors of sustainability, which cannot capture the attitudes of companies to the solved issue of the perception of innovation as a tool of sustainable development. Therefore, the Kano model and cluster analysis are used to evaluate the attitudes of Slovak small and medium-sized enterprises towards innovation, and the aim of this paper is to evaluate innovation as a tool of sustainability in enterprises in Slovakia. Methods: This article’s main research method is the Kano model and cluster analysis. Conclusions: The findings of this paper reveal how small and medium-sized enterprises in Slovakia perceive innovation as a tool for sustainable development. Based on the results, we can state the positive attitude of small and medium-sized enterprises towards innovations supporting sustainable development, focusing on frugal innovations characterized by cost reduction, as well as innovation targeting functions, standards, laws, and performance optimization. They perceive these innovations as attractive and their implementation in corporate structures as a basic function for sustainable development through innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Erika Loučanová & Martina Nosáľová & Miriam Olšiaková & Zuzana Štofková & Florin Cornel Dumiter & Ștefania Amalia Nicoară & Marius Boiță, 2023. "Innovation as a Tool for Sustainable Development in Small and Medium Size Enterprises in Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-18, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:21:p:15393-:d:1269288
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/21/15393/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/21/15393/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dana Benešová & Viera Kubičková & Anna Michálková & Monika Krošláková, 2018. "Innovation activities of gazelles in business services as a factor of sustainable growth in the Slovak Republic," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 5(3), pages 452-466, March.
    2. Costantini, Valeria & Crespi, Francesco, 2008. "Environmental regulation and the export dynamics of energy technologies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2-3), pages 447-460, June.
    3. Stefania Amalia Jimon & Florin Cornel Dumiter & Nicolae Baltes, 2021. "Financial Sustainability of Public Pension System," Financial and Monetary Policy Studies, in: Financial Sustainability of Pension Systems, chapter 0, pages 169-190, Springer.
    4. Torben Schubert, 2010. "Marketing and Organisational Innovations in Entrepreneurial Innovation Processes and their Relation to Market Structure and Firm Characteristics," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 36(2), pages 189-212, March.
    5. Jangwook Kwon & Kyunghwan Lim, 2023. "Using Kano Model to Understand an Effect of Specialization and Perceived Risk on Demand for Services in Marine Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-19, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Valeria Costantini & Francesco Crespi & Giovanni Marin & Elena Paglialunga, 2016. "Eco-innovation, sustainable supply chains and environmental performance in European industries," LEM Papers Series 2016/19, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    2. Eleonora Bartoloni & Maurizio Baussola, 2016. "Does technological innovation undertaken alone have a real pivotal role? Product and marketing innovation in manufacturing firms," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 91-113, March.
    3. Bongsuk Sung & Myoung Shik Choi & Woo-Yong Song, 2019. "Exploring the Effects of Government Policies on Economic Performance: Evidence Using Panel Data for Korean Renewable Energy Technology Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Tang, John P., 2015. "Pollution havens and the trade in toxic chemicals: Evidence from U.S. trade flows," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 150-160.
    5. Grafström, Jonas & Poudineh, Rahmat, 2023. "No evidence of counteracting policy effects on European solar power invention and diffusion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    6. Bongsuk Sung & Myung-Bae Yeom & Hong-Gi Kim, 2017. "Eco-Efficiency of Government Policy and Exports in the Bioenergy Technology Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, September.
    7. Eleonora Bartoloni & Maurizio Baussola, 2015. "Persistent Product Innovation and Market-oriented Behaviour: the Impact on Firms' Performance," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali dises1505, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    8. Valeria Costantini & Francesco Crespi, 2013. "Public policies for a sustainable energy sector: regulation, diversity and fostering of innovation," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 401-429, April.
    9. Joana Costa, 2021. "Carrots or Sticks: Which Policies Matter the Most in Sustainable Resource Management?," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Costantini, Valeria & Crespi, Francesco & Paglialunga, Elena, 2018. "The employment impact of private and public actions for energy efficiency: Evidence from European industries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 250-267.
    11. Roberto Antonietti & Alberto Marzucchi, 2013. "Green Investment Strategies and Export Performance: A Firm-level Investigation," Working Papers 2013.76, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    12. Runhui Lin & Yuan Gui & Zaiyang Xie & Lu Liu, 2019. "Green Governance and International Business Strategies of Emerging Economies’ Multinational Enterprises: A Multiple-Case Study of Chinese Firms in Pollution-Intensive Industries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-32, February.
    13. Carl Gaigné & Lota D. Tamini, 2021. "Environmental Taxation and Import Demand for Environmental Goods: Theory and Evidence from the European Union," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(2), pages 307-352, February.
    14. Fatima BOUHELAL & Lakhdar ADOUKA, 2022. "Shift from Product Innovation Strategy to Marketing Innovation Strategy to Add Value to the Firm," Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, College of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, vol. 10(2), pages 167-178, June.
    15. Jia Xue & Youshi He & Ming Liu & Yin Tang & Hanyang Xu, 2021. "Incentives for Corporate Environmental Information Disclosure in China: Public Media Pressure, Local Government Supervision and Interactive Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-20, September.
    16. Phu Nguyen-Van & Tuyen Tiet & Quoc Tran-Nam, 2024. "Synergy in environmental compliance, innovation and export on SMEs' growth," Working Papers hal-04441426, HAL.
    17. Dimakopoulou, A.G. & Gkypali, A. & Tsekouras, K., 2024. "Technological and non-technological innovation synergies under the lens of absorptive capacity efficiency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    18. Monika Jasińska, 2020. "Synergy - an enhancement of learning organisations undergoing a change," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 7(3), pages 1902-1920, March.
    19. Ciliberti, Stefano & Carraresi, Laura & Bröring, Stefanie, 2017. "What Drives Marketing and Organizational Innovation in the Food Industry? A Comparison between Italy and Germany," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 2017(1), June.
    20. Spencer, Thomas & Lucas, Chancel & Emmanuel, Guerin, 2012. "Exiting the crisis in the right direction: A sustainable and shared prosperity plan for Europe," MPRA Paper 38802, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:21:p:15393-:d:1269288. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.