Eco-Innovation in Worker Cooperatives and Investor-Owned Industrial Firms: a Comparative Analysis

• Imanol Basterretxea ^[1] ; Ana Fernández-Sainz ^[1] ; Jorge Gutiérrez-Goiria ^[1] ; Josu Santos-Larrazabal ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

     Leioa, España

     
• Localización: Revista de economía mundial, ISSN 1576-0162, Nº 67, 2024, págs. 145-173
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.33776/rem.vi67.8089
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Eco-innovación en cooperativas y empresas de capital industriales: un análisis comparativo
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    El estudio examina la ecoinnovación en cooperativas y empresas de capital, analizando sus factores impulsores. Tras evaluar respuestas de 718 establecimientos industriales vascos, incluyendo 57 cooperativas, se concluye que los principios cooperativos no aseguran el éxito en ecoinnovación. La voluntariedad de la ecoinnovación no es más relevante en las cooperativas, siendo las presiones regulatorias y fuerzas del mercado los principales impulsores. A pesar de enfrentar mayores limitaciones, las cooperativas logran beneficios medioambientales similares. Los resultados refuerzan la importancia de las políticas públicas para una efectiva transición ecológica. Así mismo, instan a reevaluar con evidencia empírica algunos postulados de la literatura de la economía social.

  • English

    The study examines eco-innovation in cooperatives and investor-owned firms, analysing their primary driving factors. After evaluating responses from 718 industrial establishments in the Basque Country, including 57 cooperatives, we conclude that cooperative principles do not guarantee success in eco-innovation. The voluntariness of eco-innovation is no more relevant in cooperatives than in other firms; instead, regulatory pressures and market forces are the primary drivers. Despite facing greater limitations, cooperatives achieve similar environmental benefits. The results reinforce the importance of public policies for an effective ecological transition, and support the need for a re-evaluation based on empirical evidence of certain postulates in social economy literature.

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