Industrial Symbiosis: A Closer Look on Organisational Factors. A study based on the Industrial Symbiosis project in Landskrona, Sweden
(2003)The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- Private companies, more and more, address their environmental impact through increasingly sophisticated internal environmental work. The concept of Industrial Ecology (IE) and its local/regional application, Industrial Symbiosis (IS), indicate that there is potential for further improvements in the environmental performance of companies at their interorganisational interfaces. Besides improving their environmental performance, companies may also achieve competitive advantage through IS networking. Despite these benefits, the number of IS networks is still limited. This may, to some extent, be due to the fact that although IE literature has extensively analysed the technical aspects of IS networking, softer organisational issues are not... (More)
- Private companies, more and more, address their environmental impact through increasingly sophisticated internal environmental work. The concept of Industrial Ecology (IE) and its local/regional application, Industrial Symbiosis (IS), indicate that there is potential for further improvements in the environmental performance of companies at their interorganisational interfaces. Besides improving their environmental performance, companies may also achieve competitive advantage through IS networking. Despite these benefits, the number of IS networks is still limited. This may, to some extent, be due to the fact that although IE literature has extensively analysed the technical aspects of IS networking, softer organisational issues are not sufficiently understood and taken into consideration.
This study, based on action research methodology, analyses organisational factors influencing the outcome of IS networking. It is based on an IS project launched in May 2003 as a Swedish pilot project in the Municipality of Landskrona (Sweden), with the support of the Swedish Business Development Agency (NUTEK). The project involves 19 companies and the Municipality of Landskrona. The analysis of the factors influencing the companies? decision to engage in IS networking and the actual outcome of networking builds upon a review of IE, management and organisational literature. These factors are tested in the context of the Landskrona project, notably in order to outline factors that appear to be specific to a Swedish context.
The main factors outlined as influencing the companies? decision to engage in IS networking are institutional pressure, access to critical resources, increased efficiency and costs savings, and interorganisational learning. More specific to Landskrona, and possibly to Sweden, is the perceived need by companies for increased local networking in general. The major organisational factors influencing the outcome of IS networking are alignment with business reality, environmental maturity and commitment of the actors, existing institutional platforms and linkages, communication and trust, coordination and public/private partnerships. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1324966
- author
- Starlander, Jan-Erik
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2003
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis, networking, organisational theory, Environmental studies, Miljöstudier
- language
- English
- id
- 1324966
- date added to LUP
- 2007-03-02 00:00:00
- date last changed
- 2007-03-02 00:00:00
@misc{1324966,
abstract = {{Private companies, more and more, address their environmental impact through increasingly sophisticated internal environmental work. The concept of Industrial Ecology (IE) and its local/regional application, Industrial Symbiosis (IS), indicate that there is potential for further improvements in the environmental performance of companies at their interorganisational interfaces. Besides improving their environmental performance, companies may also achieve competitive advantage through IS networking. Despite these benefits, the number of IS networks is still limited. This may, to some extent, be due to the fact that although IE literature has extensively analysed the technical aspects of IS networking, softer organisational issues are not sufficiently understood and taken into consideration.
This study, based on action research methodology, analyses organisational factors influencing the outcome of IS networking. It is based on an IS project launched in May 2003 as a Swedish pilot project in the Municipality of Landskrona (Sweden), with the support of the Swedish Business Development Agency (NUTEK). The project involves 19 companies and the Municipality of Landskrona. The analysis of the factors influencing the companies? decision to engage in IS networking and the actual outcome of networking builds upon a review of IE, management and organisational literature. These factors are tested in the context of the Landskrona project, notably in order to outline factors that appear to be specific to a Swedish context.
The main factors outlined as influencing the companies? decision to engage in IS networking are institutional pressure, access to critical resources, increased efficiency and costs savings, and interorganisational learning. More specific to Landskrona, and possibly to Sweden, is the perceived need by companies for increased local networking in general. The major organisational factors influencing the outcome of IS networking are alignment with business reality, environmental maturity and commitment of the actors, existing institutional platforms and linkages, communication and trust, coordination and public/private partnerships.}},
author = {{Starlander, Jan-Erik}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Industrial Symbiosis: A Closer Look on Organisational Factors. A study based on the Industrial Symbiosis project in Landskrona, Sweden}},
year = {{2003}},
}