Elli Verhulst

The Human Side of Ecodesign from the Perspective of Change Management

The necessity for new insights regarding industrial ecodesign implementation is leading to an increase of interest for scientific knowledge from other disciplines which may provide such new insights. Research on success factors and obstacles for these introduction processes show the significance of the internal value chain of companies, in which human factors seem to play a significant role. A potentially contributing discipline in this field of the ‘human side’ of ecodesign is change management. This paper describes several aspects of change management; a cross-linking between the two latter disciplines is made. This leads to the formulation of several propositions, which might serve as a starting point for further research on this topic.

Bringing about Sustainable Change in Product Development: Theory versus Practice

Using a change management perspective, this paper studies the implementation process of life cycle thinking and sustainable design in practice, based on empirical data from eight firms involved in product development. The data indicate that different firms take different trajectories and approaches towards implementation, which in turn depends on a number of human factors, including participation of employees, training, resistance to change etc. As a result of this study, a model for the implementation of sustainable design is presented. Firms can use the model and the insights for the improvement and adaptation of existing methodologies and for choosing a fitting approach for integrating life cycle thinking.

Sustainable design strategies in practice and their influence on business models

Developments towards sustainable product innovations receive a growing attention in business as a result of several driving forces. Incorporating strategies for sustainable product innovations in a firm takes a longitudinal implementation trajectory. During and after the implementation of strategies for sustainable design, sustainable business models can emerge. This paper describes insights from practice – based on an empirical study in business cases- on how the implementation of sustainable design strategies in practice may contribute to business models evolving into sustainable business models. The results suggest two trajectories: sustainability can be added to the standard business model leading only to limited changes, or the implementation of the strategies lead to the development of a new business model that delivers more sustainable outcomes. The influence on the business model is indicated in the study to depend on the choice of strategy for sustainable product innovations and on the maturity of the firm.

Professional development of sustainability competences in higher education: The role of empowerment

Purpose This paper aims to provide insights into the relation between professional development (PD) and organisational change processes towards sustainability, with a specific focus on empowerment. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds upon a constructivist approach, combining a literature review, a desk research on key publications and reports and a socio-political analysis to reveal the specific context in Flanders, Belgium. Findings are then connected to earlier insights from research on organisational change for sustainability. Findings The paper provides a number of PD initiatives that focus on sustainability in general and in a single higher education (HE) institution. Framing such initiatives as an organisational change process offers insights on how elements of empowerment are currently incorporated in PD initiatives and how it can strengthen them to lead to the further integration of sustainability competences in HE. Research limitations/implications Limitations are linked with the kind of sources used in the constructivist approach. The analysis only looks at written reports on the topic, albeit it also builds upon the first-hand experiences of educators in the HE institution focused upon in the case. Practical implications There is a need to frame PD initiatives as an organisational change process towards sustainability with specific attention towards empowerment. Without this framing, PD approaches comprise the risk of being left in the margins or being understood as single initiatives without any connection to the bigger picture, i.e. the transition towards sustainability in HE. Social implications Interlinking PD and organisational change provides opportunities to frame the sustainability transition within the university in a wider societal context. Originality/value The paper provides an original contribution to the debate on sustainability competences, as it frames the PD within an organisational context, rather than focusing on the individual role of educators.