Marcus Linder

A problem-solving perspective on strategies for appropriating environmental value – some implications from considering institutional solutions to social dilemmas

The paper outlines a framework of value creation and appropriation strategies available to firms that address environmental problems. It does so by utilising the idea that valuable problem-solution pairs correspond to opportunities and by describing why many environmental problems are ‘valuable’ problems as defined by the problem-solving perspective of the firm. Considering social dilemmas as the main hurdle for the appropriation of environmental value by firms, the paper derives four appropriation strategies for environmental innovations by drawing on the literature on economic institutions. The appropriation strategies are labelled eco-lean, eco-branding, eco-lobbyism and eco-transaction design.

Determinants of economic performance of environmental technology-based offers: a cross-sectional study of small Swedish firms

The paper examines the association between offer differentiation based on environmental orientation and economic performance. The analysis consists of an ordinary least-squares regression based on accounting data and a survey of the leaders of small environmental technology-based firms in Sweden. The results indicate that eco-efficiency creating a low total cost of ownership is more strongly associated with offer performance than is regulatory support, eco-branding, eco-quality differentiation and provision of strategic environmental information. This suggests that environmental differentiation of offers is the most successful when it is associated with a low total cost of ownership for customers.