Guiding firms towards the development of eco-effective products : A conceptual framework

As a comprehensive literature review suggests, factors which impact on eco-efficiency, eco-effectiveness or both have been discussed extensively. Nevertheless, as to the best of our knowledge, a holistic framework to guide a firm's transformation process from eco-efficient towards eco-effective products has not been developed yet. More efficient products are based upon existing ones which are redesigned to become more efficient in terms of material and energy consumption as well as environmental impact added during its life-time. Effective products substitute existing ones by only consuming regenerative resources and generating reversible environmental impact. In researching the literature, we miss the link between strategic decisions and the transformation process from efficiency to effectiveness as well as the development of action plans for a firm to emphasize the creation of eco-effective products. To close this gap, we develop a conceptual model that enables us to derive propositions and leads us towards further research questions.