Tradeoff and Synergy in Sustainable Product Innovation: An Exploratory Case Study of Residential Building

Abstract

Minimizing the negative impacts on the environment is a key

challenge to the firms pursuing sustainable product innovations for

residential building and construction. This paper examines three cases

in the U.S., i.e. Amazon Forms LLC, the Town of Frisco and Denvers

Built Green(tm) Program, that illustrate unique ways of initiating

sustainable innovation. The cases confirm that, in order to stimulate the

diffusion of a new sustainable product or project, there must be a force

driving the change of thinking and action, including corporate initiative,

government regulation, consumer demand and technological advance.