Green knowledge: Developing a framework that integrates knowledge management and eco-innovation

In the global knowledge economy eco-innovation issues emerge as a critical activity on the organization's value chain and a national strategic objective. Governments, organizations and individuals have a key role to play in the transformation of socio-economic structures that integrate the pillars of sustainable development (economic growth, social well-being and environmental responsibility). With this purpose several international initiatives have taken place in the last years in order to stimulate and implement an eco-friendly behavior. Knowledge Management research can help to identify and develop behaviors and practices that stimulate and leverage green knowledge, which aims to improve organizations' eco-innovator performance. We argue that this green knowledge base supports the search for practices and strategies of sustainability and forms the foundation for the development of greener performance trajectories. The purpose of this paper is the identification of a green knowledge foundation that supports and put into practice the eco-innovation potential of organizations. To the best of our knowledge, the literature revision shows very limited studies in this field. While the literature that explores the relationship between innovation and knowledge management is abundant, the same is not true when it goes beyond products/processes/practices towards a broader societal context including sustainability issues. We aim to develop a framework which comes up from the identification of eco-innovation dimensions and knowledge management practices. This framework aims to be a knowledge base that integrates the sustainability problematic. This paper follows a theoretical, deductive approach towards green knowledge of corporate sustainability with an emphasis on eco-innovation. We argue that connecting these two fields opens up mutual research and practice perspectives.