Green eBusiness - Assessment of the market penetration of green products based on a hurdles analysis (GeB)
Table of contents
Developing a model that explains the market penetration of green products based on the hurdles analysis as well as developing suitable eBusiness designs for overcoming the identified hurdles on the basis of scenarios
The aim of the research project was, on the one hand, to identify existing hurdles to green procurement in companies and, on the other hand, to derive requirements eBusiness designs have to fulfill to be able to decrease those hurdles.
Therefore, a model to identify and assess existing hurdles in the procurement process of companies was developed in the first part. This model should explain the reasons for the current market penetration of green products and services. To reach this aim, the hurdles analysis method developed in the process of working within the RELIEF project - Environmental Relief Potential of Urban Action on Avoidance and Detoxification of Waste Streams through Green Public Procurement - was used and therefore had been modified to match the specific requirements of the project. With this method the hurdles within the procurement process of the 500 biggest German companies should be identified and assessed. This methodology was extended by implementing questions on hurdles in eBusiness concepts that can be used as support for procurement (in the following: eProcurement solutions). In this process, existing eProcurement solutions were examined with regards to their content and conception. Corresponding questions for the hurdles analysis were derived as a result.
The second step within this project was to accomplish the empirical study within the biggest 500 companies in Germany. To supply a broader data basis for the analysis to answer all generated research questions, a second group of companies was included into the survey. These were all medium-sized companies that are members of the Bundesverband für Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik e.V. (BME). Altogether around 950 companies based in Germany were consulted concerning their hurdles to green procurement in general and eProcurement in particular. The rate of returned questionnaires was 13.5%, which was satisfactory in comparison to similar surveys.
The final part of the project was the assessment of the gathered data to identify relevant hurdles to green procurement as well as to develop strategies to overcome those hurdles. Therefore it was also of interest to analyse which hurdles exist for eProcurement solutions as well as how these could be dealt with, as one assumption of the project was that eProcurement solutions, such as information platforms, e-shops, auctions, B2B networks etc., can be of help to reduce or even totally remove hurdles to green procurement in general.
The following three publications (in German) also summarise the methodological and the empirical results of the project as the conclusions drawn for handling hurdles to green procurement in general and with the help of eProcurement solutions. They can be purchased from the Department of Econimics and Business Administration of the TU Dresden:
- Günther, E.; Scheibe, L.; Romeo, C.: Green eBusiness - Auswertung der empirischen Untersuchung zu Hemmnissen umweltfreundlicher Beschaffung. Dresden 2005. (= Dresdner Beiträge zur Betriebswirtschaftslehre. 102)
- Günther, E.; Scheibe, L.: Green eBusiness Methodik der Befragung zu Hemmnissen umweltfreundlicher Beschaffung. Dresden 2005. (= Dresdner Beiträge zur Betriebswirtschaftslehre. 98)
- Günther, E.: Scheibe, L.: Green eBusiness. Entwicklung eines Erklärungsmodells für die Marktdurchdringung ökologischer Produkte auf Basis einer Hemmnisanalyse und Entwicklung geeigneter eBusiness-Konzeptionen zur Überwindung der identifizierten Hemmnisse auf der Basis von Szenarien. Design eines Forschungsvorhabens. Laufzeit: 2003-2005. Gefördert von der Deutschen Bank. Dresden 2004. (= Dresdner Beiträge zur Betriebswirtschaftslehre. 83)
Leadership
Researchers
Term
07/2003 bis 12/2004
Financing
Publications, Presentations and Press Review
For information about publications, presentations and press review please visit our parallel German website.