Systematic Review - Network for Business Sustainability

sustain growth without costly social and environmental
impacts. The PSS approach successfully addresses
sustainability issues in both developed and developing
economies.
In Practice
Interface transformed its business from
selling carpets to offering a service package.
It leased floor coverings and retained the
responsibility for maintenance, such as
replacing worn sections, thus avoiding
the need to replace an entire carpet when
a small section has worn through. This
approach could potentially save Interface
and its clients money, while reducing
resource use. 16 Adapted from Carrillo-
Hermosilla et al. (2010) and Joshi et al.
(2008).
Tukker (2004) discusses eight archetypical PSS
business models in terms of their value added for the
business and the extent to which the PSS generates
fewer material flows and emissions than the competing
product-oriented models. (See Appendix 5 for a
diagram of the business models and their relations.)
The complexity of PSSs varies, though typically they
co-ordinate a firm’s long-term vision with a cluster of
products, services, stakeholder groups, supporting
networks and infrastructures (Luiten, Knot & Van Der
Horst, 2001; Tukker, 2004).
Tietze et al. (2011) argue that firms must master
three complementary capabilities to support PSS
development: a product development capability, service
development capability and, most critically, a network
infrastructure development capability.
In Practice
Grameen Telecom’s Village Phone Project
provided telephone access to villagers for
whom private phone ownership was not
possible due to lack of infrastructure for
land lines and prohibitively expensive cellular
telephones. However, mobile telephones
and a PSS model provided access for all
villagers. Grameen Bank members took
loans to lease or purchase mobile telephone
sets and thus had the opportunity to start
an additional business of providing mobile
phone services in their village. Adapted
from Singhal et al. (2008).
2. Search for product innovation ideas in new areas:
e.g. use biomimicry and engage with bottom-ofthe-pyramid
customers
Innovators can also draw inspiration for product
innovation from nature. The term biomimicry (Benyus,
1997) literally means “to imitate life.” As a design
science, biomimicry recognizes that current life forms
are the result of 3.8 billion years of research and
development and that natural organisms have survived
by adapting to the planet’s diverse conditions. By
learning from materials, behaviours and processes
observed in the natural environment, innovators
can extract design principles to help solve human
sustainability issues (Chang, 2010). Examples of
biomimicry-inspired innovation include the following:
Innovating for Sustainability 50