In their award-winning article, which Bird and Hribersek presented at the G-Forum in Ingolstadt at the end of September, they discuss the role of CEO curiosity in implementing eco-innovations in German Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). One key finding: CEO curiosity is an important prerequisite for the introduction of eco-innovations.
Based on the Upper Echelons Theory, according to which the characteristics and decisions of executives have a significant influence on corporate success, the authors conducted a large-scale survey among CEOs of German SMEs. The results show that the curiosity of CEOs is a decisive factor for the introduction of eco-innovations to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The study thus offers valuable practical insights for top management teams when selecting CEOs.