How biomimicry helps companies navigate the organizational tension between product performance and environmental impact

Abstract

The environmental crisis we are living brings massive pressure on many businesses in moving towards more sustainable business models. In their attempt to respond to multiple and oftentimes conflicting goals, many organizational tensions may arise along decision-making processes, especially gaining an efficient product performance while achieving a positive environmental impact. In this context, biomimicry is increasingly spread among companies as a means to solve the tension, as Arnold Glas and Interface successfully shows. By mimicking nature’s efficient and effective strategies experimented for 3.8 billion years, the science can help firms preserving the ecosystems, being profitable, and increasing their overall resilience.