Samenvatting

The Fociss (Focussing Innovation for a Sustainable Strategy) approach is a structured method to define core business related issues within sustainable development that require main attention in a specific company. In theory, Fociss has the ability for all kinds of innovations, but the implementation of radical sustainable innovations is often lagging because of complexity.
Such innovation problems have often been discussed in the literature of (Knowledge) Management Studies. The 'ambidextrous' organization provides a solutions to develop a repository of challenging, disruptive innovations. A communities-of-practice (COP) is such a solution which is based on the competences and ownership of workers, motivating them to apply their creativity and support the subsequent implementation.
A Fociss scan, performed by students of Avans Hogeschool at IHC Merwede resulted in incremental innovations at which the company was already working and radical sustainable innovations, which were not further developed. However, at the same time knowledge workers were active with different sustainable innovations around 'greening' materials while using virtual communities.
We suggest to depend the initiation and further application of Fociss of the presence of work floor communities. If virtual communities are present, management may invite them to apply Fociss for their own account. This increases the repository of a variety of sustainable innovative ideas that the company can implement directly or when the situation asks for it so that it will strengthen the company's future basis. This integration results in a synthesis by which we can instruct companies and students to attain success in their future 'sustainable business management'.