Sustainable innovations for humanitarian operations in refugee camps

Seifert, Lysann; Kunz, Nathan Michael; Gold, Stefan (2023). Sustainable innovations for humanitarian operations in refugee camps International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 43(10), pp. 1554-1586. Emerald Publishing 10.1108/IJOPM-05-2022-0302

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Purpose Although the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize the importance of leaving no one behind, the opposite is happening for the world's 89 million forcibly displaced people who are mostly left out of SDGs’ reporting and progress. A key reason for this poor outcome is that host country governments plan refugee camps as short-term shelters, but refugees stay in these camps for more than a decade on average due to ongoing conflicts in their home country. This disparity between intent and reality prevents sustainable living conditions for refugee populations. Operational innovations are needed to find sustainable solutions that ensure a higher quality of life and progress toward sustainability in refugee camps. Design/methodology/approach Through an abductive case study, the authors develop a theoretical framework on sustainable operational innovations for refugee camps. The authors use this framework to analyze four sustainable operational innovations implemented in three refugee camps in Jordan. Findings The authors develop three research propositions that describe the conditions required for these operational innovations to succeed: they need to include specific needs and cultural preferences of refugees, they must accommodate host governments' restrictions that limit permanent settlement, and finally, technological innovations require careful data management policies to protect refugees. Doing this, the authors account for the broader political-economic and ecological environments that refugee camps are embedded in. Originality/value This paper opens a new area of research on sustainable innovation in humanitarian operations. It provides insights into key contingency factors moderating the link between operational innovations and sustainability outcomes. It represents one of the few studies that build their theorizing upon field data collected in refugee camps.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Business School > Institute for Sustainable Business Business School
Name:	Seifert, Lysann; Kunz, Nathan Michael and Gold, Stefan
ISSN:	0144-3577
Publisher:	Emerald Publishing
Language:	English
Submitter:	Nathan Michael Kunz
Date Deposited:	14 Jul 2023 16:16
Last Modified:	15 Oct 2023 01:38
Publisher DOI:	10.1108/IJOPM-05-2022-0302
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humanitarian operations, Refugee camps, Innovation, Sustainability
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.19639
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/19639