Kontinuierliche Verbesserung der Umweltleistungen durch ein integriertes Ideenmanagement

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze the role of an idea management in the process of continual improvement of environmental performance in companies with the ISO 14001 certification. In this paper is discussed the connection between ISO 14001, the continual improvement process and the idea management, focused on the improvement of environmental performance. Furthermore the specific contribution of idea management in continual improvement of environmental performance in a company is analyzed. To do the analysis a research in an Austrian company, called Lenzing AG, and in an Argentinean company, called MetroGAS S.A., was done. Because the employees are playing a main role in the idea management, it is from special interests which it is having on them. Employees are the most important source that is driving forward the continual improvement process. Therefore they should be appropriately integrated in this process. One possibility is the integration through an idea management.