| 1. |
- Arekrans, Johan, 1993-
(författare)
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Circling the Squares : Radical Innovation and Management Control Systems in the Circular Economy
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- An economic system built upon the sale of tangible goods produced using finite resources is inherently unsustainable. The idea of a Circular Economy (CE) as a viable pathway to sustainability has gained considerable attention from academia, policymakers, and the business community. The CE builds on a new logic in the business environment in which industrial firms operate that requires substantial changes. We face a significant knowledge gap concerning how firms internally manage the implementation and adoption of CE. Filling in this knowledge gap is critical to understanding how to implement CE at large and established firms with a considerable history of a linear logic, which are known to favor incremental improvements to existing business opportunities over radical innovation.This thesis aims to delve into the managerial challenges that large, established industrial firms encounter when implementing CE principles, and how they address these challenges, particularly through managerial controls. Additionally, it aims to provide insights into how management can facilitate radical circular innovation and support the circular transformation of incumbent firms. To accomplish this aim, existing knowledge on barriers to CE has been synthesized through a systematic literature mapping and a systematic literature review. Next, interviews (n=68) at five large and established industrial firms provide empirical insights concerning the implementation and adoption of CE principles. In addition to the four appended papers, this comprehensive summary theorizes about the empirical findings using literature on radical innovation, sensemaking, and managerial controls. Building on the empirical papers, this analysis sheds light on two distinct patterns in how managers frame CE: incremental framing versus radical framing. It is argued that this has considerable consequences concerning with respect to ambitions, operationalization, and the means used to achieve a CE. In addition, the thesis theorizes about the relationship between the management control systems and the prevailing framings of CE. Based on an understanding of this relationship and the tensions and conflicts associated with the different framings, it is argued that managerial controls can act both as barriers to and enablers of CE adoption at incumbent firms. In addition to the practical and theoretical implications of this finding, the thesis pinpoints limitations and assumptions concerning managerial control systems in relation to CE and propose new avenues in light of this. Finally, the analysis is synthesized into an integrative framework that differentiates three different modes of organizational behaviors within the context of CE transitions: optimizing, transforming, and systems building. This framework integrates the theoretical foundations of the thesis, acknowledges the identified issues, and offers actionable implications for researchers and practitioners.
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| 2. |
- Arekrans, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Circular Economy Transitions : The Maturity of Incumbents
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A circular economy (CE) transition poses new challenges and opportunities for industrial incumbents. When implementing CE, the existing processes, routines, and behaviors are questioned. As such, practitioners must consider the required changes related directly to CE and contextual factors in managing the transition. For this purpose, this study conceptualizes a maturity model, highlighting critical elements to consider to facilitate the transition. The model builds on both state-of-the-art literature in CE and empirical findings from three large industrial firms.The proposed model consists of the CE practices:(1) design of product-service systems,(2) processes and logistics in manufacturing and supply,(3) circular business model innovation,(4) circular innovation in the ecosystem,and the management practices:(1) strategic sustainability integration and(2) management controls.The model is intended to help practitioners define a CE roadmap to facilitate the transition towards a more circular business.
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| 3. |
- Arekrans, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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The role of radical innovation in circular strategy deployment
- 2022
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Ingår i: Business Strategy and the Environment. - : Wiley. - 0964-4733 .- 1099-0836.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Circular economy (CE) is gaining interest among industrial firms in light of sustainability concerns, and several incumbent firms are integrating it into their strategy. In this study, we scrutinize learnings from three large established industrial firms with a clear CE agenda and that are front-runners in CE strategy deployment. We analyze exploitation and exploration approaches to CE and problematize how these approaches relate to radical innovation, which we argue is critical for achieving CE. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30) were used to collect data. We found several issues referring to(1) challenges and approaches to normative management,(2) how the innovation ecosystem is engaged,(3) how goals and metrics relate to CE, and(4) resources and coordination regarding the CE initiative.Overall, current exploitative approaches are favored over explorative, mirroring an undesired imbalance between the two. We suggest several ways to counteract this. For example,(1) addressing existing norms so that they align with the ambitions in CE,(2) actively managing collaboration in the innovation ecosystem, including radically new setups of different actors, and(3) that managers need to carefully consider when and how to use goals and measurements in a circular strategy deployment, to foster both radical and incremental innovation.
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| 4. |
- Corsini, Filippo, et al.
(författare)
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The Advent of Practice Theories in Research on Sustainable Consumption: Past, Current and Future Directions of the Field
- 2019
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 11:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The application of practice theories in the domain of sustainability research in consumer studies is increasingly advocated based on the premise that this allows to analyse consumption as a social phenomenon. Consequently, the applications of social practice theories to this field are expanding geometrically and to date, little retrospective work on this evolution has been made. We conduct a bibliometric analysis of applications of practice theories in the domain of sustainability research in consumer studies. Our results show a temporal succession of research trends: ‘consumer identity’ dominated the field between 2009 and 2012, ‘business and governance’ between 2012 and 2014, ‘sustainable consumption and production’ between 2013 and 2014, ‘urban living and policy’ between 2014 and 2015 and ‘household energy’ from 2015 until the present. We see a high potential of future applications of practice theories in the fields of the sharing and circular economy, as well as in research on smart cities. We provide new insights into the evolution and future trends of applications of social practice theory to domains that are relevant for research on sustainability and consumer studies
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| 5. |
- Cotrim, Joao Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Making Sense of the Sharing Economy : A Category Formation Approach
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 12:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sharing economy (SE) has drawn significant attention from several society stakeholders in the last five years. While business actors are interested in financial opportunities to meet consumer needs, new business models, academia and governmental organisations are concerned with potential unintended effects on society and the environment. Despite its notable global growth, there is still a lack of more solid ground in understanding its origins and respective mechanisms through which it has been evolving as a category. This research addresses the problematics of the origins and ascendency of the SE by examining the process by which it is arising as a new category, searching for conceptual clarification, and pinpointing the legitimacy granted by stakeholders. Our guiding research questions are: how the SE was formed and evolved as a category, and as a category, is the SE legitimate? Additionally, we attempt to identify the nature of the SE as a category. Making a historical analysis of the expression SE and its equivalents, this paper deepens the discussion about the SE's nature by providing evidence that it has predominantly been formed by emergence processes, comprising social movement, similarity clustering, and truce components, which render the SE a particular case of category formation and allow communication, entrepreneurship, regulation, and research about what it is. Moreover, the findings reveal a generalised legitimacy granted to the SE by a vast number of stakeholders, although still lacking the consolidation of socio-political legitimation. The SE's nature seems to fall into a metaphorical approach, notably, the notion of radial categories.
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| 6. |
- de Kwant, Colin, et al.
(författare)
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The role of product design in circular business models : an analysis of challenges and opportunities for electric vehicles and white goods
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 2352-5509. ; 27, s. 1728-1742
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pursuing sustainability implies setting a multitude of open-ended goals to address environmental and socioeconomic issues today as well as those for future generations. The circular economy (CE) paradigm appears more focused regarding goals and agency to address environmental issues by using the economic system. However, companies and governments aiming to operationalize CE in practice, it has been claimed, will face six key challenges limiting the CE “net sustainability impact” potential. This work focuses on the challenges for manufacturers to adopt and operationalize CE for their business. The two key levers for manufacturers to navigate on their path from the linear (take-make-dispose) to a sustainable CE are innovating and designing of the business model and of their products. To date, however, understanding the role of product design in developing circular business models has received little attention in research. This review article builds upon the CE literature foundation, including definitions, challenges, and business modeling frameworks needed to better understand the role of product design. Building on the work of several highly cited CE-centric literature reviews and voices in research and industry, we selected and merged complementing frameworks: Slowing-Closing-Narrowing, Circular Design, and the Circular Business Model Innovation framework. To understand how to put these frameworks into practice, we analyzed CE's links with electric vehicle and white goods research and industry perspectives respectively and collectively. The review and analysis of CE and selected industries’ research was supported by a co-occurrence keyword analysis of 5,960 most cited papers in CE as well as the two product categories, electric vehicles and white goods. The analysis indicated limited maturity and linkage of circular business models and role of product design toward a CE in the research literature for the product categories. This result corroborated the knowledge gap and guided our focus in searching for further research and industry clues. We structured the clues of interest that were specific to or common across product categories and industries, using the integrated framework to visualize our Design for X conclusion. The merged framework visualizes how paths toward CE by design and logic of value creation, delivery, and capturing may differ. To conclude, the authors’ own experience and literature examples from relevant industry-leading and start-up companies are used to apply the framework and reveal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Future research and industry experiments focused on the circular business models based on product service systems and design for CE strategies identified, will be needed to test and extend the framework to other product categories and industry sectors.
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| 7. |
- de Miguel Ramos, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Synergies and Trade-offs among Sustainable Development Goals : The Case of Spain
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 12:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The United Nations plans have marked global sustainable development for more than two decades. Most of the developed and developing countries have adopted these plans to achieve the Agenda 2030, currently formed by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis of the interactions between the SDGs is a growing area in research and of interest for governments. However, studies on how positive correlations can improve deteriorated goals are scarce for countries to date. This study aims at filling this gap by finding and quantifying the synergies and trade-offs among the SDGs of Spain. During the years 2000-2019, almost 80% of the SDG targets had significant interactions, either positive (synergy) or negative (trade-off). SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 5 (gender Equality) and SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) contained the largest number of positive interactions, more than 60% in all of them. SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing) was strongly linked with indicators from SDG 4 (quality education) and also SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). Furthermore, indicators from SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) shared a high correlation with the ones from SGD 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 15 (life on land). SDG 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 6 (clean water and sanitation), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities) had the slowest evolution during the years 2000-2019, showing contractions in some instances. We developed a regression model to assess the influence that selected targets have had on a less evolved target (target 8.6-proportion of youth not in education, employment or training). We managed to clarify high influence from target 1.3 (unemployment compensations), target 8.4 (domestic material consumption) and target 10.5 (non-performing loans) on the dependent variable. Identifying numerical dependencies between the SDGs may help nations to develop a roadmap where targets work as cogwheel towards achieving the Agenda 2030.
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| 8. |
- Hansmann, Ralph, et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of pro-environmental behavior : A comparison of university students and staff from diverse faculties at a Swiss University
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 268
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the context of an initiative to become a carbon neutral campus, an online survey (N = 1864) of students, scientists, and administrative and technical staff of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) was conducted to measure pro-environmental behaviors and potentially influential factors. Female gender, age, and position (from bachelor's student, master's student, doctoral student, postdoc/senior scientist to professor) showed a significant positive correlation with positive behaviors as measured by a pro-environmental behavior scale developed for this study. Excluded from the academic position ranking were the members of technical and administrative staff, who displayed the highest level of pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, the level of pro-environmental behavior was generally higher among members of strongly environmentally-oriented university subsections as compared to other sections. Based on previous research and theories on environmental behavior, such as the theory of planned behavior, a predictive model including psychological, structural, and demographic variables was developed and accounted for 44% of the variance of pro-environmental behavior scores. Among psychological variables, the strongest positive influence was observed for green self-identity. Willingness to sacrifice, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and perceived effects were also significantly positively related to positive behavior. Future behavioral decision-making models should consider these variables accordingly. The position of the participants was significantly positively correlated with green self-identity, suggesting positive education and socialization effects, but negatively correlated with perceived behavioral control, pointing to practical constraints coincident with professional seniority.
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| 9. |
- He, Lei, et al.
(författare)
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User participation dilemmas in the circular economy : An empirical study of Scandinavia's largest peer-to-peer product sharing platform
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sustainable Production and Consumption. - : Elsevier. - 2352-5509. ; 27, s. 975-985
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reusing material products via peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing is one of the circular economy (CE) strategies to fulfil consumer needs with minimised environmental impact and material consumption. However, adopting sharing practices challenges both societal normative behaviours as well as existing business models businesses. Previous studies grounded on stated answers about values, intentions and attitudes of users found several factors that impede the practice of sharing, even though users' needs were said to be satisfied. Nevertheless, few studies have looked at dilemmas that users face while engaging in sharing practices and how these inhibit their participation in CE solutions. This study addresses these discrepancies empirically in the context of P2P product sharing. Using a trust-ownership-need model, we investigated users' reviews (n=415) from an online P2P product sharing platform operating in Sweden and Norway. The data analysis method is a qualitative content analysis of the users' comments (from lessors or lessees). The results reveal the dilemmas that the platform users experience, i.e., information transparency, product pick-up and return arrangements, product quality, security, and user knowledge to operate the product. We argue that missing social presence in the virtual environment, low competence in sharing practice from lessees, and lax platform governance are contributing factors underlying the dilemmas. The research concludes with strategies for promoting user participation in sharing practice and optimising platforms to pursue CE's environmental promises.
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| 10. |
- Hysa, Eglantina, et al.
(författare)
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Circular Economy Innovation and Environmental Sustainability Impact on Economic Growth : An Integrated Model for Sustainable Development
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 12:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines the link between selected indicators of a circular economy, including essential components of environmental and economic growth. Developed economies are continuously innovating to promote growth and giving governmental support to the producers to move from linear economies to circular ones. Hence, waste materials in industrial systems are recycled or re-used, improving the efficiency of using finite resources with the no-waste approach. The aim of this paper is the following: (1) to identify the main components of a circular economy, which are also supportive of sustainability and development; (2) to check the impact of these variables in the economic growth of European Union countries; (3) to find out if the three components of sustainable development adopted to circular economy (CE) indicators (environmental-social-economic) are significant to economic growth. We used a fixed effect panel data analysis to identify the circular economy's impact on the economic growth of European countries. Additionally, to support the results of the regression analysis, we employed a second method-generalized methods of moments-computing the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel data estimation method. The model included five independent variables, such as environmental tax rate, a recycling rate of waste, private investment and jobs in a circular economy, patents related to recycling, and trade of recyclable raw materials. The identification of each variable was made based on a deep search through literature. The results of both econometric models showed a strong and positive correlation between a circular economy to economic growth, highlighting the crucial role of sustainability, innovation, and investment in no-waste initiatives to promote wealth.
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