Between Circular Paralysis and Utopia: Organizational Transformations towards the Circular Economy

Abstract

Organizational Transformations Most companies still operate in a largely linear economy manner, pursuing business models that are focused on fast-paced consumption, products with a limited lifetime, and little end-responsibility for reuse and recycling. For companies, the circular economy entails transforming production, supply chains, and business models from linear to circular, and transforms waste and excess resources into valuable new materials and products ([10]; [17]). How can companies renegotiate their boundaries with suppliers, customers, and other (new) partners including the public sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop new circular supply chains and business models? The circular economy has become popular over the past decade, among academics, policymakers, and practitioners, as a concept to address sustainability challenges such as resource scarcity, environmental pollution, plastic waste, and the climate emergency in a strategic manner ([7]; [16]; [22]). [Extracted from the article]