scholarly journals Assessment of Circular Economy within Portuguese Organizations

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Fonseca ◽  
José Domingues ◽  
Maria Pereira ◽  
Florinda Martins ◽  
Dominik Zimon

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.

Author(s):  
Luis Miguel Fonseca ◽  
José Pedro Domingues ◽  
Maria Teresa Pereira ◽  
Florinda Figueiredo Martins ◽  
Dominik Zimon

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse, and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy, and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.


2021 ◽  
Vol 296 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Olga Garafonova ◽  
◽  
Daria Vietrova ◽  
Olha Marhasova ◽  
◽  
...  

Promoting sustainable fashion within the circular economy is an important contemporary topic. Experts in design, consumption, business and industry explain how to approach circularity in fashion production and consumption in different ways. Increasingly, new and existing companies are looking for ways to thrive in a competitive environment through innovative business models, taking into account public opinion and avoiding actions that harm the planet. Trends such as the circular economy, fair trade, and sharing policies are among the many new approaches to business that address these issues, but there is still a gap between the theory that argues for levels of environmental and social sustainability and the implementation of these strategies in practice. That is why the study of the current state of the circular economy is relevant. This article presents the principles of the circular economy in terms of fashion. The key aspects of the integration of sustainable development in the fashion industry are considered. Different approaches of new business models for the circularity of the economy are highlighted. The main directions of implementation of sustainability strategies due to business transformation are identified, which requires the construction of a new level of the system and radical innovations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
Shahaboddin Shamshirband ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Andry Rakotonirainy ◽  
...  

During the past two decades of e-commerce growth, the concept of a business model has become increasingly popular. More recently, the research on this realm has grown rapidly, with diverse research activity covering a wide range of application areas. Considering the sustainable development goals, the innovative business models have brought a competitive advantage to improve the sustainability performance of organizations. The concept of the sustainable business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value, in economic, social, cultural, or other contexts, in a sustainable way. The process of sustainable business model construction forms an innovative part of a business strategy. Different industries and businesses have utilized sustainable business models’ concept to satisfy their economic, environmental, and social goals simultaneously. However, the success, popularity, and progress of sustainable business models in different application domains are not clear. To explore this issue, this research provides a comprehensive review of sustainable business models literature in various application areas. Notable sustainable business models are identified and further classified in fourteen unique categories, and in every category, the progress -either failure or success- has been reviewed, and the research gaps are discussed. Taxonomy of the applications includes innovation, management and marketing, entrepreneurship, energy, fashion, healthcare, agri-food, supply chain management, circular economy, developing countries, engineering, construction and real estate, mobility and transportation, and hospitality. The key contribution of this study is that it provides an insight into the state of the art of sustainable business models in various application areas and future research directions. This paper concludes that popularity and the success rate of sustainable business models in all application domains have been increased along with the increasing use of advanced technologies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Plewnia ◽  
Edeltraud Guenther

Purpose In order to guide sustainability research on the sharing economy, the purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework that captures the wide range of activities and business models that are considered to be part of the sharing economy. Design/methodology/approach Based on a systematic literature review and a content analysis, existing typologies are identified and analyzed for their conceptual intersections. Finally, categorizations from 43 documents are integrated into one framework. Findings Four main dimensions are identified as being used in different contexts to characterize sharing systems and were combined to form one comprehensive typology: shared good or service, market structure, market orientation, and industry sector. Originality/value The proposed typology is able to distinguish sharing activities based on their similarities and differences. Social, economic, and communicational avenues for the term “sharing” are merged into a conceptual foundation of the sharing economy. This enables researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to position their projects in the broad field of sharing. By discussing inherent tensions with regard to sustainability of the sharing economy, the offered categorizations can help to guide future research and policy intervention. Last but not least, professional managers should find valuable ideas for new business models.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1190-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Staicu ◽  
Oana Pop

Abstract The goal of this research is to acknowledge the elements which hinder or facilitate the transition from linear to the circular economy in the textile and apparel sector in Romania by identifying current and desired interactions among the ecosystem’s stakeholders. Two strands of literature, one on circular economy and one on the textile and apparel sector, provide the theoretical background for this research. Currently, the way we design, produce, and use clothing has drawbacks that are becoming increasingly clear. The circular economy principles have the potential to transform the way textiles are produced, consumed and disposed of. More and more social entrepreneurs are pioneering the future of the apparel industry by offering sustainable solutions to tackling systemic problems. However, their efforts have to be elevated and amplified, as such to pave the way for creating business models that allow for both economic performance and social impact. A comprehensive mapping of ongoing activities and stakeholders in the textile and apparel sector in Romania is required to understand the roadblocks to industry transformation in the context of moving toward circular economy and to implement envisioned sustainable solutions. In the paper we used a database of 27 stakeholders, developed by applying the snowball method, to investigate current and future interactions between the main actors who operate in the textile and apparel sector. To meet its research objectives, the paper employed a phenomenological research design and built upon a workshop activity. First, we designed an online survey to understand the profile and knowledge of the circular economy of the stakeholders included in our database. Second, we employed the world café method to understand in depth the level of knowledge of the actors who attended the workshop on the circular economy in the textile and apparel sector. Third, we used the structural systemic constellations method in assessing the stakeholders’ current and future desired interactions. Last, we formulated conclusions and recommendations about future research needed to deepen the understanding of the circular economy in the textile and apparel sector. Findings showed that there is a vicious circle of different actions feeding isolation and preventing collaboration among stakeholders. Also, we found that there is a lack of collaborative spaces where stakeholders can meet, connect and explore the various opportunities to collaborate, and a lack of general awareness on “circular economy and textile and apparel” and its mechanisms. The intended audiences of the research are decision-makers and practitioners in the textile and apparel sector, as well as researchers focused on the circular economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina M. Ostermann ◽  
Leandro da Silva Nascimento ◽  
Fernanda Kalil Steinbruch ◽  
Daniela Callegaro-de-Menezes

PurposeThis study aims to identify the drivers for adopting the circular economy (CE) in a born-sustainable business of the fashion sector.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study was carried out with a unique and relevant case: the only Brazilian company implementing circularity practices defined through a sectoral commitment, the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment.FindingsFrom an analysis of the literature, a theoretical scheme composed of internal and external drivers is proposed. In the case studied, there is a prevalence of internal drivers that led the company to implement the CE. Most of the internal drivers described by the literature were identified in this research, except for two: profitability and available technology. Regarding the external drivers, of the 12 listed, only laws and regulations were identified. Thus, the results suggest that internal drivers are more numerous and may be more prominent than external ones for CE adoption in the born-sustainable business.Research limitations/implicationsDue to its exploratory design and unique case study, the research does not allow generalizations, suggesting replication with a larger number of companies and carrying out quantitative research with born-sustainable companies and incumbent companies, for comparison. Considering that there is a difference between companies that decide for sustainable practices and companies that were already born sustainable, it can be questioned if the drivers for implementing CE for both companies are also different.Originality/valueThis study proposes a theoretical scheme that indicates the main internal and external drivers for companies' CE implementation. Developed from a literature review and applied in an empirical case, this scheme is comprehensive and can be adopted to analyze companies of different sizes and industries. Hence, this paper generates new perspectives for CE literature.


Author(s):  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
Shahab Shamshirband ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Andry Rakotonirainy ◽  
...  

During the past two decades of the e-commerce growth the concept of business model has become increasingly popular. More recently, the research on this realm has grown rapidly with a diverse research activity covering a wide range of application areas. Considering the sustainable development goals the innovative business models have brought competitive advantage to improve the sustainability performance of organizations. The concept of sustainable business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value, in economic, social, cultural or other contexts in a sustainable way. The process of sustainable business model construction forms an innovative part of business strategy. Different industries and businesses have utilized sustainable business models concept to satisfy their economic, environmental and social goals simultaneously. However, the success, popularity, and the progress of sustainable business models in different application domains are not clear. To explore this issue, this research provides a comprehensive review on sustainable business models literature in various application areas. Notable sustainable business models are identified and further classified in fifteen unique categories, and in every category the progress (either failure or success) has been reviewed and the research gaps are discussed. Taxonomy of the applications includes, innovation, management and marketing, entrepreneurship, energy, fashion, healthcare, agri-food, supply chain management, circular economy, developing countries, engineering, construction and real estate, mobility and transportation, and hospitality. The key contribution of this study is to provide an insight about the state of the art of sustainable business models in various application areas and the future research directions. This paper concludes that popularity and the success rate of sustainable business models in all application domains have been increased along with increasing use of advanced ICT technologies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
Shahaboddin Shamshirband ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Andry Rakotonirainy ◽  
...  

During the past two decades of e-commerce growth, the concept of a business model has become increasingly popular. More recently, the research on this realm has grown rapidly, with diverse research activity covering a wide range of application areas. Considering the sustainable development goals, the innovative business models have brought a competitive advantage to improve the sustainability performance of organizations. The concept of the sustainable business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value, in economic, social, cultural, or other contexts, in a sustainable way. The process of sustainable business model construction forms an innovative part of a business strategy. Different industries and businesses have utilized sustainable business models’ concept to satisfy their economic, environmental, and social goals simultaneously. However, the success, popularity, and progress of sustainable business models in different application domains are not clear. To explore this issue, this research provides a comprehensive review of sustainable business models literature in various application areas. Notable sustainable business models are identified and further classified in fourteen unique categories, and in every category, the progress -either failure or success- has been reviewed, and the research gaps are discussed. Taxonomy of the applications includes innovation, management and marketing, entrepreneurship, energy, fashion, healthcare, agri-food, supply chain management, circular economy, developing countries, engineering, construction and real estate, mobility and transportation, and hospitality. The key contribution of this study is that it provides an insight into the state of the art of sustainable business models in various application areas and future research directions. This paper concludes that popularity and the success rate of sustainable business models in all application domains have been increased along with the increasing use of advanced technologies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Nosratabadi ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
Shahaboddin Shamshirband ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Andry Rakotonirainy ◽  
...  

During the past two decades of e-commerce growth, the concept of a business model has become increasingly popular. More recently, the research on this realm has grown rapidly, with diverse research activity covering a wide range of application areas. Considering the sustainable development goals, the innovative business models have brought a competitive advantage to improve the sustainability performance of organizations. The concept of the sustainable business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value, in economic, social, cultural, or other contexts, in a sustainable way. The process of sustainable business model construction forms an innovative part of a business strategy. Different industries and businesses have utilized sustainable business models’ concept to satisfy their economic, environmental, and social goals simultaneously. However, the success, popularity, and progress of sustainable business models in different application domains are not clear. To explore this issue, this research provides a comprehensive review of sustainable business models literature in various application areas. Notable sustainable business models are identified and further classified in fourteen unique categories, and in every category, the progress -either failure or success- has been reviewed, and the research gaps are discussed. Taxonomy of the applications includes innovation, management and marketing, entrepreneurship, energy, fashion, healthcare, agri-food, supply chain management, circular economy, developing countries, engineering, construction and real estate, mobility and transportation, and hospitality. The key contribution of this study is that it provides an insight into the state of the art of sustainable business models in various application areas and future research directions. This paper concludes that popularity and the success rate of sustainable business models in all application domains have been increased along with the increasing use of advanced technologies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Lahti ◽  
Joakim Wincent ◽  
Vinit Parida

This paper contains a theory review of value creation and the implementation of next-generation sustainable business models to profit in the circular economy. While previous research has pointed to the influence of society and regulatory policy on companies’ ability to address larger sustainability concerns and to change their ways of working, the field suffers from little theoretical guidance outlining how undertake circular business mode transformation in practice. By reviewing the field’s main theories, we illustrate significant implications for how future research can study profitability and competitiveness in the circular economy. This paper introduces the central components of circular business models and discusses links to contingency theory, transaction cost theory, resource-based theory, theory on networks and industrial economics, and agency theory. Understanding the circular economy and the ways companies can compete in the circular economy based on these theories is important for establishing important new research directions for scholars of sustainable business and circular business models.


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