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Facilitating the circular economy: insights from novel supply network actors

Facilitating the circular economy: insights from novel supply network actors This research studies circularity brokers, the economic actors facilitating the transition of companies towards circular operations. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of “circular brokerage”, deriving from the concept of brokerage existing in network theory and applied to the specific context of the circular supply network. Recent papers have been devoted to particular facets of circular brokerage, with studies dedicated to circular incubators or platforms. This study proposes how these new actors can have a significant role in facilitating circular economy in general.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is qualitative using 17 semi-directed interviews with circularity brokers. The theoretical approach draws on the network view and builds on recent developments of the theory in the context of circular economy.FindingsCircularity brokers support organisations and their networks, helping them to overcome the problems that stand in their way of adopting circular economy at different levels (micro, meso and macro). To do this, circularity brokers deploy a wide range of activities involving technical, methodological and relational skills. The study extends previous research by elaborating on the relationship between the position these actors occupy within their network and the benefits they can bring in terms of circularity.Originality/valueThis research provides evidence on the role of circularity brokers and moves the state of knowledge from a specific sector or cases to other sectors and a broader role beyond network position specifics. Network theory, with the constructs of broker exchanges and the influence of embeddedness, is used to develop theoretical implications. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Supply Chain Management An International Journal Emerald Publishing

Facilitating the circular economy: insights from novel supply network actors

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References (50)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1359-8546
eISSN
1359-8546
DOI
10.1108/scm-01-2024-0067
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This research studies circularity brokers, the economic actors facilitating the transition of companies towards circular operations. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of “circular brokerage”, deriving from the concept of brokerage existing in network theory and applied to the specific context of the circular supply network. Recent papers have been devoted to particular facets of circular brokerage, with studies dedicated to circular incubators or platforms. This study proposes how these new actors can have a significant role in facilitating circular economy in general.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is qualitative using 17 semi-directed interviews with circularity brokers. The theoretical approach draws on the network view and builds on recent developments of the theory in the context of circular economy.FindingsCircularity brokers support organisations and their networks, helping them to overcome the problems that stand in their way of adopting circular economy at different levels (micro, meso and macro). To do this, circularity brokers deploy a wide range of activities involving technical, methodological and relational skills. The study extends previous research by elaborating on the relationship between the position these actors occupy within their network and the benefits they can bring in terms of circularity.Originality/valueThis research provides evidence on the role of circularity brokers and moves the state of knowledge from a specific sector or cases to other sectors and a broader role beyond network position specifics. Network theory, with the constructs of broker exchanges and the influence of embeddedness, is used to develop theoretical implications.

Journal

Supply Chain Management An International Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Aug 2, 2024

Keywords: Supply network; Brokerage; Circular economy; Network theory

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