In this paper, we conceptualize circular economy ecosystem emergence as the intersection of extant innovation, entrepreneurial, and industrial ecosystems. From our rich qualitative data in the circular textiles and apparel industry, we identify drivers behind emergence and uncover the pivotal role ecosystem orchestrators play in governing the interdependencies between actors and activities across the different intersecting ecosystems. From our findings, we theorize circular economy ecosystem emergence as a transitional phase or “real utopia” that, with purposeful orchestration, can potentially become a future desired state. In doing so, we make novel contributions to the literature on economic ecosystems, circular economy, and prospective theorizing, a nascent future-oriented perspective on theory building. Our research offers valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers aiming to accelerate circular economy transformation.
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We investigate entrepreneurial ecosystems that support circular start-ups and innovation. We argue that entrepreneurial ecosystems for circularity are constellations of existing entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems that extend across geographies and sectors. Our research question centres on understanding ecosystem intermediation that facilitates the embedding of circular start-ups in different ecosystems and addresses a pertinent gap in the literature about ecosystem intermediation for circular transitions and circular start-ups Focusing on the emerging circular transition in the textiles and apparel industry, we gathered data from in-depth interviews, field observations, and archival documentation over a seven-year period. Our findings show that entrepreneurial ecosystems for circular start-ups are purposefully intermediated at a meta level, combining elements of extant ecosystems to focus on circularity. Drawing on these insights, we conceptualize ecosystem intermediation as connecting diverse ecosystems across geographic and sectoral boundaries. Our study contributes to the literatures on circular entrepreneurship, circular ecosystems, and ecologies of system intermediation as well as provides practical implications for practitioners and policy makers.
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The textiles and apparel industry is a major contributor to economic development while at the same time being one of the most polluting industries due to its lengthy supply chain and resource intensive production operations. To address these sustainability challenges, digitalization is seen as one of the potential solutions. Using the lens of sustainability and digitalization in Supply Chain Management (SCM), this paper analyses the sustainability and digitalization status of Dutch textile and apparel firms. We used a mixed methodology of quantitative text mining of 94 Dutch textile and apparel firms as well as qualitative thematic and coding analysis of experts’ views and opinions on sustainability and digitalization in the Dutch textiles and apparel industry. Quantitative analysis of website data shows that Dutch textile and apparel firms predominantly communicate the environmental, to a lesser extent social, and least of all economic sustainability factors. Keyword analysis also shows that the use of technological keyword indicators is less prominent, while certain technologies such as IoT, sensors and blockchain correlate mostly to environmental sustainability factors. Moreover, qualitative analysis reveals that to address sustainability via digitalization, it is important to link sustainability goals to Key Performance Indicators, which requires data for traceability. We recommend firms to: (1) re-evaluate their business models and assess the extent traceability can be incorporated in their sustainability strategy; (2) enhance stakeholder collaboration within and outside the supply chain to utilize traceability; and (3) proactively use traceability information to improve transparency and accountability to meet legal requirements and address greenwashing. This study contributes to literature by showing the importance of traceability for (a) linking sustainability and digitalization in SCM, b) achieving the ultimate goals of transparency and accountability, and c) predicting demand and supply to address overproduction and waste in the textiles and apparel sector.
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We investigate circular entrepreneurial ecosystems that support circular startups and innovation. We argue that circular entrepreneurial ecosystems are constellations of existing entrepreneurial ecosystems that extend across geographies and sectors, requiring ecosystem intermediaries to bridge institutional environments and provide access to actors and resources. Focusing on the emerging circular transition in the textiles and apparel industry, we gathered data from in-depth interviews, field observations, and archival documentation over a seven--year period. Our findings show that circular entrepreneurial ecosystems are purposefully intermediated at a meta level, generating nested and distributed ecosystems. To elucidate circular ecosystem intermediation, we devised a model of system level 5 intermediation that extends the conceptualization of ecologies of system intermediation across geographic and sector boundaries. Our study contributes to the literatures on circular entrepreneurship, circular ecosystems, and ecosystem intermediation as well as provides practical implications for practitioners and policy makers.
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De gemeente Almere wil richting een circulaire economie bewegen, waarin zo min mogelijk grondstoffen gebruikt worden en waarin zo min mogelijk afval ontstaat. Een van de reststromen die een grote milieu-impact hebben is textiel. De indruk bestaat dat steeds meer textiel kortstondig gebruikt wordt of van een zodanige kwaliteit is dat het een korte levensduur heeft (zogenaamde fast-fashion). De gemeente Almere wil de trend van fast-fashion bij jongeren doorbreken, maar weet nog niet goed hoe deze doelgroep te bereiken en hoe meer bewustzijn en een gedragsverandering bij deze doelgroep gerealiseerd kan worden. Het huidige onderzoek is verricht om meer inzicht te krijgen in de gedragsfactoren die bij deze verandering in bewustzijn en gedrag een rol kunnen spelen en het type gedrag waarop de verandering zich kan richten. Voor het het kopen van fast fashion/ niet duurzame kleding bestaan een aantal alternatieven: (1) duurzame merken kopen, (2) tweedehands kleding kopen, (3) kleding ruilen, (4) kleding huren of leasen en tot slot (5) minder kleding kopen. De enquête richt zich vooral op de gedragsfactoren in relatie tot deze vijf gedragsalternatieven. De interviews waren bedoeld om hier verdieping aan te geven. Daarnaast is hierin aandacht besteed aan het type koper (naar de typologie van McNeil en Moore, 2015) en aan de rol van social influencers om meer verdieping te geven aan de gedragsfactor sociale normen. Gezamenlijk wilden wij hiermee de volgende onderzoeksvragen beantwoorden:1. Hoe kunnen de jongeren in Almere getypeerd worden als het gaat om hun kledingkoopgedrag?2. Welke gedragsalternatieven zijn jongeren (in Almere) het meest bereid om te kiezen? 3. Welke gedragsfactoren beïnvloeden de bereidheid om voor deze gedragsalternatieven te kiezen? Aan de hand van 320 enquêtes en 15 interviews is het kledingkoopgedrag van jongeren in Almere (deels gecombineerd met landelijk) onderzocht. Hieruit kan het volgende geconcludeerd worden: •In Almere koopt men grotendeels kleding bij grote fast fashion ketens. Een groot deel van de Almeerse jeugd is dan ook wel in meer of mindere mate met het fenomeen fast fashion in verband te brengen. •De bereidheid om voor duurzamere alternatieven te kiezen is onder jongeren in Almere aanwezig, maar niet heel groot. De aanwezige bereidheid geldt voor het kopen van duurzame merken, tweedehands kleding kopen, kleding ruilen en minder kleding kopen. Voor kleding huren of lenen is nauwelijks bereidheid aanwezig. •Uit de enquête komen drie belangrijke gedragsfactoren naar voren die de bereidheid beïnvloeden: de Attitude (affectief; hoe leuk vs. saai zijn de duurzame alternatieven), Self-Efficacy (hoe makkelijk vs. moeilijk is het kiezen voor de duurzame alternatieven) en de Response Efficacy (hoeveel zin heeft het om te kiezen voor de duurzame alternatieven). In iets minder mate komt ook Cognitieve Attitude naar voren als gedragsfactor (hoe belangrijk is het milieu bij de aankoop van kleding). •Uit de interviews komt vooral veel bevestiging voor het effect van Response Efficacy en Self-Efficacy en van de Cognitieve Attitude naar voren. Daarnaast komt Impulsgedrag als nieuwe factor naar voren (welke rol speelt het weerstand kunnen bieden aan het genot/ plezier dat shoppen oplevert?) •Al met al kan geconcludeerd worden dat de bereidheid om voor duurzame opties te kiezen gemiddeld niet heel hoog is, maar dat de mogelijkheid om deze bereidheid te beïnvloeden wel groot lijkt en er veel verschillende gedragsfactoren zijn waarop aangegrepen kan worden. Voor deze gedragsfactoren is een overzicht van mogelijke interventies gepresenteerd.
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Inter-organizational arrangements that aim to address social and environmental “grand challenges” often take the form of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) (also cross-sector partnerships or collaborations). Grand challenges -- problems characterized by knowledge uncertainty, dynamic complexity and value conflict -- require diverse organizations to join forces to resolve them. MSIs are complex and dynamic arrangements due to the constant change occurring in the external environment and in the dynamics of the collaboration, as each participating organization may have very different frames of reference and interests that impede action and continuity. Scholars have long recognized the tensions of conflicting logics that are inherent in MSIs and the challenges that MSIs face in reconciling incongruent organizational identities, goals or shared visions. Accordingly, MSIs need facilitators (i.e., ‘orchestrators’) to navigate the persistent and pervasive challenges of both reconciling conflicting logics and using complementary logics in such a way that the collaboration achieves collective goals. Our study examines how MSI orchestrators work to meet this challenge by shaping and shifting cognitive frames in the context of a mature organizational field. We investigate the mechanisms used to enable cognitive shifts in logic and highlight the role of orchestration in enacting frame shifts. Empirically, we examine an MSI in the apparel industry that aims to guide retailers and fashion brands in the implementation of recommerce and rental business models, thereby pushing the textile and apparel industry from linear to regenerative and circular use of textile resources. We identify several frames from the perspective of diverse stakeholders and uncover the four mechanisms that orchestrators use to influence frame shifts. We also see from our findings that orchestrators efforts to influence and navigate frame shifting is both emergent and planned as they attempt to navigate and manage the tensions and complexity that arise in multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on sustainability challenges.
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Inter-organizational arrangements that aim to address social and environmental “grand challenges” often take the form of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) (also cross-sector partnerships or collaborations). Grand challenges -- problems characterized by knowledge uncertainty, dynamic complexity and value conflict -- require diverse organizations to join forces to resolve them. MSIs are complex and dynamic arrangements due to the constant change occurring in the external environment and in the dynamics of the collaboration, as each participating organization may have very different frames of reference and interests that impede action and continuity. Scholars have long recognized the tensions of conflicting logics that are inherent in MSIs and the challenges that MSIs face in reconciling incongruent organizational identities, goals or shared visions. Accordingly, MSIs need facilitators (i.e., ‘orchestrators’) to navigate the persistent and pervasive challenges of both reconciling conflicting logics and using complementary logics in such a way that the collaboration achieves collective goals. Our study examines how MSI orchestrators work to meet this challenge by shaping and shifting cognitive frames in the context of a mature organizational field. We investigate the mechanisms used to enable cognitive shifts in logic and highlight the role of orchestration in enacting frame shifts. Empirically, we examine an MSI in the apparel industry that aims to guide retailers and fashion brands in the implementation of recommerce and rental business models, thereby pushing the textile and apparel industry from linear to regenerative and circular use of textile resources. We identify several frames from the perspective of diverse stakeholders and uncover the four mechanisms that orchestrators use to influence frame shifts. We also see from our findings that orchestrators efforts to influence and navigate frame shifting is both emergent and planned as they attempt to navigate and manage the tensions and complexity that arise in multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on sustainability challenges.
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Met Situatiegericht inzamelen de kledingafvalberg te lijf. Voor u ligt het adviesrapport, dat is ontstaan door het uitvoeren van onderzoek door studenten aan drie verschillende hogescholen in Nederland: Utrecht, Rotterdam en Zuyd. De uitkomsten van het onderzoek dat de studenten verrichtten, is met resultaten van eerdere onderzoeken vergeleken door onderzoekers van het lectoraat Procesinnovatie en Informatiesystemen aan de Hogeschool Utrecht. Hieruit is dit adviesrapport opgesteld. De resultaten uit de onderzoeken van de studenten en van al bestaande rapporten komen in dit verslag samen tot een advies aan de Vereniging Nederlandse Gemeenten. Hoewel voor dit resultaat met name een inspanningsverplichting gold, brengt het resultaat een belangrijke eerste inzicht en daarmee een boodschap aan de (Vereniging) Nederlandse Gemeenten. Het advies is slechts een richtlijn, omdat de resultaten voortgekomen zijn uit zeer beperkte casus-bestudering.
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While consumers have become increasingly aware of the need for sustainability in fashion, many do not translate their intention to purchase sustainable fashion into actual behavior. Insights can be gained from those who have successfully transitioned from intention to behavior (i.e., experienced sustainable fashion consumers). Despite a substantial body of literature exploring predictors of sustainable fashion purchasing, a comprehensive view on how predictors of sustainable fashion purchasing vary between consumers with and without sustainable fashion experience is lacking. This paper reports a systematic literature review, analyzing 100 empirical articles on predictors of sustainable fashion purchasing among consumer samples with and without purchasing experience, identified from the Web of Science and Scopus databases.
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