No abstract

Studies of circular economy and innovation have received increasing attention in academic literature in the last quadrennium. They fill a managerial gap on how to operationalise the transition from the linear model to the circular. They show practices, tools and mechanisms that allow creation of business models based on circularity premises. In this article, we seek to identify the intellectual contours of this emerging field, conducting a review of the basic conceptual framework, with an analysis of articles published on the topic of circular economy and innovation. In summary, a systematic literature review was developed, whose final bibliographic portfolio consisted of 94 analysed papers. The results of the study show that eco-innovation and innovation in business models are highlighted in this field. They are operationalised, mainly, by activating dynamic, relational and absorptive capabilities. The most important innovation practices in this context are waste management, eco-design business models, product leasing and collaborative commerce. The main contribution of this study is to pave the way for new conceptual developments in organisational capabilities to make transition sustainable and serve as a support arsenal for the maturation of circular economy studies supported by the theory of innovation and also to link management practices to operational processes in the business and production environment favouring the transition to a circular business model. It generates insights for the scientific progression of studies and shows propositions that can be validated in future quantitative studies.

Resumo A relação estabelecida entre as competências organizacionais e a sustentabilidade organizacional deve ser objeto de reflexão e constante aprimoramento, visando à convergência dos objetivos individuais e da organização para a sustentabilidade dos negócios e o atingimento das estratégias empreendidas. Portanto, considerando-se a relevância das discussões que envolvem as competências societais e a sustentabilidade organizacional, a presente pesquisa buscou analisar e explorar a relação existente entre as competências organizacionais e a sustentabilidade aplicada ao contexto empresarial. Para tanto, optou-se pelo desenvolvimento de uma revisão sistêmica das publicações de cunho quantitativo e qualitativo a partir de buscas por meio do Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) e da base de dados da Associação Nacional de Pós-graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (Anpad) nos últimos seis anos, considerando o período de 2010 a 2015. As pesquisas abordam, em unanimidade, o tratamento da relação entre as competências organizacionais e a sustentabilidade aplicada às organizações. Os resultados apontam para distintas linhas de compreensão e de produção, que agregam conhecimento à discussão que envolve a temática. Os estudos tratam de competências organizacionais que são desenvolvidas em empresas pela articulação de ações com foco nas dimensões econômica, social e ambiental na composição do ser sustentável, conforme é apresentado no artigo.

PurposeThis article aims to analyze the specific indicators of the circular economy (CE) in terms of analytical aspects, scope and breadth of metrics and levels of innovation associated with CE.Design/methodology/approachA literature review was developed with a sample of 125 articles, extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Emerald, Google Scholar, Online Library, Sage, Springer, Taylor and Francis and JSTOR databases.FindingsThe results indicate the lack of integration of the social dimension and predominance of environmental indicators, lack of indicators for the meso level and concentration of metrics for the product level. Methodological criteria of validity and reliability for measurement studies are recommended, as well as paths and proposals for future research in the CE.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s limitations are linked to the content and method aspects. Although the search was performed in several databases, with a significant number of articles returned compared to other reviews of the topic, the possibilities are limited by the data source and the impossibility of a broader review. The theme is not yet consolidated and this affects the linearity of the revised results. As for the method, the analysis and coding in systematic reviews involve the authors’ capacity for exploration and cognition.Practical implicationsThe article proposes six theoretical propositions and the theoretical framework that portrays the main findings of the study and questions to drive future research in the topic.Social implicationsThe article points out opportunities for companies, universities and the government regarding the possibilities that can be explored to develop knowledge and practice about the field.Originality/valueThis research advances the CE literature by means of providing a review of the indicators, metrics and tools oriented toward the CE literature that contributes to the improvement and consolidation of the various researches in the field.

The aim of this study is to systematize the main findings of 38 previous systematic literature reviews (SLRs) in circular economy. From this previous mapping, we outline main themes and limitations in the SLRs analysed, then we synthesize the findings of previous SLR to identify mega-trends in CE reserach. Finally, we propose avenues for future circular economy research. Our analysis indicates three main types of limitations of SLR in CE: The first are shortcomings in the SLR methods, the second is the low maturity of CE research and the third the limited dissemination of CE practices. These limitations coalesce to constrain the empirical and theoretical relevance of knowledge accumulated. A main contribution of our meta-analysis is to identify a paucity of accumulated knowledge in critical areas needed for theory building, such as conceptual clarity, limited identification of antecedents, mediators and moderators and opaque understanding of boundary conditions. We conclude that more rigorous empirical research is needed to further build knowledge and generate CE-specific theory. Finally, 7 main areas for further research are proposed, indicating potential theoretical lenses when appropriate.