Thematic pattern of practice types, adopted circularity practices, and supporting dynamic capability groups
| Description | Practices related to circularity | Deployed DCs and groups | Evidence from cases | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic pattern of practices | Foundational | Practices that build awareness and basic infrastructure, sensing market/regulatory shifts toward circularity. Often internal-focused, initiating adoption by identifying gaps (e.g. in material flows) | Transition to electric products (Alpha), digitalization for eco-efficiency (Beta), employee training on sustainability (Beta, Gamma) | Primarily deployed technology management, product design management deployed at seizing level | Firms sense market shifts (e.g. electric transition in Alpha/Delta). Synergistic pattern: Technology Management and Product Design Management deployed together at seizing levels produce foundational infrastructure exceeding what either capability achieves independently. Without this synergy, circularity remains isolated firm-level action |
| Transitional | Practices that seize circular opportunities through experimentation, integrating reverse flows, or eco-design. Partner collaboration begins here, transitioning from linear to nexus | Product reusability and reverse flow (Beta), modular product designs for disassembly (Gamma), Eco-design for lifecycle extension (Alpha, Beta), eco-management audits and reverse flows (Beta), modular product designs for disassembly (Gamma), process innovation for resource efficiency (Delta) | Primarily deploying process innovation as seizing; blends sensing/reconfiguring to deploy supply chain collaboration and supply market orientation | Seizing via adopting changes in procedures, initiating collaboration to enable eco-design/reverse flows (Beta/Gamma). Synergistic pattern: Integrating Technology Management and Product Design Management with Supply Chain Collaboration enabled supply chain partners to coordinate circular practices. These outcomes are unattainable through internal innovation alone. Relation: e.g. Beta's audits depend on SCC* at seizing to integrate partners, initiating nexus transition. Without this, practices remain linear | |
| Scaling | The integration of circularity across the supply chain for regenerative, profitable results, the reconfiguration of networks with closed loops and economies of scale across partners (e.g. achieving maturity through sustained restructuring | Take-back system, including the adopting of reverse logistics initiated the recycling improvements on steel (Gamma) | Deployed at reconfiguring-dominant; some seizing by deploying capabilities as enablers such as Human resource management, Marketing | To scale CE, firms must reconfigure their supply chains (e.g. implementing reverse logistics to take back products), reallocate resources for profitability (e.g. Gamma partnering led them to achieve recycling integrated partners); reconfiguring via capabilities developing such as HRM*/MK* scales take-backs (Gamma). Synergistic pattern: All DCs operating together produce scaling outcomes. Relation: Gamma's improving recycling related with reconfiguring of SCC enabled with HRM for workforce skills, marketing circular value. Initiates CSC for one of the cases but still at need time to gain maturity |
| Description | Practices related to circularity | Deployed DCs and groups | Evidence from cases | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic pattern of practices | Foundational | Practices that build awareness and basic infrastructure, sensing market/regulatory shifts toward circularity. Often internal-focused, initiating adoption by identifying gaps (e.g. in material flows) | Transition to electric products (Alpha), digitalization for eco-efficiency (Beta), employee training on sustainability (Beta, Gamma) | Primarily deployed technology management, product design management deployed at seizing level | Firms sense market shifts (e.g. electric transition in Alpha/Delta). Synergistic pattern: Technology Management and Product Design Management deployed together at seizing levels produce foundational infrastructure exceeding what either capability achieves independently. Without this synergy, circularity remains isolated firm-level action |
| Transitional | Practices that seize circular opportunities through experimentation, integrating reverse flows, or eco-design. Partner collaboration begins here, transitioning from linear to nexus | Product reusability and reverse flow (Beta), modular product designs for disassembly (Gamma), Eco-design for lifecycle extension (Alpha, Beta), eco-management audits and reverse flows (Beta), modular product designs for disassembly (Gamma), process innovation for resource efficiency (Delta) | Primarily deploying process innovation as seizing; blends sensing/reconfiguring to deploy supply chain collaboration and supply market orientation | Seizing via adopting changes in procedures, initiating collaboration to enable eco-design/reverse flows (Beta/Gamma). Synergistic pattern: Integrating Technology Management and Product Design Management with Supply Chain Collaboration enabled supply chain partners to coordinate circular practices. These outcomes are unattainable through internal innovation alone. Relation: e.g. Beta's audits depend on SCC* at seizing to integrate partners, initiating nexus transition. Without this, practices remain linear | |
| Scaling | The integration of circularity across the supply chain for regenerative, profitable results, the reconfiguration of networks with closed loops and economies of scale across partners (e.g. achieving maturity through sustained restructuring | Take-back system, including the adopting of reverse logistics initiated the recycling improvements on steel (Gamma) | Deployed at reconfiguring-dominant; some seizing by deploying capabilities as enablers such as Human resource management, Marketing | To scale CE, firms must reconfigure their supply chains (e.g. implementing reverse logistics to take back products), reallocate resources for profitability (e.g. Gamma partnering led them to achieve recycling integrated partners); reconfiguring via capabilities developing such as HRM*/MK* scales take-backs (Gamma). Synergistic pattern: All DCs operating together produce scaling outcomes. Relation: Gamma's improving recycling related with reconfiguring of SCC enabled with HRM for workforce skills, marketing circular value. Initiates CSC for one of the cases but still at need time to gain maturity |
Note(s): *SCC: supply chain collaboration, HRM: human resource management, MK: marketing
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