Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Circular business models in Japan : Analysis of circular business transformation through an institutional approach

Bocken, Nancy LU and Shirahada, Kunio (2025) In Sustainable Production and Consumption 54. p.389-403
Abstract

The circular economy is becoming a globalised phenomenon, but the regional emergence of circular business models differs significantly. By adopting a circular business institutionalisation perspective which bridges theory on institutional work and “ecologies of business models” we study the emergence of circular business models in Japan, a region with recent circular policy and business commitment, through a study of 13 companies who implemented circular business models. The research finds that slow- and close-the-loop circular strategies dominate. Innovations focus on circular design, value chains, rental, lease & sharing, paying per use/performance, buy & take back, remanufacturing and recycling. Interviewed organisations... (More)

The circular economy is becoming a globalised phenomenon, but the regional emergence of circular business models differs significantly. By adopting a circular business institutionalisation perspective which bridges theory on institutional work and “ecologies of business models” we study the emergence of circular business models in Japan, a region with recent circular policy and business commitment, through a study of 13 companies who implemented circular business models. The research finds that slow- and close-the-loop circular strategies dominate. Innovations focus on circular design, value chains, rental, lease & sharing, paying per use/performance, buy & take back, remanufacturing and recycling. Interviewed organisations modify existing business models, create entirely new ones, and disrupt existing business models. We coin “collective institutional work”: an approach that reflects stakeholder engaged strategies in Japan. The circular business institutionalisation perspective can inspire comparative research to better understand the emergence of circular business models in various regional contexts.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Circular business models, Circular economy, Ecosystems, Institutional theory, Japan
in
Sustainable Production and Consumption
volume
54
pages
15 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85216316963
ISSN
2352-5509
DOI
10.1016/j.spc.2025.01.015
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
568733af-7766-43da-967e-a42ab34371cd
date added to LUP
2025-03-21 16:05:36
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:14:39
@article{568733af-7766-43da-967e-a42ab34371cd,
  abstract     = {{<p>The circular economy is becoming a globalised phenomenon, but the regional emergence of circular business models differs significantly. By adopting a circular business institutionalisation perspective which bridges theory on institutional work and “ecologies of business models” we study the emergence of circular business models in Japan, a region with recent circular policy and business commitment, through a study of 13 companies who implemented circular business models. The research finds that slow- and close-the-loop circular strategies dominate. Innovations focus on circular design, value chains, rental, lease &amp; sharing, paying per use/performance, buy &amp; take back, remanufacturing and recycling. Interviewed organisations modify existing business models, create entirely new ones, and disrupt existing business models. We coin “collective institutional work”: an approach that reflects stakeholder engaged strategies in Japan. The circular business institutionalisation perspective can inspire comparative research to better understand the emergence of circular business models in various regional contexts.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bocken, Nancy and Shirahada, Kunio}},
  issn         = {{2352-5509}},
  keywords     = {{Circular business models; Circular economy; Ecosystems; Institutional theory; Japan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{389--403}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Sustainable Production and Consumption}},
  title        = {{Circular business models in Japan : Analysis of circular business transformation through an institutional approach}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2025.01.015}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.spc.2025.01.015}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}