February 17, 2025
4.00 pm
Louvain-la-Neuve
Auditoire DOYEN 21
Advancing Circular Business Models: Innovation Patterns, Categories, and Their Impact on Firm Value
The concept of the circular economy, which aims to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation and resource depletion, is gaining momentum as an alternative model of production and consumption. However, despite its promises, studies show that the world is just 7.2% circular, indicating the need for further research and understanding of circular business models.
In my PhD thesis, I focus on three key aspects of circular business models' implementation:
The first article delves into identifying innovation patterns in circular business models through an in-depth review of over 60 cases and the identification of specific managerial practices related to the 10R framework, which includes practices aimed at refusing, rethinking, reducing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing, refurbishing, repurposing, recycling, and recovering.
The second article of my thesis focuses on the identification, examination, and comparison of existing classifications of circular business models through a systematic literature review. This article provides insights into the different ways circular business models are categorized and classified in the academic literature, helping to create a comprehensive understanding of the landscape of circular business model classifications.
Lastly, the third article investigates the impact of implementing circular business models on a firm's value. Using a dictionary of circular economy-related keywords and data from over 1700 US firms, this article offers valuable insights into how different circular economy strategies impact a firm's value differently, providing empirical evidence on this debated and, currently, inconclusive topic.
Overall, my PhD thesis contributes significantly to the field of management sciences by advancing the understanding of circular business models. It provides novel insights into how companies innovate in their business models to implement circular strategies, the existing classification methods, and the impacts of circular business models on firm value. The findings of my research have practical implications for businesse