Legitimising circular economy practices of Swedish organisations
2020 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
In the course of sustainability becoming an increasingly relevant topic in society, especially the concept of circular economy gained traction in organisational practice. However, a multitude of varying approaches blur the theoretical principles of the concept and the appropriateness of its practice. How organisations counteract this legitimacy issue by means of narratives is the subject of this thesis project. Aiming at the provision of new insights on this matter, a qualitative research approach in form of a multiple case study was applied. The cases involve four Swedish organisations from different business sectors (information technology/E-commerce/waste management/furniture). They provided narratives about circular economy and their corresponding practices through their websites and interviews. The findings illustrate that each organisation communicates about circular economy but to different extents, through diverse channels, and with varying definitional foci. In summary, seven legitimation strategies were identified in the organisational narratives: authorising the underlying definition of circular economy, demonstrating consistency between definition and practice, aligning the narratives with the public’s mental models, projecting legitimacy of other actors onto the organisation, evoking emotions, spreading the concept to build institutions, and admitting imperfection of practices.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2020.
Keywords [en]
Circular economy, legitimacy, narratives, organisational practice, Sweden
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-95387OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-95387DiVA, id: diva2:1434340
Subject / course
Business Administration - Other
Educational program
Leadership and Management in International Context, Master Programme, 60 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2020-06-102020-06-032020-06-10Bibliographically approved