Factors Affecting Circular Transformation in Manufacturing Companies

Sammanfattning

The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy has become an important challenge for manufacturing companies due to increasing environmental concerns, resource scarcity, and growing demands for sustainable production. Although the circular economy has received significant attention in research and industrial practice, many manufacturing companies continue to face difficulties in implementing circular strategies and practices and transforming their existing business models. This study investigates the key factors that influence circular transformation in manufacturing companies, examines how these factors are interconnected, and explores how manufacturing companies can leverage these factors to facilitate successful circular transformation. This study adopts a qualitative research approach that combines a systematic literature review (SLR) and semi-structured interviews. The SLR study analyzed 32 peer-reviewed articles and identified 15 key factors influencing circular transformation. These factors were organized into macro-, meso-, and micro-level categories and were subsequently validated, refined, and expanded through interviews with 6 sustainability professionals from 6 different Swedish manufacturing companies. The findings show that circular transformation is influenced by a combination of external conditions, inter-organizational collaboration, and internal organizational capabilities. The empirical findings led to a refinement of the initial conceptual framework developed through SLR, particularly at the macro-level, and provided additional insights into how different factors influence circular transformation. As a result, the refined framework comprises 16 key factors that influence circular transformation in manufacturing companies. The study contributes a refined conceptual framework that shows how factors across the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels collectively influence circular transformation, and an interconnection model that maps how these factors relate to each other. Together, they offer both theoretical and practical contributions by supporting manufacturing companies in understanding, assessing, and leveraging the conditions required for successful circular transformation.