Publicação
Circularity Implementation in Public Sector Organisations: Analysis of Circular Economy Practices and Organisational Change Strategies for Sustainability
| Resumo: | The Circular Economy (CE) is generally portrayed as an opportunity to transform the unsustainable linear economic system by rethinking how organisations purchase and provide goods and services, how society consumes and uses resources. The public sector is mostly recognized as a policy-maker and regulator of the CE transition focused on the development of governmental interventions and policy initiatives. Public sector organisations employ a substantial amount of people, provide a wide range of public services, and thus procure, con- sume, and use a lot of resources. Nonetheless it is generally unknown and overlooked how public sector organisations are engaging with circular thinking and implementing circular practices in their operational and strategic activities at organisational level. Consequently, this research aims to examine and understand the engagement of public sector organisations in circular practices and organisational change processes towards circularity. Through an inter- disciplinary approach and using an organisational sustainability perspective, this research first conducted an integrative literature review and developed a conceptual framework of im- portant areas of public sector organisations to investigate and implement CE practices. There- after, through a case study of central public sector organisations in Portugal, this research further explored what constitutes the relevant CE practices in public sector organisations from the perspective of employees using interviews to collect insights. Then, taking an organisa- tional change management for sustainability approach, factors influencing the implementa- tion process towards circularity and supporting strategies were investigated also with inter- views. Finally, based on the conceptual framework and insights from the interviews, a ques- tionnaire survey was distributed to obtain an overview and characterise the implementation of CE practices and organisational change factors and strategies in the Portuguese Central Public Administration. As a first overarching and in-depth look on CE implementation in public sector organisations, this research presented public sector organisations as systems with organisational interrelated areas such as procurement, management and operations slowly starting a transition towards circular practices with some initiatives in circular public procurement, dematerialisation, resource efficiency in buildings, refuse, reduce, reuse and sharing of products and equipment. Implementing supporting strategies for circularity in hu- man resources management, communication, assessment, collaboration, and leadership was highlighted as a key issue by the stakeholders involved in the research. This work encourages further research on this topic in general and especially recommends investigating cases in other countries, at different levels of governments. This research is recommended for practi- tioners to help them find opportunities and define priorities for planning, implementing, and monitoring CE in their organisations. |
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| Autores principais: | Klein, Natacha |
| Assunto: | Circular Economy Public Sector Organisational Sustainability Practices Strategies Organisational Change Management for Sustainability |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | tese de doutoramento |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Resumo: | The Circular Economy (CE) is generally portrayed as an opportunity to transform the unsustainable linear economic system by rethinking how organisations purchase and provide goods and services, how society consumes and uses resources. The public sector is mostly recognized as a policy-maker and regulator of the CE transition focused on the development of governmental interventions and policy initiatives. Public sector organisations employ a substantial amount of people, provide a wide range of public services, and thus procure, con- sume, and use a lot of resources. Nonetheless it is generally unknown and overlooked how public sector organisations are engaging with circular thinking and implementing circular practices in their operational and strategic activities at organisational level. Consequently, this research aims to examine and understand the engagement of public sector organisations in circular practices and organisational change processes towards circularity. Through an inter- disciplinary approach and using an organisational sustainability perspective, this research first conducted an integrative literature review and developed a conceptual framework of im- portant areas of public sector organisations to investigate and implement CE practices. There- after, through a case study of central public sector organisations in Portugal, this research further explored what constitutes the relevant CE practices in public sector organisations from the perspective of employees using interviews to collect insights. Then, taking an organisa- tional change management for sustainability approach, factors influencing the implementa- tion process towards circularity and supporting strategies were investigated also with inter- views. Finally, based on the conceptual framework and insights from the interviews, a ques- tionnaire survey was distributed to obtain an overview and characterise the implementation of CE practices and organisational change factors and strategies in the Portuguese Central Public Administration. As a first overarching and in-depth look on CE implementation in public sector organisations, this research presented public sector organisations as systems with organisational interrelated areas such as procurement, management and operations slowly starting a transition towards circular practices with some initiatives in circular public procurement, dematerialisation, resource efficiency in buildings, refuse, reduce, reuse and sharing of products and equipment. Implementing supporting strategies for circularity in hu- man resources management, communication, assessment, collaboration, and leadership was highlighted as a key issue by the stakeholders involved in the research. This work encourages further research on this topic in general and especially recommends investigating cases in other countries, at different levels of governments. This research is recommended for practi- tioners to help them find opportunities and define priorities for planning, implementing, and monitoring CE in their organisations. |
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