Exploratory Study on Circular Economy Approaches A Comparative Analysis of Theory and Practice

XIII

• 3 Research Method
  
  
  • 3.1 Research Design
    
    
    • 3.1.1 Reasons for choosing a Qualitative Research Approach
    
    
    • 3.1.2 Quality Criteria in Qualitative Research
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 3.2 Multiple Case Study Approach
    
    
    • 3.2.1 Design
    
    
    • 3.2.2 Data Collection
    
    
    • 3.2.3 Case Analysis
    
    
    • 3.2.4 Conclusions
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 4 Case Description and Within-Case Analysis
  
  
  • 4.1 Definition and Operationalization of Parameters
    
    
    • Implementation 4.1.1 Framework for Description of Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.1.2 Further Parameters used for the Description of the Cases
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.2 Background Information on the Cases and Case Order
  
  
  • 4.3 Case Alpha
    
    
    • 4.3.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.3.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.3.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.3.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.4 Case Beta
    
    
    • 4.4.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.4.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.4.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.4.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.5 Case Gamma
    
    
    • 4.5.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.5.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.5.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.5.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.6 Case Delta
    
    
    • 4.6.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.6.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.6.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.6.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.7 Case Epsilon
    
    
    • 4.7.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.7.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.7.3 Challenges for the Implementation IX
    
    
    • 4.7.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.8 Case Zeta
    
    
    • 4.8.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.8.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.8.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.8.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.9 Case Eta
    
    
    • 4.9.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.9.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.9.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.9.3 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.10 Case Theta
    
    
    • 4.10.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.10.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.10.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.10.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 4.11 Case Iota
    
    
    • 4.11.1 The Company’s Circular Economy Approach
    
    
    • 4.11.2 Motivation to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • 4.11.3 Challenges for the Implementation
    
    
    • 4.11.4 Economic Impacts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 5 Result of Analysis and Interpretations
  
  
  • 5.1 Implementation of the Circular Economy Concept
    
    
    • 5.1.1 Multiple Possibilities for Implementation
    
    
    • 5.1.2 Motives to engage in Circular Economy
    
    
    • Organizations 5.2 Impacts of Circular Economy Implementation on
    
    
    • 5.2.1 Monetary Aspects of Circular Economy
    
    
    • 5.2.2 Non-Monetary Aspects of Circular Economy
    
    
    • 5.2.3 Discussion on Impacts of Circular Economy
    
    
    • in a Circular Economy 5.3 Practical Challenges for Realizing Benefits
    
    
    • 5.3.1 Nascent Stage of Concept
    
    
    • 5.3.2 Lacking Coordination of Concept Implementation
    
    
    • 5.3.3 Increased Entrepreneurial Efforts
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 6 Summary and Implications X Table of Contents
  
  
  • 6.1 Summary of Results
  
  
  • 6.2 Implications for Research
  
  
  • 6.3 Implications for Management
  
  
  
  


• 7 Conclusion
  
  
  • 7.1 Critical View on Circular Economy
  
  
  • 7.2 Limitations and Opportunities for Future Research
  
  
  
  


• 8 Appendix
  
  
  • 8.1 Semi-structured Interview Guideline in German
  
  
  • 8.2 Quotations: Original German Quote and English Translation
  
  
  
  


• References


• Table 1 Literature review of circular economy benefits List of Tables


• Table 2 Analysis framework for this thesis


• Table 3 Overview of collected data per case


• Table 4 Analysis framework for this thesis


• Table 5 Background information on all cases
  
  
  • economy approach Table 6 Result of evaluation of maturity level of main circular
  
  
  
  


• Table 7 Overview of circular economy approach of case Alpha


• Table 8 Overview of circular economy approach of case Beta


• Table 9 Overview of circular economy approach of case Gamma


• Table 10 Overview of circular economy approach of case Delta


• Table 11 Overview of circular economy approach of case Epsilon


• Table 12 Overview of circular economy approach of case Zeta


• Table 13 Overview of circular economy approach of case Eta


• Table 14 Overview of circular economy approach of case Theta


• Table 15 Overview of circular economy approach of case Iota
  
  
  • into four motive groups Table 16 Results of evaluation of motivation reasons categorized
  
  
  
  


• Table 17 List of monetary sub-categories and their effect on businesses


• Table 18 Interview comments on high R&D expenses


• Table 19 List of non-monetary aspects and their impacts for businesses


• Table 20 Citations on creation of a positive brand image


• Table 21 Dependencies between impacts


• Table 22 Analysis framework for this thesis


• Table 23 Overview of implementation approaches over all cases


• Table 24 Mapping of challenges to circular economy approaches