How Companies Move to Circularity: Internal Reorganizing and Adjustment of External Collaboration
研究了成熟企业向循环经济转型时，如何调整外部协作关系（如合作伙伴选择、关系强度、价值链角色）并同步进行内部重组（组织结构与流程），对关注企业可持续转型的管理者与学者有参考价值。
ABSTRACT Firms in various industries strive to narrow, slow down, and close resource flows, moving toward a circular economy ( CE ). We theorize that the transformation of established companies toward CE includes two critical interconnected dimensions—adjustment of external collaboration relationships and internal reorganization. We conducted a qualitative study in the plastics industry to explore them empirically. Our analysis indicates that established firms adapt their external collaborations in four ways: companies modify the criteria of partner selection and the strength of dyadic relationships, add new partners and roles in the value chain, and consolidate the external collaboration network. These collaboration adjustments are accompanied by three key facets of internal transformation—reorganization of permanent and temporary organizational structures and processes. Finally, our study provides new insights into the interplay of the intra‐ and interorganizational dimensions of the shift toward the CE .