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Prof. Nancy Bocken
Maastricht Sustainability Institute

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Sustainable Business
0 Sufficiency business model
0 Circular Economy Innovations
0 Sustainable business models innovation
0 Business experimentation

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Sustainable Business
Sustainable business models innovation
Business experimentation

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Short Biography

Nancy Bocken is Professor in Sustainable Business at Maastricht University, Maastricht Sustainability Institute, the Netherlands. Her research topics include sustainable business models, business experiments, Circular Economy, sufficiency and closing the 'idea-action' gap for sustainability. Nancy’s most recent research project is Circular X, a €1.5m, five-year research project funded by the ERC about experimentation with circular business models. Nancy is academic lead of the new joint Master’s in Sustainable Business in Maastricht together with York University. Nancy is also Fellow at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and co-founded her own circular and sustainable business called HOMIE. She holds a PhD from the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, which was fully funded by Unilever.

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Journal article
Published: 30 July 2021 in Sustainable Production and Consumption
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The breaching of planetary boundaries and excessive extraction of natural resources requires a revisited approach to consumption and production. The concept of sufficiency, which advocates meeting human needs within the planetary limits by curbing excessive consumption levels, is gaining increasing attention. Businesses are drivers of consumption, yet they have been largely overlooked as potential leaders towards a sufficiency-based economy and research on businesses driving sustainable consumption strategically is still a niche. The methods applied here are a literature and practice review and interviews to understand the state-of-the-art in sufficiency-oriented business strategies and develop a framework for future research and practice. Merging English- and German-language research, a base matrix of the waste hierarchy and the four lessens is presented. This matrix is populated with business sufficiency strategies, condensing existing work and creating the ‘Business for Sufficiency’ (BfS) framework. Empirical research with businesses already employing sufficiency strategies refines and validates the framework and sheds light on the viability, desirability, feasibility and sustainability of such offers, highlighting barriers and opportunities. The most prevalent strategies fall into the Rethink framework dimension which require the least radical changes. In addition, interviewees highlighted obstacles in reconciling more radical strategies such as Moderating sales with their financial sustainability. Yet, all interviewees stressed the need for reduced consumption and the role that business should play in enabling sufficiency, demonstrating the relevance of this topic for future research and practice.

ACS Style

Laura Niessen; Nancy M.P. Bocken. How can businesses drive sufficiency? The business for sufficiency framework. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2021, 28, 1090 -1103.

AMA Style

Laura Niessen, Nancy M.P. Bocken. How can businesses drive sufficiency? The business for sufficiency framework. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2021; 28 ():1090-1103.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Niessen; Nancy M.P. Bocken. 2021. "How can businesses drive sufficiency? The business for sufficiency framework." Sustainable Production and Consumption 28, no. : 1090-1103.

Journal article
Published: 04 June 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Academic and business interest in sustainable business models (SBMs) as a potential solution to pressing global sustainability issues has grown significantly over the past decade. Yet, to date sectoral progress on business model innovation has been insufficient to address much of the social and environmental harm caused by, or facilitated by industry, and progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been disappointing. This study investigates the following research question: What are the dominant “unsustainable business model” types per sector that institutionalise social and environmental harm, and hold back progress on the SDGs, and what are the potential sustainable business model responses? This paper first investigates the dominant unsustainable business model types and potential sustainable business model solutions per key sector. Based on this analysis, a comprehensive overview of nine dominant unsustainable business model (UBM) archetypes and potential sustainable business responses are developed. The UBM archetypes are: 1) Environmental resource exploitation and waste; 2) Human resource exploitation and waste; 3) Economic exploitation; 4) Unhealthy or unsustainable offering; 5) Quantity over quality and value; 6) Addictive consumption pattern; 7) Complex opaque global value chain; 8) Short-term shareholder – not stakeholder value and 9) Financing and supporting unsustainable practices. Furthermore, a hierarchy of sustainable business model responses is introduced, showing the need for business to develop multiple initiatives, and a recognition that the focus for SBM innovation should be to some extent sector specific. Finally, directions for future research to transform dominant unsustainable business models are provided.

ACS Style

Nancy M.P. Bocken; Samuel W. Short. Unsustainable business models – Recognising and resolving institutionalised social and environmental harm. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 312, 127828 .

AMA Style

Nancy M.P. Bocken, Samuel W. Short. Unsustainable business models – Recognising and resolving institutionalised social and environmental harm. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 312 ():127828.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy M.P. Bocken; Samuel W. Short. 2021. "Unsustainable business models – Recognising and resolving institutionalised social and environmental harm." Journal of Cleaner Production 312, no. : 127828.

Journal article
Published: 03 June 2021 in Sustainability
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Digital technologies are considered to be an essential enabler of the circular economy in various industries. However, to date, very few studies have investigated which digital technologies could enable the circular economy in the built environment. This study specifically focuses on the built environment as one of the largest, most energy- and material-intensive industries globally, and investigates the following question: which digital technologies potentially enable a circular economy in the built environment, and in what ways? The research uses an iterative stepwise method: (1) framework development based on regenerating, narrowing, slowing and closing resource loop principles; (2) expert workshops to understand the usage of digital technologies in a circular built environment; (3) a literature and practice review to further populate the emerging framework with relevant digital technologies; and (4) the final mapping of digital technologies onto the framework. This study develops a novel Circular Digital Built Environment framework. It identifies and maps ten enabling digital technologies to facilitate a circular economy in the built environment. These include: (1) additive/robotic manufacturing, (2) artificial intelligence, (3) big data and analytics, (4) blockchain technology, (5) building information modelling, (6) digital platforms/marketplaces, (7) digital twins, (8) the geographical information system, (9) material passports/databanks, and (10) the internet of things. The framework provides a fruitful starting point for the novel research avenue at the intersection of circular economy, digital technology and the built environment, and gives practitioners inspiration for sustainable innovation in the sector.

ACS Style

Sultan Çetin; Catherine De Wolf; Nancy Bocken. Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6348 .

AMA Style

Sultan Çetin, Catherine De Wolf, Nancy Bocken. Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):6348.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sultan Çetin; Catherine De Wolf; Nancy Bocken. 2021. "Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 6348.

Journal article
Published: 21 May 2021 in Sustainability
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Business models direct a firm’s activity to move in coherence with the objectives of the business. Current literature suggests business models can act as vital forces to facilitate sustainability transitions and highlights the urgent research call to understand the role of business model innovations in stimulating sustainability transitions. This paper addresses this research need by investigating how firms create business model innovations for system-level transformation towards sustainability. Through a systematic literature review and deductive content analysis methodology, we identify and categorize different combinations of innovative activities in a firm’s business model. Furthermore, two cases are illustrated to demonstrate the proposed conceptual model. The proposed conceptualization bridges a significant gap in the theme of sustainability and business and presents a defensible and researchable problem for transitions literature. Specifically, we find (1) shared vision and strategic dialogues among firms in different sectors as essential to develop value propositions and leverage business opportunities for sustainability in the long run; (2) companies ensure sustainable value creation and value delivery in the medium term through creation of an interdependent network of the green supply chain and collaboration with stakeholders; (3) in the short term, companies adopt sustainable practices, controlling daily operations, conducting awareness campaigns and experimenting with collaborations to deliver values based on sustainable practices.

ACS Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea; Akriti Jain; Nancy Bocken; Anjula Gurtoo. The Business Model in Sustainability Transitions: A Conceptualization. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5763 .

AMA Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea, Akriti Jain, Nancy Bocken, Anjula Gurtoo. The Business Model in Sustainability Transitions: A Conceptualization. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5763.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea; Akriti Jain; Nancy Bocken; Anjula Gurtoo. 2021. "The Business Model in Sustainability Transitions: A Conceptualization." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5763.

Full paper
Published: 26 April 2021 in Circular Economy and Sustainability
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Business model experimentation has been identified as a key driver for business competitiveness but is underexplored in the sustainability and circular economy spheres. What is business model experimentation for the circular economy? This study follows a two-step approach: a literature analysis followed by a qualitative practitioner study. Based on these, circular business model experimentation is defined as an iterative approach to develop and test circular value propositions in a real-life context with customers and stakeholders, starting with a shared goal. It involves rapid learning based on empirical data to provide evidence on the viability of circular value propositions. Iterations involve increased complexity of experiments. There is a learning focus on initiating wider transitions, such as transforming consumer behaviours for the circular economy. We visualise the emerging research landscape, including research streams from business, transitions, engineering, and design. Practically, we illuminate how practitioners view the concept and current experimentation tools and approaches.

ACS Style

Nancy M. P. Bocken; Ilka Weissbrod; Maria Antikainen. Business Model Experimentation for the Circular Economy: Definition and Approaches. Circular Economy and Sustainability 2021, 1, 49 -81.

AMA Style

Nancy M. P. Bocken, Ilka Weissbrod, Maria Antikainen. Business Model Experimentation for the Circular Economy: Definition and Approaches. Circular Economy and Sustainability. 2021; 1 (1):49-81.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy M. P. Bocken; Ilka Weissbrod; Maria Antikainen. 2021. "Business Model Experimentation for the Circular Economy: Definition and Approaches." Circular Economy and Sustainability 1, no. 1: 49-81.

Full paper
Published: 02 March 2021 in Circular Economy and Sustainability
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A growing interest in the circular economy concept has pushed the discourse in various management-related disciplines beyond established boundaries, with calls to better address how such a model may be developed in a world of global value chains. Still, the conventional linear economy model continues to dominate business, society, and research. While the concept of better connecting physical output and input flows at multiple production or consumption levels is becoming more accepted, it remains unclear how to make this happen while ensuring that sustainability targets are met or exceeded. Multiple scientific communities contribute different perspectives to this discourse, with promising opportunities for research. Circular economy and sustainability from business and economics perspectives are multifaceted. The existing body of knowledge needs to be advanced to assist private individuals, business managers, investors, or policymakers in making informed decisions. In this article for the inaugural issue, we provide a snapshot of the discourses among those who have studied the circular economy and its related topics. We outline conceptual inroads and potential research questions to encourage further circular economy and sustainability research and discourse from business or economics perspectives as well as from the broader transdisciplinary angle. We propose three research pathways: (1) connecting output with input needs in a global circular economy; (2) beyond today’s business logic for a global circular economy; and (3) inclusion of the Global South in North-dominated circular economies. For each, we propose concepts, theories, or methodological approaches and offer various perspectives from the micro, macro, and meso levels.

ACS Style

Joerg S. Hofstetter; Valentina De Marchi; Joseph Sarkis; Kannan Govindan; Robert Klassen; Aldo R. Ometto; Katharina S. Spraul; Nancy Bocken; Weslynne S. Ashton; Sanjay Sharma; Melanie Jaeger-Erben; Charlotte Jensen; Paul Dewick; Patrick Schröder; Noemi Sinkovics; Sherwat E. Ibrahim; Luke Fiske; Anthony Goerzen; Diego Vazquez-Brust. From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy—Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges. Circular Economy and Sustainability 2021, 1 -27.

AMA Style

Joerg S. Hofstetter, Valentina De Marchi, Joseph Sarkis, Kannan Govindan, Robert Klassen, Aldo R. Ometto, Katharina S. Spraul, Nancy Bocken, Weslynne S. Ashton, Sanjay Sharma, Melanie Jaeger-Erben, Charlotte Jensen, Paul Dewick, Patrick Schröder, Noemi Sinkovics, Sherwat E. Ibrahim, Luke Fiske, Anthony Goerzen, Diego Vazquez-Brust. From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy—Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges. Circular Economy and Sustainability. 2021; ():1-27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joerg S. Hofstetter; Valentina De Marchi; Joseph Sarkis; Kannan Govindan; Robert Klassen; Aldo R. Ometto; Katharina S. Spraul; Nancy Bocken; Weslynne S. Ashton; Sanjay Sharma; Melanie Jaeger-Erben; Charlotte Jensen; Paul Dewick; Patrick Schröder; Noemi Sinkovics; Sherwat E. Ibrahim; Luke Fiske; Anthony Goerzen; Diego Vazquez-Brust. 2021. "From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy—Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges." Circular Economy and Sustainability , no. : 1-27.

Journal article
Published: 21 February 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Circular oriented innovation aims to address sustainability problems such as resource scarcity, pollution and climate change by (re)designing industrial products, processes, business models, and value network configurations. Although the literature identifies collaboration as crucial for circular oriented innovation—due to the complexity, risk and uncertainties involved—few tools have been developed to support it. To address this gap, we develop and test a tool that helps companies ideate to identify partners and value within circular oriented innovation. The tool integrates decision-making principles from the entrepreneurship theory of effectuation within a design thinking approach to stimulate collaborative ideation of circular propositions. We demonstrate and test the tool through six workshops, and collect data via observations, field-notes, assessment forms and user discussions. Our results show that: 1) users are receptive to visualisation and effectuation-based questions to collaboratively ideate circular propositions; 2) expert facilitation helps to maintain a circularity focus to avoid ‘business-as-usual’ ideas; and 3) differences in the maturity and scope of projects may influence the usefulness of the tool. We contribute to theory by demonstrating the integration of effectuation, design thinking, and lean experimentation approaches into a tool to advance circular oriented innovation. We contribute to practice with the tool itself that supports early and quick ideation to identify partners and perceived value. This supports companies to collaborate and advance the design of circular propositions that bring circular business model ideas closer to implementation.

ACS Style

Phil Brown; Brian Baldassarre; Jan Konietzko; Nancy Bocken; Ruud Balkenende. A tool for collaborative circular proposition design. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 297, 126354 .

AMA Style

Phil Brown, Brian Baldassarre, Jan Konietzko, Nancy Bocken, Ruud Balkenende. A tool for collaborative circular proposition design. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 297 ():126354.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Phil Brown; Brian Baldassarre; Jan Konietzko; Nancy Bocken; Ruud Balkenende. 2021. "A tool for collaborative circular proposition design." Journal of Cleaner Production 297, no. : 126354.

Editorial
Published: 08 February 2021 in Energies
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The urban context is an experimentation space to accelerate the transition to a circular economy

ACS Style

Jenny Palm; Nancy Bocken. Achieving the Circular Economy: Exploring the Role of Local Governments, Business and Citizens in an Urban Context. Energies 2021, 14, 875 .

AMA Style

Jenny Palm, Nancy Bocken. Achieving the Circular Economy: Exploring the Role of Local Governments, Business and Citizens in an Urban Context. Energies. 2021; 14 (4):875.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jenny Palm; Nancy Bocken. 2021. "Achieving the Circular Economy: Exploring the Role of Local Governments, Business and Citizens in an Urban Context." Energies 14, no. 4: 875.

Journal article
Published: 04 January 2021 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Value creation and appropriation are much-studied processes in business and management fields. However, both academia and business practice have traditionally focused on how value is created and appropriated in the economic context and by economic actors. This overemphasis on economic logic has created institutionalized asymmetries in managing the relationship between business, society and ecological environment. In this paper, we broaden the value creation and appropriation analysis along two dimensions: (1) the type of economic goods used to create value (private and club goods, public goods and common goods) and (2) value creation and appropriation domains (economic, social, and environmental). Building on this framework, we argue that there are several institutionalized asymmetries in the relationship between the goods used to create value and the domains in which the value is eventually appropriated. We point out the system-level tendency of value over-appropriation in the economic domain over the two other domains as well as value over-appropriation in the social domain over the environmental domain. We also discuss how existing organizational practices, such as corporate social responsibility, shared value creation, and sustainable business models, have attempted to overcome them, and reflect on the main critiques to these approaches. Finally, we identify potential business-based solutions to the institutionalized asymmetries and provide implications to research and practice.

ACS Style

Paavo Ritala; Laura Albareda; Nancy Bocken. Value creation and appropriation in economic, social, and environmental domains: Recognizing and resolving the institutionalized asymmetries. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 290, 125796 .

AMA Style

Paavo Ritala, Laura Albareda, Nancy Bocken. Value creation and appropriation in economic, social, and environmental domains: Recognizing and resolving the institutionalized asymmetries. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 290 ():125796.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paavo Ritala; Laura Albareda; Nancy Bocken. 2021. "Value creation and appropriation in economic, social, and environmental domains: Recognizing and resolving the institutionalized asymmetries." Journal of Cleaner Production 290, no. : 125796.

Book chapter
Published: 08 November 2020 in Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
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ACS Style

Nancy Bocken. Sustainable Business Models. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2020, 963 -975.

AMA Style

Nancy Bocken. Sustainable Business Models. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2020; ():963-975.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy Bocken. 2020. "Sustainable Business Models." Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals , no. : 963-975.

Journal article
Published: 26 October 2020 in Sustainability
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Companies attempt to address global sustainability challenges through innovating products, services, and business models. This paper focuses on sustainable business model (SBM) innovations as a way to systemically transform businesses towards sustainability. It has been widely recognized that strategic approaches to using intellectual property (IP) need to be aligned with business model innovation for commercial success. Here we suggest that IP, aligned with SBMs, can also be used to create not only commercial, but also societal and environmental impact. Knowledge about how to best align IP with SBMs to drive sustainability transitions remains limited. We address this gap by developing an SBM-IP canvas that integrates IP considerations into each of the SBM canvas building blocks. We do this by employing relevant theoretical concepts from three literature streams, namely the business model (including SBM), IP, and innovation literature. We use case examples to illustrate different IP considerations that are relevant for the SBM-IP building blocks. These examples show that different IP types (e.g., patents, trademarks) and ways of using them (e.g., more or less restrictive licensing) are applied by companies in relation to the different building blocks. While covering new theoretical ground, the proposed SBM-IP canvas can help decision makers understand how they can use different IP types strategically to propose, create, deliver, and capture sustainable value for society, environment, and the business.

ACS Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea; Pratheeba Vimalnath; Nancy Bocken; Frank Tietze; Elisabeth Eppinger. Integrating Intellectual Property and Sustainable Business Models: The SBM-IP Canvas. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8871 .

AMA Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea, Pratheeba Vimalnath, Nancy Bocken, Frank Tietze, Elisabeth Eppinger. Integrating Intellectual Property and Sustainable Business Models: The SBM-IP Canvas. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):8871.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Hernández-Chea; Pratheeba Vimalnath; Nancy Bocken; Frank Tietze; Elisabeth Eppinger. 2020. "Integrating Intellectual Property and Sustainable Business Models: The SBM-IP Canvas." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 8871.

Chapter
Published: 24 September 2020 in The Circular Economy in the European Union
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Nancy Bocken is Professor in Sustainable Business at Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI), Maastricht School of Business and Economics, at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. She is also Visiting Professor at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University, LUT University Finland and Delft University of Technology, and Fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Related to her research, she co-founded Reduse Ltd (commercialising the first paper unprinter) and HOMIE (circular and sustainable home appliances). She co-authored over 125 publications including the books ‘Circular Business: Collaborate and Circulate’ and ‘Innovation for Sustainability: Business Transformations Towards a Better World’. Her recent focus is on Business Experimentation for Sustainability to tackle urgent climate and resource issues through research and practice.

ACS Style

Nancy Bocken. Circular Economy: Slowing Resource Flows and Increasing Value. The Circular Economy in the European Union 2020, 117 -129.

AMA Style

Nancy Bocken. Circular Economy: Slowing Resource Flows and Increasing Value. The Circular Economy in the European Union. 2020; ():117-129.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy Bocken. 2020. "Circular Economy: Slowing Resource Flows and Increasing Value." The Circular Economy in the European Union , no. : 117-129.

Review article
Published: 15 July 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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The intensification of industrial activity within an unsustainable development paradigm caused an alarming environmental crisis intertwined with societal problems on a global scale. Sustainable design theory contains an extensive body of knowledge on how these environmental and societal issues can be addressed by rethinking industrial products, processes and, more broadly, how organizations operate in the context of a more sustainable socio-economic system. Nevertheless, evidence shows that implementing these ideas is a problematic yet under addressed aspect, resulting in a gap between abstract speculations and concrete action. In this study, we focus on this critical gap by looking at how existing theory of sustainable design is implemented in business practice. To this end, we conduct a literature review followed by interviews with twenty international experts, to uncover their knowledge related to relevant project experiences. The outcome is a framework that integrates existing sustainable design theory with important business concepts, clustering it into four literature streams:ecodesign, product service system design, sustainable business model design and collaborative ecosystem design. These streams correspond to four levels of design for sustainable innovation. The framework also encompasses a set of themes related to the implementation of sustainable design theory in business practice across the aforementioned four levels. Based on this, we outline our contributions to theory and practice, and pinpoint recommendations for academic researchers, industrial designers and business managers who want to leverage their professional position to play an active role in the transition toward sustainable development.

ACS Style

Brian Baldassarre; Duygu Keskin; Jan Carel Diehl; Nancy Bocken; Giulia Calabretta. Implementing sustainable design theory in business practice: A call to action. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 273, 123113 .

AMA Style

Brian Baldassarre, Duygu Keskin, Jan Carel Diehl, Nancy Bocken, Giulia Calabretta. Implementing sustainable design theory in business practice: A call to action. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 273 ():123113.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brian Baldassarre; Duygu Keskin; Jan Carel Diehl; Nancy Bocken; Giulia Calabretta. 2020. "Implementing sustainable design theory in business practice: A call to action." Journal of Cleaner Production 273, no. : 123113.

Journal article
Published: 11 July 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Circular business model experiments may help firms transition towards a circular economy. Little is known about how the participants of experimentation – entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, innovation managers – develop and test their assumptions during the experimentation process to achieve more circular outcomes. Using a design-science approach, we investigate this process and develop principles to improve it. This is done during three workshops in different contexts: an innovation festival with 14 early-stage circular startups, a workshop with a health technology incumbent, and a workshop with six growth-oriented startups. We find that analyzing their available means – what they find important and prefer to happen (part of their identity), what they know (their skills and knowledge), and whom they know (their social network) – helps to understand how the participants develop and test their assumptions. We show how the mindset and awareness of the participants impact how much attention they pay to the circularity potential of their envisioned circular business models. Based on these insights, we propose a set of principles to prepare the innovation participants for experimentation, and to increase their ability to reflect on their circularity assumptions. Future research is needed to further grow our understanding of the types of principles that can guide meaningful experimentations towards a circular economy.

ACS Style

Jan Konietzko; Brian Baldassarre; Phil Brown; Nancy Bocken; Erik Jan Hultink. Circular business model experimentation: Demystifying assumptions. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 277, 122596 .

AMA Style

Jan Konietzko, Brian Baldassarre, Phil Brown, Nancy Bocken, Erik Jan Hultink. Circular business model experimentation: Demystifying assumptions. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 277 ():122596.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jan Konietzko; Brian Baldassarre; Phil Brown; Nancy Bocken; Erik Jan Hultink. 2020. "Circular business model experimentation: Demystifying assumptions." Journal of Cleaner Production 277, no. : 122596.

Journal article
Published: 03 March 2020 in Sustainability
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Adopting a voluntary simplicity lifestyle (VSL) contributes to a change in consumption patterns towards more sustainable ones, which is urgently needed. This study defines the VSL as a voluntary reduction of income and consumption in exchange for more free time. Our research aims to contribute with more detailed VSL criteria. A literature review develops initial VSL criteria, which are validated against and enriched by data gathered through in-depth interviews with nine voluntary simplicity practitioners. This study contributes with: (1) more detailed insights into the value changes during lifestyle adoption of a VSL, (2) a detailed perspective on significant aspects in VSL adoption as well as how they tend to happen in sequence, and (3) insight into how consumption reduces or changes and how free time is spent when adopting a VSL. A conceptual framework for more detailed VSL criteria, as proposed in this study, is valuable to characterise the VSL lifestyle and differentiate it from other lifestyles. In sum, the study contributes to clearer perspectives on the VSL and provides detailed VSL criteria. Finally, we reaffirm the potential of VSL to contribute toward changing dominant unsustainable consumption patterns and indicate directions for future research.

ACS Style

Jessica Osikominu; Nancy Bocken. A Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle: Values, Adoption, Practices and Effects. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1903 .

AMA Style

Jessica Osikominu, Nancy Bocken. A Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle: Values, Adoption, Practices and Effects. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (5):1903.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jessica Osikominu; Nancy Bocken. 2020. "A Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle: Values, Adoption, Practices and Effects." Sustainability 12, no. 5: 1903.

Journal article
Published: 22 February 2020 in Sustainability
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Collaborative innovation is necessary to explore and implement circular economy strategies. Yet, empirical investigations into such collaborations are scarce. It is unclear whether the circular context creates differences or represents adaptions within how collaborative innovation is conducted. We draw upon strategic management and open innovation literature to highlight what is known about collaborative innovation and the types of innovation conducted. We use these insights to investigate explorative qualitative case research into how practitioners in the Netherlands have conducted collaborative circular oriented innovation. Our findings show that open innovation criteria can aid our understanding and analysis. Key managerial considerations relate to the incremental or systemic nature of the innovation pursued, which induce different collaborative projects and knowledge management structures. For incremental innovation, we observe phases of collaboration, whereas for more systemic innovation, we observe a more collaborative portfolio and layered approach. Furthermore, the more radical innovation pursuits that explore slowing or recovery strategies, especially beyond business-to-business arrangements, challenge companies. A crucial challenge remains related to how to develop and assess collaborative and system-oriented business models in the transition towards a circular economy. Finally, future research is needed to assess whether the current modes of collaborative innovation are sufficient to deliver a circular economy transition.

ACS Style

Phil Brown; Nancy Bocken; Ruud Balkenende. How Do Companies Collaborate for Circular Oriented Innovation? Sustainability 2020, 12, 1648 .

AMA Style

Phil Brown, Nancy Bocken, Ruud Balkenende. How Do Companies Collaborate for Circular Oriented Innovation? Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1648.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Phil Brown; Nancy Bocken; Ruud Balkenende. 2020. "How Do Companies Collaborate for Circular Oriented Innovation?" Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1648.

Journal article
Published: 20 February 2020 in Sustainability
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The sharing economy has become prominent in the policy, business and academic discourse as a way to achieve greater levels of resource efficiency in sustainability transitions. An example is carsharing, which is regarded as a potential lever for change in sustainable mobility transitions. In this article we, apply the “ecologies of business models” perspective to investigate how carsharing initiatives have coevolved in Sweden. We focus on the city context as a useful unit of analysis to investigate carsharing in four Swedish cities: Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå. Through qualitative case research, we investigate the following: How did carsharing business models coevolve in the studied cities? It was found that early notions of carsharing date back to the 1970s, but the concept has changed significantly over time, particularly with the emergence of (Internet) technology-based platforms. The findings suggest that carsharing is complementary to existing private car usage in cities, rather than a replacement. Based on this, we suggest pathways for local policymakers to consider when implementing sustainable carsharing solutions. The contributions are threefold: providing an empirical study on the theoretical ecologies of business models concept; understanding how carsharing coevolved in Swedish cities and in relation to wider sustainability and mobility trends; and giving novel insight into the role of local governments.

ACS Style

Nancy Bocken; Alexandra Jonca; Karolina Södergren; Jenny Palm. Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1594 .

AMA Style

Nancy Bocken, Alexandra Jonca, Karolina Södergren, Jenny Palm. Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1594.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy Bocken; Alexandra Jonca; Karolina Södergren; Jenny Palm. 2020. "Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1594.

Journal article
Published: 28 January 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Next to the redesign of industrial products and processes, sustainable business model innovation is a strategic approach to integrate environmental and social concerns into the objectives and operations of organizations. One of the major challenges of this approach is that many promising business model ideas fail to reach the market, which is needed to achieve impact. In the literature, the issue is referred to as a “design-implementation gap.” This paper explores how that critical gap may be bridged. In doing so, we contribute to sustainable business model innovation theory and practice. We contribute to theory by connecting sustainable business model innovation with business experimentation and strategic design, two innovation approaches that leverage prototyping as a way to iteratively implement business ideas early on. Using a design science research methodology, we combine theoretical insights from these three literatures into a tool for setting up small-scale pilots of sustainable business models. We apply, evaluate, and improve our tool through a rigorous process by working with nine startups and one multinational company. As a result, we provide normative theory in terms of the sustainable business model innovation process, explaining that piloting a prototype forces organizations to simultaneously consider the desirability (i.e., what users want), feasibility (i.e., what is technically achievable), viability (i.e., what is financially possible), and sustainability (i.e., what is economically, socially and environmentally acceptable) of a new business model. Doing so early on is functional to bridge the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models. We contribute to practice with the tool itself, which organizations can use to translate sustainable business model ideas defined “on paper” into small-scale pilots as a first implementation step. We encourage future research building on the limitations of this exploratory study by working with a larger sample of companies through longitudinal case studies, to further explain how these pilots can be executed successfully.

ACS Style

Brian Baldassarre; Jan Konietzko; Phil Brown; Giulia Calabretta; Nancy Bocken; Ingo O. Karpen; Erik Jan Hultink. Addressing the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models by prototyping: A tool for planning and executing small-scale pilots. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 255, 120295 .

AMA Style

Brian Baldassarre, Jan Konietzko, Phil Brown, Giulia Calabretta, Nancy Bocken, Ingo O. Karpen, Erik Jan Hultink. Addressing the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models by prototyping: A tool for planning and executing small-scale pilots. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 255 ():120295.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brian Baldassarre; Jan Konietzko; Phil Brown; Giulia Calabretta; Nancy Bocken; Ingo O. Karpen; Erik Jan Hultink. 2020. "Addressing the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models by prototyping: A tool for planning and executing small-scale pilots." Journal of Cleaner Production 255, no. : 120295.

Journal article
Published: 22 January 2020 in Sustainability
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Food is an essential part of our daily lives, but simultaneously, it is a major contributor to environmental issues. The growing world population and changing diets are expected to further exacerbate the negative impact of food production and consumption. This article explores how sufficiency business strategies, focused on moderating consumption levels, can be implemented in the food industry to curb demand and thereby overall resource consumption. First, a literature and practice review are conducted to create a conceptual framework for sufficiency business strategies in the food industry. Second, a case study approach is taken to explore the application of sufficiency strategies at Oatly, a company offering plant-based alternatives to dairy. Semi-structured interviews and review of the company’s sustainability reports are used as key data sources for the case study. This study contributes to research and practice with a novel framework for business sufficiency strategies in the food industry. Although sufficiency implies consumption moderation, it is suggested that when a company substitutes the consumption of a less sustainable option, growth could be desirable. Future research can expand on viable sufficiency strategies for the private sector, but also strategies to engage different stakeholders, such as government, society, and academia, to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable food system.

ACS Style

Nancy Bocken; Lisa Smeke Morales; Matthias Lehner. Sufficiency Business Strategies in the Food Industry—The Case of Oatly. Sustainability 2020, 12, 824 .

AMA Style

Nancy Bocken, Lisa Smeke Morales, Matthias Lehner. Sufficiency Business Strategies in the Food Industry—The Case of Oatly. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (3):824.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nancy Bocken; Lisa Smeke Morales; Matthias Lehner. 2020. "Sufficiency Business Strategies in the Food Industry—The Case of Oatly." Sustainability 12, no. 3: 824.

Journal article
Published: 05 January 2020 in Sustainability
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The circular economy may help firms to maximize the value of their material resources and minimize the overall resource use, waste, pollution and emissions of their business activities. Implementing a circular economy program requires radical changes in product, business model and ecosystem innovation. Most research on circular oriented innovation takes a product or business model perspective. Few publications have explored how to innovate in ecosystems: how a group of loosely coupled organizations can change how they interact with each other to achieve a collective outcome. This study proposes the Circularity Deck: a card deck-based tool that can help firms to analyze, ideate and develop the circularity potential of their innovation ecosystems. The tool is based on a literature review of circular oriented innovation principles, and of practical examples that show how these principles have been applied. The principles are organized according to the intended circular strategy outcome that they pursue (i.e., narrow, slow, close, regenerate and inform material and energy flows), and the extent of the innovation perspective that is needed to operationalize a principle (i.e., product, business model, or ecosystem innovation). This review and categorization process first produced a novel analysis of the circular economy innovation landscape, using an ecosystem perspective. Second, these results served to develop the Circularity Deck, which was further developed and tested for ease of use and perceived usefulness in 12 workshops with 136 participants from 62 different organizations. The Circularity Deck provides an approach for future research and practice to integrate new principles and examples that can help firms to analyze, ideate and develop circular innovation ecosystems.

ACS Style

Jan Konietzko; Nancy Bocken; Erik Jan Hultink. A Tool to Analyze, Ideate and Develop Circular Innovation Ecosystems. Sustainability 2020, 12, 417 .

AMA Style

Jan Konietzko, Nancy Bocken, Erik Jan Hultink. A Tool to Analyze, Ideate and Develop Circular Innovation Ecosystems. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (1):417.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jan Konietzko; Nancy Bocken; Erik Jan Hultink. 2020. "A Tool to Analyze, Ideate and Develop Circular Innovation Ecosystems." Sustainability 12, no. 1: 417.