RT info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
T1 Circular economy from macro to micro: National impact, corporate strategies and digital engagement
A1 Knäble, David
A2 Universidad de Burgos. Departamento de Economía y Administración de Empresas
K1 Circular Economy
K1 Sustainable Development
K1 Corporate Reputation
K1 Environmental Performance
K1 Social Media Data
K1 Desarrollo sostenible
K1 Sustainable development
K1 Gestión integrada de residuos
K1 Integrated solid waste management
K1 5311.03 Estudios Industriales
K1 5311.04 Organización de Recursos Humanos
AB This PhD thesis analyzes the effects of the circular economy (CE) on sustainable development (SD),environmental performance and corporate reputation. The research employs a multi-level approach,analyzing CE at macroeconomic, meso-economic, and microeconomic levels using both well-knownindicators and novel data sources such as social media analytics.Chapter 1 evaluates the relationship between CE strategies—renewable energy, reuse and sharing,repair and remanufacturing, and recycling—and their effects on SD in 25 European countries from2010 to 2019. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and panel data methodology, the study findsthat CE strategies correlate with lower unemployment (social dimension), reduced greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions (environmental dimension), and higher GDP per capita (economic dimension).However, the effects vary: renewable energy and reuse/sharing significantly reduce environmentalimpact, while recycling has negligible effects, and repair activities unexpectedly increase emissions.Chapter 2 assesses CE relevance in German companies through LinkedIn data. The study tracks CErelated company profiles across Germany’s 16 federal states, revealing a 36.34% increase in CE-activefirms within one year. The analysis highlights that industries such as environmental services,management consulting, and IT play a crucial role in CE adoption. However, a predominant focus onrecycling emerges, despite its limited macroeconomic impact.Chapter 3 extends the LinkedIn analysis to CE professionals across Austria, Cyprus, Germany, andGreece. A dataset of 3,245 profiles provides insights into demographic characteristics, specializations,job positions, and employers. The findings show that men tend to use more keywords in their profiles,correlating with higher follower counts. Additionally, over 500 unique job titles related to CE areidentified, with key employers including BASF (Germany) and the Circular Economy Alliance(Cyprus).Chapter 4 explores the microeconomic effects of CE strategies on corporate environmentalperformance and reputation. Based on a panel dataset of 67 multinational companies across 12countries from 2015 to 2023, the results show that renewable energy adoption enhances bothenvironmental performance (lower emissions, reduced energy consumption) and corporate reputation.In contrast, recycling improves energy efficiency but does not significantly impact emissions orreputation. The study also highlights the risks of sustainability policies that fail to yield tangibleenvironmental benefits while strengthening corporate reputation, underscoring the potential forgreenwashing.This thesis contributes to CE and business research by integrating macro-, meso-, and micro-levelanalyses. It provides empirical evidence that CE can drive sustainable development but emphasizes theneed for a holistic approach beyond recycling. The research also offers practical implications forcompanies and policymakers, advocating for stricter sustainability regulations and morecomprehensive CE strategies to maximize economic, environmental, and reputational benefits.
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/10846
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/10846
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 19-abr-2026