BLUEPRINT FOR CIRCULARITY: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON NETWORKS OF CIRCULAR PRACTICES

• Grant number: 25/03906-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: June 02, 2025
• End date: December 01, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration - Business Administration
• Principal Investigator: Susana Carla Farias Pereira
• Grantee: Neyliane Maranhão de Castro
• Supervisor: Victoria Stephens
• Host Institution: Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (EAESP). Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Manchester, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/13793-3 - INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE: ESTABLISHING A NETWORK OF PRACTICES FOR CIRCULARITY IN MULTIPLE SUPPLY CHAINS, BP.DR

Abstract

This overseas research internship proposal aims to deepen the theoretical foundation and advance the development of the network of circular practices (NCP) framework. The project addresses a critical gap in circular practice studies, where little attention has been given to defining what circular practices are and how they are structured and interconnected to enable effective circularity. Without a solid theoretical foundation, empirical research risks becoming superficial, lacking clarity on how these practices emerge, take shape, evolve, and function across different contexts over time. To tackle this challenge, the project seeks to answer the research question: How can circular practices be conceptualized and analyzed to advance circular economy implementation? The proposed study leverages theories of practice as its theoretical bases while aiming to surpass existing approaches by conceptualizing NCP. This innovative perspective emphasizes that circular practices are not isolated actions but are interconnected within networks that span multiple organizations across the product lifecycle. Thus, this research contributes to circular economy (CE) theory by providing a structured and theoretically grounded perspective for understanding and studying NCP to support the advancement of CE implementation. It also aims to analyze field data collected in Brazil as empirical evidence for validating and refining the proposed framework. Thus, offering actionable insights for both theory and practice. Finally, this research internship will guide the subsequent phase of the research in Brazil ("Intervention in Practice" project), focusing on designing and implementing interventions to establish NCP in supply chains.