Material circularity in large organizations: Action-research to shift information technology (IT) material flows

Abstract

Policy proposals for a more circular economy abound but studies of actual attempts to transition from linear to more circular material flows within large organisations are few. We present the case of a university’s project to manage its information technology (IT) material flows according to circular economy principles. This paper presents a detailed discussion of the strategies and governance mechanisms that were implemented to achieve this objective, the challenges faced and how they were addressed, and recommendations for similar interventions elsewhere, based on the lessons learned. Because of the first author’s involvement in the planning and implementation of the project, the work serves as an example of action-research in transition management for sustainability. Unsustainable material flows, and barriers to implementing circular economy objectives, are presented as subsets of broader sustainability challenges that can be addressed through transition management experiments. We argue that action-research in transition management can help to understand and steer change, and to theorize about the complex systems shaping information technology (IT) material flows at the sub-economy level.