Abstract
The aim of this paper is to better understand the dynamics of circular construction projects and how these interorganizational projects contribute to the transition towards a circular economy. It is essential that the construction sector develops and adopts interorganizational initiatives to support the transition to a circular and low-carbon construction economy. A benefit of being involved in such initiatives is that organizations reflect on the emergence and acceptance of new practices related to changing organizational roles and responsibilities. In this paper, we study eight circular construction projects within the context of an interorganizational initiative to stimulate the transition towards a circular economy by exploring insights from evaluations thereof. We build upon literature from Sustainability Transitions Research (STR), circular construction research, and interorganizational project studies. Our findings show three clusters of dynamics that are relevant in the realization of circular ambitions in interorganizational construction projects: (1) prerequisites, (2) temporal dynamics in interorganizational projects, and (3) contextual influences. These insights highlight factors that enable the realization of circular ambitions in construction projects and contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of interorganizational construction projects and their role in the context of STR.
Highlights
To contribute to the transition towards a circular economy in the construction industry [1,2], public and private partners collaborate in interorganizational initiatives, in which they learn from the successes and failures of interorganizational construction projects with strong circular ambitions [3]
Based on the discussion above, the central research question in this paper is: “Which dynamics in the execution of interorganizational construction projects are relevant to realize their circular ambitions, and how do these projects contribute to the transition towards a circular economy?” To answer this question, we studied the delivery of eight interorganizational circular construction projects within an interorganizational initiative, named “Accelerating Together”, a consortium of public clients and private contractors in the Netherlands trying to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and waste
The fourteen identified dynamics related to the realization of circular ambitions in construction projects can be divided into three clusters
Summary
To contribute to the transition towards a circular economy in the construction industry [1,2], public and private partners collaborate in interorganizational initiatives, in which they learn from the successes and failures of interorganizational construction projects with strong circular ambitions [3]. Collaboration in construction processes is power-ridden and not easy to change, as partners collectively appear to stick to well-known traditional routines and social practices [6]. To withdraw from these familiar and fixed social practices, it is of crucial importance that the construction sector develops and adopts interventions influencing both people and organizational behavior [7]. Interorganizational projects, are interesting settings for innovation, as members of diverse organizations with different work practices and cultures work together over a limited period of time [8].
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