Sustainable development and circular economy: The role of institutional promotion on circular consumption and market competitiveness from a multistakeholder engagement

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Alonso-Almeida MM, Rodríguez-Antón JM, Bagur-Femenías L, Perramon J. Sustainable development and circular economy: The role of institutional promotion on circular consumption and market competitiveness from a multistakeholder engagement approach. Bus Strat Env. 2020;29:2803–2814.https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2544, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2544. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE) is a real challenge to achieve long-term sustainability. To push CE in the market, institutional promotion could become a key driver to positively impact both circular consumption and the competitiveness of the market. This paper analyzes the influence that soft and hard initiatives have on circular consumption and market competitiveness. Based on a survey of 1,281 respondents from different types of stakeholders, structural equations modeling statistical analysis was run. Results show that soft initiatives support the achievement of both objectives, whereas hard ones only influence greater circular consumption. However, the perception of the different stakeholders considered is very heterogeneous. It is indicative that not all institutional promotion initiatives are effective. Thus, institutions should guide, in an adequate and differentiated manner, their efforts to promote CE and sustainable development depending on the stakeholder they are targetingThis study is part of a larger research project entitled “ECO-INNOVATION AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY Y SECTOR INDUSTRIES” (ECO2016-79659-R), which is financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within its aid program for research and development projects inside Societal Challenges Progra

Institutional entrepreneurship enablers to promote circular economy in the European Union: Impacts on transition towards a more circular economy

This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Circular economy supposes a transformational and radical process of change from a linear to a circular economic model, where every production phase represents a systemic shift at all levels. Nevertheless, CE philosophy is easy to understand but very complex to put into practice. For that reason, using institutional entrepreneurship theory, institutional enablers to push the transition to a more CE in the European Union will be analysed. In particular, the impacts achieved by CE strategies are oriented to priority CE goals. Thus, this empirical study based on a public consultation survey uses structural equation modelling to analyse links between institutional entrepreneurship enablers and impacts on CE strategies oriented to main CE goals. The findings support the effectiveness of acting like an institutional entrepreneur to force transformational and radical changes, although differences are found between enablers and the impacts of CE. The paper concludes with some useful reflections for institutions and policymakers in order to maximise the efforts taken to effect changes at all levelsThis study is part of a larger research project entitled ‘‘ECO-INNOVATION AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY Y SECTOR INDUSTRIES” (ECO2016-79659-R), which is financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within its aid programme for research & development projects inside Societal Challenges Program

BS-QUAL: measuring student perceptions of service quality in business schools, an exploratory study

Data de publicació electrònica: 13 de febrer de 2023The number of Business Schools (BS) and their market share had increased in the last decades. Positioning strategy of BS is crucial in today’s competitive and changing environments. Thus, paying attention to student’s satisfaction and the factors, which motivate their selection, are relevant for service quality assurance in BS. This paper designs a scale to measure these perceptions as a useful tool for BS managers in the pursuit of excellence. Using a mixed analysis methodology, the most prominent dimensions detected in the literature were validated by BS managers and later by BS graduates. Internal and external dimensions compose the resulting scale, named BS-QUAL. The internal dimensions are related to Academic staff, Services, Facilities, and Sustainability while the external factors are related to Preparation for the future, Internationalization and Notoriety. BS-QUAL could be useful for the top management of BS to develop strategies that minimize the distance between student expectations and service provided

Sustainability practices and student satisfaction in business schools: the role of notoriety and internationalization

Purpose: The objective of this work is to determine whether the effort of business schools in terms of sustainability policies improves student satisfaction through boosting the internationalization of the institution and its notoriety. Design/methodology/approach: The sample considered in this study consisted of 272 Spanish business school graduates. The data was collected via online survey during the first quarter of 2020. To validate the hypotheses and the model, structural equations modelling was performed using robust method. Findings: A commitment of the business schools to sustainability not only has an ethical component but also improves their positioning, leading to greater competitiveness. Practical implications: The results obtained point to sustainability practices facilitating entry processes involving joint agreements among business schools and leading to clear accreditations and/or sustainability policies. Originality/value: The present research focuses on those variables included in the scarcely investigated external factors that should be considered to maintain high satisfaction among business school students