Soft Skills and Education for Circular Economy, Citizens and Consumers

Anna Rakowska

Abstract


Theoretical background: Dominating most of the world models of linear economy threatens the environment and our lives, so it needs to be replaced by the circular economy (CE) model. However, its functioning requires educated, competent and ready-for-change citizens and consumers.

Purpose of the article: An exploratory research was conducted on business students as consumers and potential future entrepreneurs to identify students’ readiness and preparation for CE.

Research methods: The semi-structured survey was designed. Three hundred nineteen responses were collected from MCSU students.

Main findings: Students must be sufficiently prepared to function in the circular economy. This applies to both competencies essential for the role of a consumer and a manager in CE. Higher education institutions (HEI) must take a challenge to stimulate circular entrepreneurship and influence the transformation of consumption style. Economic motives for consumption style change dominate over moral motives. There is a challenge to work on consumer awareness and entrepreneurial readiness. Positive examples of CE models and practices and appropriate didactic methods need to be implemented. Respondents underline that transformation toward CE requires the education of all society members. There is a need to continue research on the determinants of society’s readiness to move to CE.


Keywords


circular economy; entrepreneurship education; young consumers; soft skills

Full Text:

PDF

References


Allwood, J.M., Ashby, M.F., Gutowski T.G., & Worrell, E. (2011). Material efficiency: A white paper. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 55(3), 362–381. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.11.002

Bakırlıoğlu, Y., & McMahon, M. (2021). Co-learning for sustainable design: The case of a circular design collaborative project in Ireland. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279(123474). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123474

Bertassini, A.C., Calache, L.D.D.R., Carpinetti, L.C.R., Ometto, A.R., & Gerolamo, M.C. (2022). CE-oriented culture readiness: An assessment approach based on maturity models and fuzzy set theories. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 31, 615–629. doi:10.1016/j.spc.2022.03.018

Bina, O. (2013). The green economy and sustainable development: An uneasy balance? Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 31(6),1023–1047. doi:10.1068/c1310j

Błoński, K., & Witek, J. (2019). Minimalism in consumption. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sectio H – Oeconomia, 53(2), 7–15.doi:10.17951/h.2019.53.2.7-15

Burger, M.S.S., Dufourmont R.S.J., & van Oort, F. (2019). The heterogeneous skill-base of circular economy employment. Research Policy, 48(1), 248–261. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2018.08.015

Camacho-Otero, J., Pettersen, I.N., & Boks, C. (2020). Consumer engagement in the circular economy: Exploring clothes swapping in emerging economies from a social practice perspective. SustainableDevelopment, 28(1), 279–293. doi:10.1002/sd.2002

Corvellec, H., Stowell, A.F., & Johansson, N. (2022). Critiques of the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 26(2), 421–432. doi:10.1111/jiec.13187

De Juana Espinosa, S.A., Brotons, M., SabaterSempere, V., & Stankevičiūtė, Ž. (2022). An analysis of best practices to enhance higher education teaching staff digital and multimedia skills. Human Systems Management, (Preprint), 1–15.

Del Vecchio, P., Secundo, G., Mele, G., & Passiante, G. (2021). Sustainable entrepreneurship education for circular economy: Emerging perspectives in Europe. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 27(8), 2096–2124. doi:10.1108/IJEBR-03-2021-0210

Garcia, C., & Cayzer, S. (2019). Assessment of the circular economy transition readiness at a national level. In P. Schröder, M. Anantharaman, K. Anggraeni & T.J. Foxon (Eds.), The Circular Economy and the Global South (pp. 113–133). London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429434006

Gregson, N., Crang, M., Fuller, S., & Holmes, H. (2015). Interrogating the circular economy: The moral economy of resource recovery in the EU. Economy and Society, 44(2), 218–243. doi:10.1080/03085147.2015.1013353

Haleem, A., Khan, S., Pundir, H., Jain, A., Upadhyay, P., & Khan, M.I. (2021). Investigating barriers toward the implementation of circular economy: A fuzzy critic approach. Journal of Industrial Integration and Management, 6(01), 107–139. doi:10.1142/S2424862220500177

Hobson, K., Holmes, H., Welch, D., Wheeler, K., & Wieser, H. (2021). Consumption Work in the circular economy: A research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 321(128969). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128969

Holbrook, M.B., & Hirschman, E.C. (1982). The experiential aspects of consumption: Consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(2), 132–140.

Kaya, S.K., Ayçin, E., & Pamucar, D. (2022). Evaluation of social factors within the circular economy concept for European countries. Central European Journal of Operations Research, 31, 73–108. doi:10.1007/s10100-022-00800-w

Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 221–232. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005

Korhonen, J., Honkasalo, A., & Seppälä, J. (2018). Circular economy: the concept and its limitations. Ecological Economics, 143, 37–46. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.041

Korsunova, A., Horn, S., & Vainio, A. (2021). Understanding circular economy in everyday life: Perceptions of young adults in the Finnish context. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 26, 759–769. doi:10.1016/j.spc.2020.12.038

Kranjc, D., Kovatic, D.Z.E., Brglez, K., & Kovacic-Lukman, R. (2022). Youth awareness and attitude towards a Circular Economy to achieve the Green Deal goals. Sustainability, 14(19):12050, 1–25. doi:10.3390/su141912050

Kuah, A.T., & Wang, P. (2020). Circular economy and consumer acceptance: An exploratory study in East and Southeast Asia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247(119097). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119097

Lanz, M., Nylund, N., Lehtonen, L., Juuti, T., & Rättyä, K. (2019). Circular economy in integrated product and production development education. Procedia Manufacturing, 33, 470–476. doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2019.04.058

Leontief, W. (1991). The economy as a circular flow. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 2(1), 181–212. doi:10.1016/0954-349X(91)90012-H

Lewandowski, M., (2016). Designing the business models for circular economy – towards the conceptual framework. Sustainability, 8(1), 1–28. doi:10.3390/su8010043

Mahmoum Gonbadi, A., Genovese, A., & Sgalambro, A. (2021). Closed-loop supply chain design for the transition towards a circular economy: A systematic literature review of methods, applications and current gaps. Journal of Cleaner Production, 323(129101). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129101

Millar, N., McLaughlin, E., & Börger, T. (2019). The circular economy: Swings and roundabouts? Ecological Economics, 158,11–19. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.12.012

Ministry of the Environment. (n.d.). Strategic programme to promote a circular economy. Retrieved from https://ym.fi/en/strategic-programme-to-promote-a-circular-economy

Moon, C.J. (2017). 100 Global innovative sustainability projects: Evaluation and implications for entrepreneurship education. In C. Loue & S.B. Slimane (Eds.), Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ECIE 2017) (pp. 805–816).

Mwasalwiba, E. (2010). Entrepreneurship education: A review of its objectives, teaching methods, and impact indicators. Education + Training, 52(1), 20–47. doi:10.1108/00400911011017663

One Planet Network. (2021). Strategic programme to promote a circular economy. Retrieved from https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/knowledge-centre/policies/strategic-programme-promote-circular-economy

Pezzey, J. (1992). Sustainability: An interdisciplinary guide. Environmental Values, 1(4), 321–362. doi:10.3197/096327192776680034

Premyanov, N., Metta, J., Angelidou, M., Tsoniotis, N., Politis, C., Roma Athanasiadou, E., & Tsolakis, A. (2022). Circular makerspaces as entrepreneurship platforms for smart and sustainable cities. In 2022 7th International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Technologies (SpliTech). doi:10.23919/SpliTech55088.2022.9854289

Prieto-Sandoval, V., Jaca, C., & Ormazabal, M. (2018). Towards a consensus on the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 179, 605–615. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.224

Råberg, M. (2022). Citizens’ skills in the Circular Economy University. Helsinki: University of Helsinki.

Reike, D., Vermeulen, W., & Witjes, S. (2018). The circular economy: New or refurbished as CE 3.0? – Exploring controversies in the conceptualization of the circular economy through a focus on history and resource value retention options. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 135, 246–264. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.08.027

Rodríguez-Chueca, J., Molina-García, A., García-Aranda, C., Pérez, J., & Rodríguez, E. (2020). Understanding sustainability and the circular economy through flipped classroom and challenge-based learning: An innovative experience in engineering education in Spain. Environmental Education Research, 26(2), 238–252. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1705965

Rogers, H.A., Deutz, P., & Ramos, T.B. (2021). Repairing the circular economy: Public perception and participant profile of the repair economy in Hull, UK. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 168(105447). doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105447

Rovanto, S., & Finne, M. (2022). What motivates entrepreneurs into circular economy action? Evidence from Japan and Finland. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-022-05122-0

Saidani, N. (2022). Consumers’ appraisal of Digital Circularity: Bridging IS and circular economy research to prevent negative outcomes. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 1–19. doi:10.1080/13675567.2022.2031931

Sarc, R., Curtis, A., Kandlbauer, L., Khodier, K., Lorber, K., & Pomberger, R. (2019). Digitalisation and intelligent robotics in value chain of circular economy-oriented waste management. A review. Waste Management, 95, 476–492. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2019.06.035

Sánchez-Carracedo, F., Moreno-Pino, F.M., Romero-Portillo, D., & Sureda, B. (2021). Education for sustainable development in Spanish university education degrees. Sustainability, 13(3), 1–24. doi:10.3390/su13031467

Singh, P., & Giacosa, E. (2018). Cognitive biases of consumers as barriers in transition towards circular economy. Management Decision, 57(4), 921–936. doi:10.1108/MD-08-2018-0951

Stachowiak-Krzyżan, M., & Ankiel, M. (2019). Behaviours of young consumers in a virtual environment on the example of the fashion industry. Annales Universitatis MariaeCurie-Skłodowska, sectio H – Oeconomia, 53(1), 89–97. doi:10.17951/h.2019.53.1.89-97

Stahel, W.R. (2016). The circular economy. Nature, 531(7595), 435–438. doi:10.1038/531435a

Street, R., Mathee, A., Tanda, S., Hauzenberguer, C., Niadoo, S., & Goessler, W. (2020). Recycling of scrap metal into artisanal cookware in the informal sector: A public health threat from multi metal exposure in South Africa. Science of the Total Environment, 699(3). doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134324

Sumter, D., de Koning, J., Bakker, C., & Balkenende, R. (2020). Circular economy competencies for design. Sustainability, 12(4), 1–16. doi:10.3390/su12041561

Tapia, C., Bianchi, M., Pallaske, G., & Bassi, A.M. (2021). Towards a territorial definition of a circular economy: Exploring the role of territorial factors in closed-loop systems. European Planning Studies, 29(8), 1438–1457. doi:10.1080/09654313.2020.1867511

Terzioğlu, N., & Wever, R. (2021). Integrating repair into product design education: Insights on repair, design and sustainability. Sustainability, 13(18), 1–21. doi:10.3390/su131810067

Tokazhanov, G., Galiyev, O., Lukyanenko, A., Nauyryzbay, A., Ismagulov, R., Durdyev, S., Turkyilmaz, A., & Karaca, F. (2022). Circularity assessment tool development for construction projects in emerging economies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 362(132293). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132293

van Langen S., Vassillo, C., Ghisellini, P., Restaino, D., Passaro, R., & Ulgiati, S. (2021). Promoting circular economy transition: A study about perceptions and awareness by different stakeholders groups. Journal of Cleaner Production, 316(128166). doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128166

Wastling, T., Charnley, F., & Moreno, M. (2018). Design for circular behaviour: Considering users in a circular economy. Sustainability, 10(6), 1–22. doi:10.3390/su10061743

Zukin, S., & Maguire, J. (2004). Consumers and consumption. Annual Review of Sociology, 30(1), 173–197. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110553




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/h.2023.57.2.115-135
Date of publication: 2023-06-27 19:34:46
Date of submission: 2023-01-30 14:00:49


Statistics


Total abstract view - 372
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Anna Rakowska

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.