Performance of small firms in a circular economy: configuring challenges and entrepreneurial orientation
ISSN: 0025-1747
Article publication date: 12 October 2022
Issue publication date: 29 August 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Society's concerns about environmental degradation have tightened competitive pressure and brought new challenges to small firms. Against this backdrop, this study develops a decision model to determine a suitable configuration for entrepreneurial orientation to help small firms manage circular economy challenges and improve their performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a multi-study and multi-method approach. Study 1, through qualitative in-depth interviews, identified a portfolio of circular economy challenges and entrepreneurial-orientation components. Study 2 applied the quality function deployment technique to determine the most important components of entrepreneurial orientation. Study 3 adopted a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to determine the best configuration for challenges and components.
Findings
The findings reveal a set of challenges and identify the salient need to combine the negation of these challenges with the components of entrepreneurial orientation; this combination will improve the performance of small firms. The research extends the current knowledge of managing circular economy challenges and offers decision-makers insights into improving their resilience.
Originality/value
The use of the dynamic capability view, together with the multi-study and multi-method approach, may lead to an appropriate reconfiguration of entrepreneurial orientation, which, to date, has received limited empirical attention in the small-business-management discipline.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Expression of concern: The publisher of Management Decision is issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article Khan, E.A., Chowdhury, M.M.H., Hossain, M.A., Mahmud, A.K.M.S., Baabdullah, A.M. and Dwivedi, Y.K. (2022), “Performance of small firms in a circular economy: configuring challenges and entrepreneurial orientation”, Management Decision, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2022-0731, which was submitted to the guest-edited special issue ‘Navigating the role of circular economy in entrepreneurship: Opportunities and challenges’. An investigation by the publisher found a number of articles with multiple concerns, including but not limited to compromised editorial handling and reviewing, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and lack of suitability for the scope of the journal. As a result of these concerns and as trust in the content is central to the integrity of the publication process, the Editor-in-Chief and publisher have taken the decision to publish an Expression of Concern for all articles within this special issue. The journal has not been able to confirm whether the authors were aware of these concerns. The authors of this article would like to note that they do not agree with the content of this notice. An investigation is ongoing and is currently unresolved. Further information will be provided by Management Decision as it becomes available. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers and authors of this article, who were not found to be involved in any malpractice.
Citation
Khan, E.A., Chowdhury, M.M.H., Hossain, M.A., Mahmud, A.K.M.S., Baabdullah, A.M. and Dwivedi, Y.K. (2024), "Performance of small firms in a circular economy: configuring challenges and entrepreneurial orientation", Management Decision, Vol. 62 No. 8, pp. 2428-2450. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2022-0731
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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