Industry 4.0 and global value chains: what implications for circular economy in SME?
ISSN: 0025-1747
Article publication date: 3 July 2023
Issue publication date: 5 September 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), this paper aims to analyse the relevance of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and participation in global value chains (GVC) and the effects of the complementarity between both in the adoption of circular economy (CE) actions by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper analysed a large-scale international sample by employing logistic and linear regression models to test the research hypotheses on the effects of I4.0 technologies, GVC participation, and the interaction on CE actions (recycling or reusing materials, reducing the consumption and impact of natural resources, saving energy and/or switching to sustainable energy sources, developing sustainable products or services).
Findings
The evidence suggests that I4.0 technologies already represent important resources for CE adoption and SME participating in GVC display a greater likelihood of adopting CE actions. From the perspective of resource complementarity, by interacting the two factors viewed as resources in this article, results may report that adopting I4.0 technologies and simultaneously participating in GVC may turn out detrimental to SME undertaking CE actions, specifically as regards recycling and reusing materials, saving energy or switching to sustainable energy sources and in cases of widely adopting CE practices.
Originality/value
The paper returns novel insights into the adoption of CE practices by presenting evidence that I4.0 technologies and participation in GVC may be successful means for SME seeking to implement CE actions but must be combined carefully. This paper also provides theoretical and practical implications for SME managers, firms participating in GVCs and policy makers, and shedding light on new research avenues.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I. P. (Grants UIDB/04630/2020 and UI/BD/151029/2021).
Declaration of conflicting interests: The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Expression of concern: The publisher of Management Decision is issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article “Suchek, N., Ferreira, J.J.M. and Fernandes, P.O. (2023), “Industry 4.0 and global value chains: what implications for circular economy in SME?”, Management Decision, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2022-1541”, 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, who were not found to be involved in any malpractice.
Citation
Suchek, N., Ferreira, J.J.M. and Fernandes, P.O. (2024), "Industry 4.0 and global value chains: what implications for circular economy in SME?", Management Decision, Vol. 62 No. 9, pp. 2915-2936. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2022-1541
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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