@article{2025:wiesner:blinded_by,
title = {Blinded by Circularity: Ignoring Critical Limitations in the Quest for Sustainability – the Case of Operations and Supply Chain Management},
year = {2025},
note = {This study critically examines the circular economy (CE) concept
through two systematic literature reviews, conducted across general
management and economics (28 articles) and operations and supply chain
management (45 articles). The research addresses two key questions:
how CE criticisms can be systematically categorised and how profoundly
these criticisms are reflected in OSCM discussions. The analysis
reveals six major criticism categories: conceptualisation, efficiency,
implementation, regulation, product/process, and economic value. A
critical finding shows that while OSCM literature acknowledges CE
criticisms, only 20 % of publications move beyond superficial
mentions to propose actionable solutions. The study challenges the
prevailing utopian assumptions surrounding CE, revealing a disconnect
between acknowledging limitations and addressing them in a meaningful
way. The authors argue for interdisciplinary collaboration and deeper
embedding of CE criticisms into research frameworks to develop
realistic and implementable solutions rather than maintaining
idealistic visions of circularity.},
journal = {Swiss Journal of Business},
pages = {303--327},
author = {Wiesner, Julian and Größler, Andreas},
volume = {79},
number = {3}
}