Os desafios do engajamento em uma plataforma multistakeholder para economia circular

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which stakeholder engagement within a multistakeholder platform enables the overcoming of circular economy-related barriers. It advances current debates by proposing a six-phase collective action model designed to clarify how this process can be structured and implemented. The model starts with Delimitation, in which the take make-waste model is critically problematized as the source of the challenge to be addressed. It then advances to Elaboration, in which the underlying causes of the problem are examined and potential solutions are formulated. Motivation identifies the actors who are expected to act and clarifies the reasons that justify their involvement. Restriction examines the barriers that hinder the mobilization of those actors. Participation specifies the engagement mechanisms required to overcome such barriers and activate collective action. Finally, Realization defines the governance structure capable of sustaining a multistakeholder platform oriented toward circular economy implementation. The transition to the circular economy depends on collective action mechanisms. However, existing models remain insufficient to clarify this relationship. This limitation justifies the development of new models capable of indicating the stages that should be followed for the effective implementation of this process. The proposed model was applied through a single case study based on qualitative research conducted in a company located in an industrial park in northeastern Brazil. The study employed semistructured interviews, content analysis, and bibliographic analysis of the scientific literature. The findings indicate that the focal company remains at an exploratory level of circular economy maturity. They further demonstrate that overcoming barriers depends on engagement mechanisms grounded in solutions that make explicit the benefits obtained by the stakeholders involved. The results also suggest that a multistakeholder platform characterized by polycentric governance and supported by a facilitator can move the company toward higher levels of circular maturity. This study contributes to the theoretical advancement of collective action in the context of circular transitions and to managerial practice by offering a process model through which managers may conduct this transition in a coordinated manner.