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Recent studies suggest an ecosystem view is most appropriate for understanding the impact of institutional voids on entrepreneurial activities. Expanding the focus to the entrepreneurial ecosystem is crucial for tackling complex low- and middle-income countries' (LMICs) environmental challenges, as the transition to circular e-waste management, which are heavily impacted by the institutional environment. Moreover, most entrepreneurs in LMICs engage in circular practices out of economic necessity, rather than environmental reasons. However, scholars have overlooked the effects of institutional voids on entrepreneurial ecosystems' potential to grow and realize environmental benefits. This study investigates how formal institutional voids impact the evolution of circular ecosystems in necessity-driven contexts in LMICs. We study the evolution of a circular e-waste ecosystem in Kenya and uncover two key phases: emergence and growth. We show that formal institutional voids' impact differs across phases; regulatory and contract enforcement voids create opportunities for informal and private actors to establish e-waste collection, repair, remanufacture, and recycle businesses, thereby facilitating the emergence of the circular ecosystem. However, labor market, capital market, product market, regulatory, and contract enforcement voids hamper its growth. Specifically, the lack of skills, equipment, guidelines, and financial incentives hinders advanced repairs and remanufactures and limits recycling opportunities, while the lack of formal e-waste infrastructure increases illegal dumping and negatively impacts human health and the environment. We develop propositions and a phase model to explain the impact of formal institutional voids on the evolution of circular e-waste ecosystems and the realization of environmental benefits in necessity-driven contexts.

Unsustainable business practices have led to dramatic sustainability pressures for modern society in the form of climate change and resource scarcity. A potential solution to meet the challenges of the climate crisis are product-service-systems (PSSs), which are combined product and service offerings that together can fulfil customer needs. Through alternative scenarios of product use can PSSs decrease the consumption of products and therefore hold the promise of delivering economic and environmental benefits. However, to accelerate the sustainability transition, PSSs must reach an increasing number of beneficiaries. While prior literature largely focused on the design and implementation of PSSs, scaling them has only been researched to a minor extent. However, there are only a few examples of upscaled PSSs, which suggests that scaling PSSs is challenging. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how product companies can scale PSSs. It has widely been accepted that scaling PSSs is hindered by internal and external barriers. While external barriers have received large attention in the literature, internal barriers have been less researched. To broaden the understanding of the internal barriers firms face and how they can be addressed, this thesis took a qualitative approach. It studied the case of Fairphone, a Dutch smartphone manufacturer that had recently introduced a sustainable PSS. Adopting the dynamic capabilities (DC) lens, using an inductive coding strategy, the research analyzed 17 semi-structured interviews to identify the DCs conducive to early-stage scaling. By matching the DCs with the barriers they help to address, the study found that some DCs enable product companies to reduce or remove barriers, while other DCs prevent barriers from occurring in the first place. The study identified the combinations of DCs that enable product companies to adopt a service-centered mindset, design fully integrated PSSs, plan and execute the service rollout

In 2050, 75%-90% of the existing building stock will still be standing in the Northern Hemisphere. To comply with the goals of becoming fully circular by 2050 in the Netherlands, the existing building stock needs to be considered in this process. The circular economy is currently known for lacking a social and cultural dimension, which makes its application challenging for the existing cultural heritage building stock. The transformation of CH is challenging because it has to find a synergy between cultural and social values, economic growth and environmental sustainability. Therefore, this research aims to answer how the implementation of circularity can be stimulated within the cultural heritage built environment. To answer this research question, this thesis mobilizes the literature on cultural heritage, conservation theory and the circular economy and carried out a systemic analysis of the existing circular implementation processes within cultural heritage buildings in the Netherlands. The research is performed by analysing 13 semi-structured interviews and 252 documents to assure data triangulation. The results allowed to map the CE implementation process, with the current status quo, including the main challenges for stakeholders. Next, the findings offer practical implications on how the circular transition can be stimulated within the CH built environment. The main findings suggest that the five main target areas identified to stimulate the CE implementation within CH buildings are policy support, knowledge development, stakeholder engagement and collaboration, maximum cultural value retention and the creation of new financial opportunities. The findings hold the promise of advancing theory regarding how to incorporate social and cultural dimension in the assessment of CE implementation performances. Suggestions for further research include a circular component and material level analysis of CH, a life cycle assessment of the sustainable performances of a ci