Institutional entrepreneurship enablers to promote circular economy in the European Union: Impacts on transition towards a more circular economy

Circular economy supposes a transformational and radical process of change from a linear to a circular economic model, where every production phase represents a systemic shift at all levels. Nevertheless, CE philosophy is easy to understand but very complex to put into practice. For that reason, using institutional entrepreneurship theory, institutional enablers to push the transition to a more CE in the European Union will be analysed. In particular, the impacts achieved by CE strategies are oriented to priority CE goals. Thus, this empirical study based on a public consultation survey uses structural equation modelling to analyse links between institutional entrepreneurship enablers and impacts on CE strategies oriented to main CE goals. The findings support the effectiveness of acting like an institutional entrepreneur to force transformational and radical changes, although differences are found between enablers and the impacts of CE. The paper concludes with some useful reflections for institutions and policymakers in order to maximise the efforts taken to effect changes at all levels. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.