IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i23p13312-d692848.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Practical Approach to Companies’ Transformation toward Product Longevity: A Best-Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Byrial Jensen

    (Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

  • Louise Møller Haase

    (Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

  • Linda Nhu Laursen

    (Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

Abstract

Product longevity is a key to improving the sustainability of production and consumption patterns. However, at many companies, extending product longevity requires overcoming several complex barriers. Identifying how to begin this process can be difficult; moreover, the available solutions may seem too complex or radical and, therefore, may be ignored as viable options. The purpose of this paper is to study the approaches and decision patterns that enable best-practice companies to produce high-longevity products. We aim to map approaches to implementing product longevity through a multiple-case study of 18 best-practice companies that systematically work to ensure product longevity. Through interviews with developers, CFOs and CEOs at companies that strive to design and produce long-lasting products, we identify three key types of approaches to implementing product longevity: performance-driven, behavioural change-driven and vision-driven approaches. This study reveals several types of approaches to implementing product longevity successfully. This contribution advances our understanding of how companies can engage with and foster product longevity at different stages of the development process.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Byrial Jensen & Louise Møller Haase & Linda Nhu Laursen, 2021. "A Practical Approach to Companies’ Transformation toward Product Longevity: A Best-Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13312-:d:692848
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/23/13312/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/23/13312/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vasileios Rizos & Arno Behrens & Wytze Van der Gaast & Erwin Hofman & Anastasia Ioannou & Terri Kafyeke & Alexandros Flamos & Roberto Rinaldi & Sotiris Papadelis & Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers & Corrado , 2016. "Implementation of Circular Economy Business Models by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): Barriers and Enablers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Matt Sinclair & Leila Sheldrick & Mariale Moreno & Emma Dewberry, 2018. "Consumer Intervention Mapping—A Tool for Designing Future Product Strategies within Circular Product Service Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Rajeev Goel, 2006. "Uncertain innovation with uncertain product durability," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(13), pages 829-834.
    4. Cox, Jayne & Griffith, Sarah & Giorgi, Sara & King, Geoff, 2013. "Consumer understanding of product lifetimes," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 21-29.
    5. Nicole van Nes & Jacqueline Cramer, 2005. "Influencing product lifetime through product design," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(5), pages 286-299, September.
    6. Flora Poppelaars & Conny Bakker & Jo Van Engelen, 2018. "Does Access Trump Ownership? Exploring Consumer Acceptance of Access-Based Consumption in the Case of Smartphones," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, June.
    7. Jeremy Bulow, 1986. "An Economic Theory of Planned Obsolescence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(4), pages 729-749.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ruth Mugge, 2018. "Product Design and Consumer Behaviour in a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-4, October.
    2. Renske van den Berge & Lise Magnier & Ruth Mugge, 2023. "Until death do us part? In‐depth insights into Dutch consumers’ considerations about product lifetimes and lifetime extension," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(3), pages 908-922, June.
    3. Thomas Wastling & Fiona Charnley & Mariale Moreno, 2018. "Design for Circular Behaviour: Considering Users in a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-22, May.
    4. Kathleen Jacobs & Jacob Hörisch, 2022. "The importance of product lifetime labelling for purchase decisions: Strategic implications for corporate sustainability based on a conjoint analysis in Germany," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1275-1291, May.
    5. Nicolae Istudor & Ionel Dumitru & Alina Filip & Alin Stancu & Mihai Ioan Ro?ca & Andrei Canda, 2023. "Integration of Circular Economy Principles in Consumer Behaviour for Electrical and Electronic Equipment," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 25(62), pages 1-48, February.
    6. Aine Petrulaityte & Fabrizio Ceschin & Eujin Pei & David Harrison, 2020. "Applying Distributed Manufacturing to Product-Service System Design: A Set of Near-Future Scenarios and a Design Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-39, June.
    7. Mechthild Donner & Anne Verniquet & Jan Broeze & Katrin Kayser & Hugo de Vries, 2021. "Critical success and risk factors for circular business models valorising agricultural waste and by-products," Post-Print hal-03004851, HAL.
    8. Rohit Agrawal & Vishal A. Wankhede & Anil Kumar & Sunil Luthra, 2021. "Analysing the roadblocks of circular economy adoption in the automobile sector: Reducing waste and environmental perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1051-1066, February.
    9. Bruno Michel Roman Pais Seles & Janaina Mascarenhas & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour & Adriana Hoffman Trevisan, 2022. "Smoothing the circular economy transition: The role of resources and capabilities enablers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1814-1837, May.
    10. John Boyce & Jeffrey Robert Church & Lucia Vojtassak, "undated". "Capacity Constraints in Durable Goods Monopoly: Coase and Hotelling," Working Papers 2012-07, Department of Economics, University of Calgary, revised 08 Aug 2012.
    11. Galiani, Sebastian & Jaitman, Laura & Weinschelbaum, Federico, 2020. "Crime and durable goods," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 146-163.
    12. Francesca Gennari, 2023. "The transition towards a circular economy. A framework for SMEs," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(4), pages 1423-1457, December.
    13. P. Giovani Palafox-Alcantar & Dexter V. L. Hunt & Chris D. F. Rogers, 2020. "A Hybrid Methodology to Study Stakeholder Cooperation in Circular Economy Waste Management of Cities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-30, April.
    14. Julian Lauten-Weiss & Stephan Ramesohl, 2021. "The Circular Business Framework for Building, Developing and Steering Businesses in the Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, January.
    15. Pangburn, Michael S. & Stavrulaki, Euthemia, 2014. "Take back costs and product durability," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 238(1), pages 175-184.
    16. Edward Kutsoati & Jan Zabojnik, 2001. "Durable Goods Monopoly, Learning-by-doing and "Sleeping Patents"," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0105, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
    17. Milovantseva, Natalia & Fitzpatrick, Colin, 2015. "Barriers to electronics reuse of transboundary e-waste shipment regulations: An evaluation based on industry experiences," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 170-177.
    18. Claudia Aparecida De Mattos & Thiago Lourenço Meira De Albuquerque, 2018. "Enabling Factors and Strategies for the Transition Toward a Circular Economy (CE)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    19. Sabbaghi, Mostafa & Behdad, Sara & Zhuang, Jun, 2016. "Managing consumer behavior toward on-time return of the waste electrical and electronic equipment: A game theoretic approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 545-563.
    20. Stefan Ambec & Corinne Langinier & Stéphane Lemarié, 2008. "Incentives to Reduce Crop Trait Durability," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 90(2), pages 379-391.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13312-:d:692848. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.