IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joevec/v30y2020i2d10.1007_s00191-019-00651-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On the adoption of circular economy practices by small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs): does “financing-as-usual” still matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Claudia Ghisetti

    (Catholic University of Milan)

  • Sandro Montresor

    (Social Sciences, Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) of l’Aquila (IT))

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent to which the adoption of Circular Economy (CE) practices by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) correlates with the choices they make in their financing. Referring to the debate about CE business models (CEBM) and intersecting it with emerging research on the CE barriers/enablers revealed by SMEs, we focus on the argument that “financing-as-usual”, by relying on standard financial sources according to the “pecking-order-theory”, could not work in supporting the CE transition of SMEs. Using data on more than 2000 European SMEs from the 2016 Eurobarometer, we instead find that financing as usual still matters for the sake of CE. Self-financing (extended to some forms of capital sources) appears a significant enabler of the adoption of generic CE practices, as well as debt financing, and the latter matter less than the former, consistent with the “pecking-order-theory”. Public funds do also matter, having a larger impact than self-financing, but a lower one than debt financing. On the other hand, not only does the availability of alternative forms of financing not support CE(BM), but it even crowds-out the resort to CE, possibly in favor of more linear-risk activities. With some few interesting exceptions, the previous results are confirmed when the adoption of specific kinds CE(BM) practices is considered, as well as the SMEs’ capacity of extending their portfolio.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Ghisetti & Sandro Montresor, 2020. "On the adoption of circular economy practices by small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs): does “financing-as-usual” still matter?," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 559-586, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joevec:v:30:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s00191-019-00651-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-019-00651-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00191-019-00651-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00191-019-00651-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    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. Ghisetti, Claudia, 2017. "Demand-pull and environmental innovations: Estimating the effects of innovative public procurement," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 178-187.
    3. Horbach, Jens & Rammer, Christian & Rennings, Klaus, 2012. "Determinants of eco-innovations by type of environmental impact — The role of regulatory push/pull, technology push and market pull," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 112-122.
    4. Rennings, Klaus, 2000. "Redefining innovation -- eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 319-332, February.
    5. Lee, Neil & Sameen, Hiba & Cowling, Marc, 2015. "Access to finance for innovative SMEs since the financial crisis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 370-380.
    6. Claudia Ghisetti & Susanna Mancinelli & Massimiliano Mazzanti & Mariangela Zoli, 2017. "Financial barriers and environmental innovations: evidence from EU manufacturing firms," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(0), pages 131-147, June.
    7. Pellegrino, Gabriele & Savona, Maria, 2017. "No money, no honey? Financial versus knowledge and demand constraints on innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 510-521.
    8. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    9. Trianni, A. & Cagno, E., 2012. "Dealing with barriers to energy efficiency and SMEs: Some empirical evidences," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 494-504.
    10. D’Este, Pablo & Iammarino, Simona & Savona, Maria & von Tunzelmann, Nick, 2012. "What hampers innovation? Revealed barriers versus deterring barriers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 482-488.
    11. Lorenzo Cappellari & Stephen P. Jenkins, 2003. "Multivariate probit regression using simulated maximum likelihood," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 3(3), pages 278-294, September.
    12. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Davide Antonioli & Claudia Ghisetti & Francesco Nicolli, 2016. "Firm Surveys relating Environmental Policies, Environmental Performance and Innovation: Design Challenges and insights from Empirical Application," OECD Environment Working Papers 103, OECD Publishing.
    13. Albrizio, Silvia & Kozluk, Tomasz & Zipperer, Vera, 2017. "Environmental policies and productivity growth: Evidence across industries and firms," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 209-226.
    14. Mateusz Lewandowski, 2016. "Designing the Business Models for Circular Economy—Towards the Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-28, January.
    15. Vanessa Oltra & Maïder Saint Jean, 2009. "Sectoral systems of environmental innovation: an application to the French automotive industry," Post-Print hal-00274413, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Emmanuel Ebo Arthur & Solomon Gyamfi & Wolfgang Gerstlberger & Jan Stejskal & Viktor Prokop, 2023. "Towards Circular Economy: Unveiling Heterogeneous Effects of Government Policy Stringency, Environmentally Related Innovation, and Human Capital within OECD Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Chatzistamoulou, Nikos, 2023. "Is digital transformation the Deus ex Machina towards sustainability transition of the European SMEs?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    3. Tarlan Ahmadov & Susanne Durst & Wolfgang Gerstlberger & Elisabeth Kraut, 2025. "SMEs on the way to a circular economy: insights from a multi-perspective review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 289-322, February.
    4. Ghosh, Debarati & Dutta, Meghna, 2022. "Environmental behaviour under credit constraints – Evidence from panel of Indian manufacturing firms," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 490-500.
    5. Garrido-Prada, Pablo & Lenihan, Helena & Doran, Justin & Rammer, Christian & Perez-Alaniz, Mauricio, 2021. "Driving the circular economy through public environmental and energy R&D: Evidence from SMEs in the European Union," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    6. Federica Scandurra & Roberta Salomone & Sandra Caeiro & Ana Pinto Moura, 2025. "Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector: Insights into Portuguese Companies’ Practices," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 25-50, February.
    7. Bourdin, Sébastien & Jacquet, Nicolas, 2025. "Closing the loop at the local scale: Investigating the drivers of and barriers to the implementation of the circular economy in cities and regions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    8. Sébastien Bourdin & Nicolas Jacquet, 2025. "Closing the loop at the local scale: Investigating the drivers of and barriers to the implementation of the circular economy in cities and regions," Post-Print hal-04991196, HAL.
    9. Jens Horbach, 2020. "The Importance of regional Spill-over Effects for Eco-Innovations in German Start-ups," SEEDS Working Papers 1620, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Dec 2020.
    10. Agustí Segarra‐Blasco & Mercedes Teruel & Josep Tomàs‐Porres, 2024. "Circular economy and public policies: A dynamic analysis for European SMEs," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3532-3549, May.
    11. Miranda, Bruno Varella & Monteiro, Guilherme Fowler A. & Rodrigues, Vinicius Picanço, 2021. "Circular agri-food systems: A governance perspective for the analysis of sustainable agri-food value chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    12. Milena Angelova, 2023. "Factors for Boosting the Green Transition of the European Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 59-77.
    13. Honjo, Yuji & Kwak, Charee & Uchida, Hirofumi, 2022. "Initial funding and founders’ human capital: An empirical analysis using multiple surveys for start-up firms," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    14. Nathalia Suchek & Cristina I. Fernandes & Sascha Kraus & Matthias Filser & Helena Sjögrén, 2021. "Innovation and the circular economy: A systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3686-3702, December.
    15. Matloob, Sheema & Raza, Ali & Waqas, Ali & Khan, Mohammad Jamal & Nisar, Nabeel, 2025. "Does resource orchestration theory ensure the better SME performance: A three-wave time lag investigation among manufacturing SMEs of the developing economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    16. Nathalia Suchek & João J. Ferreira & Paula O. Fernandes, 2022. "A review of entrepreneurship and circular economy research: State of the art and future directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2256-2283, July.
    17. Stefano Bonnini & Michela Borghesi & Massimiliano Giacalone, 2025. "Nonparametric analysis of firm size and innovation intensity in Circular Economy adoption," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 1345-1367, April.
    18. Kucher, Lesia & Kucher, Anatolii & Morozova, Hanna & Pashchenko, Yulia, 2022. "Development of circular agricultural economy: potential sources of financing innovative projects," Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, vol. 8(2), June.
    19. Liping Wang & Zhijia Wang & Lili Tian & Chuang Li, 2022. "Evolutionary Game and Numerical Simulation of Enterprises’ Green Technology Innovation: Based on the Credit Sales Financing Service of Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, December.
    20. Centobelli, Piera & Cerchione, Roberto & Esposito, Emilio & Passaro, Renato & Shashi,, 2021. "Determinants of the transition towards circular economy in SMEs: A sustainable supply chain management perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    21. Arttu Saarinen & Leena Aarikka-Stenroos, 2023. "Financing-Related Drivers and Barriers for Circular Economy Business: Developing a Conceptual Model from a Field Study," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1187-1211, September.
    22. Wen-Kuo Chen & Ching-Torng Lin, 2021. "Interrelationship among CE Adoption Obstacles of Supply Chain in the Textile Sector: Based on the DEMATEL-ISM Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-24, June.

    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. Grazia Cecere & Nicoletta Corrocher & Maria Luisa Mancusi, 2020. "Financial constraints and public funding of eco-innovation: empirical evidence from European SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 285-302, January.
    2. Jose García‐Quevedo & Elisenda Jové‐Llopis & Ester Martínez‐Ros, 2020. "Barriers to the circular economy in European small and medium‐sized firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2450-2464, September.
    3. Alfonso Aranda-Usón & Pilar Portillo-Tarragona & Luz María Marín-Vinuesa & Sabina Scarpellini, 2019. "Financial Resources for the Circular Economy: A Perspective from Businesses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-23, February.
    4. Christopher F. Baum & Arash Kordestani & Dorothea Schäfer & Andreas Stephan, 2021. "Firms in Green Public Procurement: Financial Strength Indicators’ Impact on Contract Awards and Its Repercussion on Financial Strength," Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung / Quarterly Journal of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 90(4), pages 71-92.
    5. Sandro Montresor & Antonio Vezzani, 2019. "Financial constraints and intangible investments. Do innovative and non-innovative firms differ?," JRC Working Papers on Corporate R&D and Innovation 2019-07, Joint Research Centre.
    6. Antonella Biscione & Raul Caruso & Annunziata de Felice, 2021. "Environmental innovation in European transition countries," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(5), pages 521-535, January.
    7. Davide Antonioli & Grazia Cecere & Massimiliano Mazzanti, 2018. "Information communication technologies and environmental innovations in firms: joint adoptions and productivity effects," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(11), pages 1905-1933, September.
    8. Pinget, Amandine, 2016. "Spécificités des déterminants des innovations environnementales : une approche appliquée aux PME [Specificities of determinants for environmental innovation : an approach applied to SMEs]," MPRA Paper 80108, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Stojčić, Nebojša, 2021. "Social and private outcomes of green innovation incentives in European advancing economies," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    10. Durán-Romero, Gemma & López, Ana M. & Beliaeva, Tatiana & Ferasso, Marcos & Garonne, Christophe & Jones, Paul, 2020. "Bridging the gap between circular economy and climate change mitigation policies through eco-innovations and Quintuple Helix Model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    11. Ghisetti, Claudia, 2017. "Demand-pull and environmental innovations: Estimating the effects of innovative public procurement," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 178-187.
    12. Ren, Shenggang & Hu, Yucai & Zheng, Jingjing & Wang, Yangjie, 2020. "Emissions trading and firm innovation: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    13. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Francesco Quatraro, 2021. "Firms’ growth, green gazelles and eco-innovation: evidence from a sample of European firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1721-1738, April.
    14. Francesco Crespi & Claudia Ghisetti & Francesco Quatraro, 2015. "Environmental and innovation policies for the evolution of green technologies: a survey and a test," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(2), pages 343-370, December.
    15. Chau Le & Bach Nguyen & Vinh Vo, 2024. "Do intangible assets help SMEs in underdeveloped markets gain access to external finance?—the case of Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 833-855, February.
    16. Agustí Segarra‐Blasco & Mercedes Teruel & Josep Tomàs‐Porres, 2024. "Circular economy and public policies: A dynamic analysis for European SMEs," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3532-3549, May.
    17. Leoncini, Riccardo & Montresor, Sandro & Rentocchini, Francesco, 2016. "CO2-reducing innovations and outsourcing: Evidence from photovoltaics and green construction in North-East Italy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1649-1659.
    18. Sandro Montresor & Francesco Quatraro, 2020. "Green technologies and Smart Specialisation Strategies: a European patent-based analysis of the intertwining of technological relatedness and key enabling technologies," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(10), pages 1354-1365, October.
    19. Pereira, Vijay & Nair, Asha KS. & Bhattacharyya, Som Sekhar, 2025. "Exploring and investigating the complementarity and multidimensionality of innovation for sustainability research: Past present and future," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    20. Alexandra Rese & Anke Kutschke & Daniel Baier, 2016. "Analyzing The Relative Influence Of Supply Side, Demand Side And Regulatory Factors On The Success Of Collaborative Energy Innovation Projects," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(02), pages 1-43, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:spr:joevec:v:30:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s00191-019-00651-w. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.