Stakeholder and customer engagement in circular economy ecosystems: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Abstract

In the dynamic landscape of circular economy ecosystems, the engagement between stakeholders and customers plays a crucial role in the transition toward circular economy. On the one side, stakeholders collectively engage in generating value for customers, while on the other, customers benefit from this value. This literature especially highlights the collaborative and collective efforts of stakeholders working together to create value for customers and how these efforts allow for the effectiveness of circular economy ecosystems. However, existing literature lacks a holistic understanding of how stakeholders and customers engage in circular economy ecosystems with each other. Our research takes stock of this research gap. In particular, our literature review aims to fill this gap by systematically selecting, reviewing, and synthesizing 77 articles sourced from Scopus and Web of Science databases. Our analysis shows the importance of the configuration of strategies for value creation and exchange, and ecosystem dynamics, including the drivers and barriers that affect the effectiveness of stakeholder and customer engagement in circular economy ecosystems. Moreover, the findings highlight the importance of raising awareness for customer engagement with circular products and services. Finally, we present an integrated framework that encompasses stakeholder and customer engagement along with the theoretical lenses that can be used to deepen our understanding of the phenomenon. Ultimately, the proposed framework outlines future research directions to advance stakeholder and customer engagement in circular economy ecosystems.