Circular economy practices in international business : what do we know and where are we heading?

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) has gained the focus of scholars and policymakers as it is related to achieving sustainable development. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are adopting and implementing CE models, especially given their resources, global presence, and ability to share best practices across borders. However, a knowledge gap exists on how CE is practiced within the international business (IB) context. This study seeks to harmonize the existing literature on CE practices in IB using a bibliometric and systematic literature (content) review approach. Our findings of citation and network analyses using the co-authorship, citation, co-citation, bibliometric coupling, and co-occurrence techniques provide the current situation as well as identify three trending research themes in the CE-IB literature. The study also offers several potential avenues for future research.