Circular Supplier Partnerships for Resource Economic Marketization in the Construction Industry

Radical changes in supply chains relations are critical in a world of environmental problems and limited resources. Presently, there is a partnership trend in the Danish construction industry, where attempts to reconfigure supply chains through strategic and collaborative arrangements are taking place. These partnerships are legitimized by their ability to capitalize on e.g. innovations and repetition effects. However, it has been difficult to involve the supply chain actors as strategic partners, which is problematic as a new resource economic marketization is dependent on transformations of supply and demand throughout the entire supply chain. Drawing on institutional theory, we analyze and discuss the role of concurrent organizational dynamics, market mechanisms, and supranational regulations in legitimizing what is here labeled circular supplier partnerships (CSP) in the construction industry. We illustrate the possible underpinnings of CSPs and analyze the barriers to the development and legitimation processes of CSPs. In doing so, the paper substantiates CSPs as a possible driver for sustainable development by the consolidation of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.