Title Hierarchical interdependencies of social barriers to circular economy adoption in saudi arabia's plastics manufacturing sector
Translation of Title Socialinių kliūčių hierarchinės tarpusavio priklausomybės diegiant žiedinę ekonomiką Saudo Arabijos plastikų gamybos sektoriuje.
Authors Alquraan, Mohammad Fayez Aref
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Pages 72
Keywords [eng] Circular Economy, Social Barriers, Organizational Culture, Leadership Support, Hierarchical Interdependencies, Plastics Manufacturing, Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030, Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Gap, Digital Literacy, Resistance to Change, Market Acceptance, Islamic Sustainability Principles, Qualitative Research, Semi-Structured Interviews, Thematic Analysis
Abstract [eng] This master's thesis has at least 13 tables and about 60 references. The paper "Hierarchical Interdependencies of Social Barriers to Circular Economy Adoption in Saudi Arabia's Plastics Manufacturing Sector" looks at social barriers to CE implementation in Saudi plastics companies in line with Vision 2030. It uses a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews of 20 people, including 6 higher-level managers, 6 middle-level managers, and 8 employees it take empolyees from different kind of levels to compare them with each other on how they effect in CE adoption focusing on social barriers Important Barriers Five main social barriers are identified in the literature: gaps in culture and understanding, problems with organizations and behavior, social acceptance and market stigma, a lack of collaboration amongst stakeholders, and a lack of skills and digital literacy. These show up in a hierarchy: senior leaders talk about strategic support but don't see operational gaps, while lower levels talk about training gaps and opposition. Interdependencies create lock-in loops. For example, bad training leads to resistance, which makes customers even more skeptical of recycled plastics and make them demand virgin materials because they believe that recycled means bad quality materials Methodology and Results Chapter 2 outlines purposive sampling, theme analysis utilizing Taguette (Braun & Clarke, 2006), and saturation at interview 18. Chapter 3 presents empirical findings that indicate perception gaps: leadership exaggerates commitment, employees encounter workload anxieties and communication failures, even though Islamic ideals such as israf (prohibition of waste) correspond with corporate ethics framework and Suggestions A new Hierarchical Interdependency Barrier Framework shows how different factors are connected so that systemic changes can be made. Practical measures encompass multilayer training, CE KPIs, scrap pilots, and cross level working groups to address deficiencies without deferring to policy amendments. Limitations indicate qualitative generalizability; subsequent research advocates for longitudinal/mixed-methods validation.
Dissertation Institution Vilniaus universitetas.
Type Master thesis
Language English
Publication date 2026