| Abstract [eng] |
In recent years, against the backdrop of sustainable development problems, depletion of natural resources and increasing environmental risks, the concept of circular economy has gained particular relevance both in scientific literature and at the policy level. This approach, unlike the “buy-produce-use-dispose” model, aims to keep resources in circulation, reduce waste and extend the life cycle of products. However, the successful implementation of circular economy is closely related not only to technological and institutional mechanisms, but also to human factors and behavioral changes. The main purpose of this dissertation is to empirically investigate the mediating role of employee decisions – Readiness for Change (ED) in the relationship between circular economy orientation (CE) and circular economy implementation (CEI) in Azerbaijani enterprises. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value–Attitude–Behavior (VAB) model. The study used a quantitative methodology, data were collected from 257 respondents through a survey through random sampling and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method with SPSS and AMOS programs. The results showed that circular economy orientation has a positive and significant effect on employees' readiness to change (β = .563, p < .001) and employees' readiness to change directly affects the implementation of the circular economy (β = .188, p < .001). One of the main findings is that employees' readiness to change plays a partial mediating role between circular economy orientation and implementation (β = .106, p < .001). This result reveals that the circular economy is not only an economic and technological, but also a social and behavioral transformation process. The study emphasizes the importance of formulating sustainable development and circular economy policies for Azerbaijan based on a people-centered approach, both theoretically and practically. |
