Universität zu Köln

Zeiss, Roman ORCID: 0000-0002-1366-3095 (2021). Circular Economy in the Digital Age – How Information Systems Can Advance Sustainable Consumption and Production. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

Our current economic practices are ecologically unsustainable. We take resources out of the ground, use them up, and dispose of them faster than our planet can regenerate them. This ‘linear economy’ leads to both depletion of resource deposits and uncontrollable waste streams. Alternatively, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners have begun to embrace the concept of a circular economy, which aims to minimize the input of virgin resources and output of waste and emissions from economic activities by narrowing, slowing, and looping material flows. However, implementing more circular economic practices remains challenging and cumbersome. As many identified challenges point to an underlying information problem, digital technologies—artifacts embodied in or enabled by information and communication technologies—are being touted as potential drivers of a circular economy. However, the relationship between digital technologies as part of larger information systems and a circular economy remains largely unexplored. In this dissertation, I present four studies that examine the relationship between digital technologies and a circular economy. In the studies, we explore (a) the potential of Information Systems scholarship to contribute to circular economy research, (b) information flows relevant to the implementation of circular economy principles, such as reuse, repair, or recycle, (c) the digitalization of waste management firms, which are a core circular economy industry, and (d) changing control structures in digital product aftermarkets that may impact repair and remanufacturing services. The insights from this dissertation extend the body of knowledge on information systems and environmental sustainability from digital technologies for energy efficiency to digital technologies for resource efficiency in support of sustainable production and consumption.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Translated title:	Title Language Kreislaufwirtschaft im digitalen Zeitalter - Wie Informationssysteme nachhaltigen Konsum und nachhaltige Produktion fördern können German
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Zeiss, Roman zeiss@wiso.uni-koeln.de https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1366-3095 UNSPECIFIED
Contributors:	Contribution Name Email Censor Recker, Jan jan.christof.recker@uni-hamburg.de Censor Ketter, Wolf ketter@wiso.uni-koeln.de
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-542533
Date:	2021
Place of Publication:	Köln
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Weitere Institute, Arbeits- und Forschungsgruppen > Cologne Institute for Information Systems (CIIS) Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences > Business Administration > Information Systems > Chair for Information Systems and Systems Development
Subjects:	Data processing Computer science Social sciences Economics Natural sciences and mathematics Management and auxiliary services
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language circular economy English information systems English digital technology English Kreislaufwirtschaft German Informationssysteme German Digitale Technologie German
Date of oral exam:	26 November 2021
Referee:	Name Academic Title Recker, Jan Prof. Dr. Ketter, Wolf Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/54253