Investigating cause–effect relationships among barriers to circular economy adoption in construction: a case study in Vietnam

Purpose This study aims to discover the cause–effect relationships of barriers to the adoption of Circular Economy (CE) in the Vietnamese construction industry. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed-methods approach by integrating the Relative Importance Index (RII) to rank 32 identified barriers and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to examine the causal relationships among barrier groups. Data were gathered through document analysis, expert interviews and a structured questionnaire survey. Findings The results indicated that typical barriers such as “limited understanding of CE by stakeholders,” “high investment costs for waste treatment technologies” and “lack of investment in education and research on CE activities” were the most important barriers to CE adoption in construction. The DEMATEL analysis identified policy and regulatory barriers, knowledge and skills barriers and economic-financial barriers as the main causal factors that drive other barriers in the CE system, the group of technological barriers was found to play a dual role, both as a causal driver in the system and as a result of other causal barriers. This study added to what was already known by finding large groups of barriers that earlier studies had missed. These groups included coordination barriers and sociocultural barriers, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder collaboration and cultural adaptation in CE adoption. Originality/value This study shifts the focus from identifying barriers to understanding their systemic cause–effect relationships, providing a robust framework for addressing barriers to CE adoption. The findings emphasize the critical roles of regulatory frameworks, knowledge enhancement and financial incentives, offering actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to promote sustainable construction practices.