Comparison of the Readiness of Manufacturing Companies to Implement the Principles of the Circular Economy, Taking into Account an Organisation’s Size

Objective: The article is devoted to the readiness of manufacturing enterprises to introduce the assumptions of the circular economy (CE). The purpose of the study is to see if there are statistically significant differences between the declared readiness to adopt the principles of the circular economy among manufacturing enterprises of different sizes. Research Design & Methods: The paper uses a literature analysis method and a quantitative method, using a survey technique in the form of a questionnaire. The survey was conducted using the CAWI method. The respondents were owners and managers of manufacturing enterprises with registered operations in Poland. The size of the research sample was 205. The obtained data were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test for independent samples. Findings: The results indicate statistically significant differences between companies of different sizes in terms of social pressure, availability of raw materials, external support, internal capacity of the organisation, perceptions of cost-effectiveness, and readiness to implement CE practices. Implications / Recommendations: The study provides information on the impact of various factors on the decision-making process in companies vis-à-vis implementing CE practices. The survey results highlight that smaller companies experience difficulty accessing resources and external support, affecting their willingness to implement the circular economy. These differences suggest the need for a more individualised approach to support policies that could consider the specificities and needs of companies of different scales of operations. Further research should focus on identifying specific barriers and opportunities to support implementing the circular economy in companies with different business profiles. It is also worth investigating the impact of organisational culture and innovation on the propensity to adopt the principles of the circular economy. Contribution: Despite the literature on the circular economy, more research needs to be done focusing on differences in readiness to implement circular economy practices depending on the size of the enterprise. This study fills this gap by providing empirical data on the above topics. The study provides new evidence of statistically significant differences between companies of different sizes, which have yet to be sufficiently studied.