Orchestrating for the circular economy in interorganizational networks: Between change and ceremony

The circular economy has been promoted as a key response to grand environmental challenges. Yet transitioning to a circular economy remains a complex endeavor, requiring coordinated action across interorganizational networks. This study examines the Circular Built Environment Network, a large-scale interorganizational network established to accelerate and institutionalize the circular economy in the Danish construction sector. Such engineered networks often rely on orchestration mechanisms to manage and coordinate relationships among diverse participants in pursuit of collective goals. Through a qualitative examination of the Circular Built Environment Network, we reveal: (1) how the circular economy is mythologized as a rational myth, (2) how the network is formed around this myth, and (3) which orchestration mechanisms are promoted to maintain couplings between the myth, the network, and participant interactions. The findings show how coupling configurations evolve over time, shaping the effectiveness of collective efforts to advance the circular economy. The study concludes that the network's lack of actorhood and insufficient mobilization of participants around a strategic vision hindered its ability to orchestrate for the circular economy, rendering network gatherings and activities largely ceremonial rather than transformative.