System boundary framing and institutional logics in circular economy decision making : A qualitative study of Nordic-OEM utility ecosystems.
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The circular economy is frequently presented as practical path to minimizing resource consumption, extending product and component lifetimes and supporting sustainability transitions. In critical electrical infrastructure, however, circular options were evaluated within a highly regulated and risk sensitive operating context, where reliability, safety, compliance, cost and long-term performance shaped decision making. This thesis explores how CE decisions were constructed within Nordic original equipment manufacturer utility ecosystems through the combined lenses of system boundary framing and institutional logics.
The aims of the study were to explain how organizations framed what belonged inside or outside the decision making scope when considering circular options, which institutional logics became dominant in these decisions and how these factors shaped circular strategy orientation. The theoretical framework integrated CE literature with system boundary framing, institutional logics and institutional complexity. Rather than treating CE as an inherently sustainable alternative, the study examined it as a contested organizational agenda shaped by risk interpretation, responsibility allocation, evidence requirements and performance expectations.
The study adopted an exploratory qualitative dominant research design. Empirical data were gathered through an anonymous practitioner survey conducted at EnergyWeek 2026 in Vaasa, Finland, among professionals involved in energy and electrical infrastructure. Closed ended responses were used descriptively to identify general response patterns while open ended responses were analyzed through theory driven thematic analysis.
The findings showed that CE decision making was shaped by multiple and shifting system boundaries rather than by a single fixed decision framework. Although some responses reflected lifecycle level and system level thinking, decision boundaries often narrowed under conditions of uncertainty, urgency, limited information or operational risk. The findings also showed that institutional logic structured how circular options were assessed. Sustainability logic was visible in strategic priority setting, but reliability, safety, compliance and cost logic gained stronger operational authority during implementation. Circular strategy orientation was therefore shaped not only by technical feasibility but by the interaction between boundary framing and dominant decision logics.
The thesis concluded that CE implementation in Nordic OEM utility ecosystems depended on how organizations defined the relevant decision boundary and which institutional logics were granted authority in practice. Improving CE decision making requires broader lifecycle assessment, stronger data and traceability systems, clearer certification and evidence practices and better alignment between sustainability, operational and financial decision criteria.