Aleksandra Stasiak, Kristin Støren Wigum, and Tore Gulden
This article introduces a study of how to understand communication dynamics stimulated by the Flourishing Business Canvas and value co-creation in light of communication theory and the recursive framework. We argue that the proposed coupling of the recursive framework to the Flourishing Business Canvas gives an additional insight into the practical use of the canvas. Sustainability and the circular economy have been widely discussed in academia and are increasingly gaining traction as businesses strive to implement new business models in response to regulatory pressures. In Norway, innovation projects gather a range of stakeholders to address the transition towards circular economy implementation. The research is therefore leaning on the case study based in the aquaculture industry, an innovation project aiming for the transition to the circular economy. The paper starts by outlining the broader context of the circular economy field in relation to systemic design. It further describes the concepts of sustainable and circular business models, along with the processes of value co-creation. The empirical data were created through workshops with industry stakeholders, where we applied an experimental method of deconstructing and analysing business models to embrace a relational approach towards the complexity of the sustainability landscape. The data was analysed using the recursive framework grounded in communication theory and visualised through a gigamap. The findings describe various occurrences of complexities of communication within the circular economy study. Lastly, we discuss how these descriptions can contribute valuable insights into how businesses can better align their strategies with sustainability goals.
Keywords: Flourishing Business Canvas, Circular Economy, Systemic Design Process, Recursive Framework, Socio-Ecological Systems