Integrated Management Systems as Governance Mechanisms for Circular Economy Implementation: Evidence From a Start‐Up Context

Abstract

The transition to a circular economy requires organisations to move beyond sustainability commitments and embed circular principles into daily operations. Yet little is known about how this occurs in resource‐constrained contexts such as startups and small organisations. This paper addresses this gap by examining how circular economy strategies can be operationalised through integrated management systems (IMSs) using a dynamic capabilities perspective. Drawing on an exploratory case study of a university startup, the study develops a theoretically grounded IMS design that supports sensing, seizing and reconfiguring circular opportunities. Building on the integration logic of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 and aligning with ISO 59004 principles, the findings show how quality, environmental, safety and circularity objectives can be integrated within a coherent organisational architecture. By conceptualising IMS as an enabling infrastructure for dynamic capabilities, the study shifts attention from normative frameworks to implementation mechanisms and offers a transferable design logic for startups pursuing circularity.