A Multilevel Analysis of Supply Chain Configuration in the Construction Circular Economy: Supply Push vs. Demand Pull

供应链(SC)配置在战略上与供应推动(SP)和需求拉动(DP)战略相关联，这两种战略通常涉及企业库存。它也可以与促进知识或意识有关。根据不同的情况，对SP和DP措施进行了不同的衡量。一些研究认为，当前促进创新的政策绝大多数是由DP措施主导的，由于SP的疏忽导致了技术能力的丧失，这些措施诱导非增量创新的有效性在很大程度上受到了质疑。也有一些研究表明，目前促进创业的做法严重依赖于SP因素，而一些SP因素被证明与高科技行业的创业率没有相关性。相比之下，从创新链的角度引入了一个动态过程，随着技术成熟度的提高，新技术供应链的配置从SP措施(例如，技术推动，公共资金)逐渐转移到DP环境(例如，市场拉动，主要是私人资金)。然而，现有文献对SP和SP缺乏明确的定义，几乎没有对构建循环供应链(CSC)中的SP和DP的理解。实施循环经济的挑战不仅涉及推动新理念或技术发展的机构，而且还涉及创造对它们的需求的市场。压倒性地采用SP或DP措施都可能导致增长停滞。例如，一些“废物转化为价值”的CE方法，如从污水或回收利用或LED灯废物生产生物塑料，在技术上是可行的，但在市场上缺乏经济竞争力。在这方面，拉动措施应该得到更多的关注，以增强“市场拉动”。为本项目制定的研究问题是：在建筑SCS中，什么可能的构型可以同时实现圆形和弹性？澄清这一问题的重要性在于，它通过考虑SP和DP措施之间的弹性平衡，有助于加快向建筑CSC的过渡。因此，本研究的目的是探讨建筑CSC中从一种配置到另一种配置的动态弹性，以适应不断变化的供应链动态。这一目标将通过以下三个目标来实现：1)阐明在CCE背景下什么是SP和DP，并评估它们的应用现状；2)确定决定SP和DP选择的因素；3)探索SP和DP之间的弹性平衡及其相关治理。对于第一个目标，学生目前正在进行系统的文献回顾，以奠定理论基础，更好地理解构建CSC。对于第二和第三个目标，学生将通过问卷调查和半结构化访谈收集基本数据。此外，学生目前正在考虑使用系统动力学方法从SP和DP的角度对特定材料的引入进行建模。在他的研究的第二阶段，学生还在探索系统动力学(SC)在供应链建模方面的潜力。新颖的工程学和/或物理学内容在于，该研究从管理的角度关注建筑供应链，解决了EPSRC循环经济的主题。

Supply chain (SC) configuration is strategically associated with supply push (SP) and demand pull (DP) strategies that often deal with corporate inventory. It can also be related to promoting knowledge or awareness. SP and DP measures have been weighed differently depending on varying contexts. Some studies argued that current policies about promoting innovations were overwhelmingly dominated by DP measures whose effectiveness of inducing non-incremental innovation was largely doubted due to the technological incapability resulted from SP negligence. There are also some studies claiming that current practices of promoting entrepreneurship relied heavily on SP factors, whereas some SP factors were proved with no correlation to start-up rates in high-tech industries. By comparison, a dynamic process is introduced from an innovation chain perspective, where the configuration of novel technology SC gradually moves from SP measures (e.g. technology push, public funded) to DP settings (e.g. market pull, mostly private funded) with the increasing level of technology maturity. However, there is hardly any understanding of SP and DP in the context of construction circular supply chain (CSC) in the existing literature that also lacks an explicit definition of DP and SP. The challenges in circular economy (CE) implementation are not only involved with institutions pushing the development of new ideas or technologies but also the market creating the demand for them. The overwhelming adoption of either SP or DP measures can result in a growth plateau. For example, some 'waste-to-value' CE approaches such as production of bioplastic from sewage or recycling or LED lamp waste, are technically feasible but not economically competitive in the market. In this respect, pull measures are supposed to gain more attention to enhance 'market pull'. The research question formulated for this project is 'what are the possible configurations that achieve both circularity and resilience in construction SCs?'. The importance of clarify this question is that it helps accelerate the transition to construction CSC by considering a resilient balance between SP and DP measures. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the resilience as to its dynamic nature of moving from one configuration to another to suit changing supply chain dynamics in construction CSC. This aim will be achieved by the following three objectives: 1) to clarify what SP and DP in CCE context and assess their current application, 2) to identify factors that determine the selection of SP and DP, 3) to explore the resilient balance between SP and DP and associated governance.For the first objective, the student is currently conducting a systematic literature review to lay a theoretical foundation and provide a better understanding of construction CSCs. For the second and third objectives, the student will collect primary data via questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. Besides, the student is currently considering using a system dynamic approach to modelling the introducing of a specific material from SP and DP perspectives. The student is also exploring potentials of System Dynamics (SC) for supply chain modelling in the second stage in his research.The novel engineering and/or physical sciences content lies in that the research addresses the EPSRC circular economy theme by focusing on construction supply chains from managerial perspectives.