ABSTRACT

This article describes how value is defined, mobilized, and assessed in green circular economy startups. Drawing on recent debates about value and valuation in economic life and the empirical evidence collected from 30 interviews with green entrepreneurs, we focus on unpacking the value narratives developed in circular economy business settings. More specifically, we show how value is organized around the “win-win formula” a narrative plot in which economic and environmental gains reinforce each other. We highlight several key elements that organize this win-win plot: First, business opportunity and business models work as critical discursive elements. Second, we describe how clients and investors are the main conferrers of value. Third, we show how economic survival works as the ultimate evaluative framework of a company's worth. We conclude by asserting that circular economy narratives of value are underpinned by a mostly economic mode of valuing that prevail over environmental considerations.

摘要

本文介绍了如何在绿色循环经济初创公司中定义、调动和评估价值。借鉴最近关于经济生活中价值和估值的辩论以及从对绿色企业家的 30 次采访中收集的经验证据，我们专注于解开在循环经济商业环境中形成的价值叙事。更具体地说，我们展示了如何围绕“双赢公式”组织价值，这是一个经济和环境收益相辅相成的叙事情节。我们强调了组织这个双赢情节的几个关键要素：首先，商业机会和商业模式是关键的话语要素。其次，我们描述了客户和投资者如何成为主要的价值提供者。第三，我们展示了经济生存如何作为公司价值的最终评估框架。