View in EDS

Circular Economy: An International Needs Analysis for Vocational Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Circular Economy: An International Needs Analysis for Vocational Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Language: English
Authors: Anett Wolgast, Caroline Pape, Metje Rocklage
Source: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2026 13(1):103-125.
Availability: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Small Businesses, Psychological Patterns, Employers, Employees, Foreign Countries, Sustainability, Economics, Employer Attitudes, Employee Attitudes, Career and Technical Education, Educational Needs
Geographic Terms: Germany, Italy, Poland
ISSN: 2197-8638
2197-8646
Abstract: Extensive theory-based research on academic and vocational education has long explored the connections between emotions, motivation, and learning as drivers of behavioral change in occupational contexts. Emotions and motivations play a crucial role in shaping how individuals and organizations adopt new practices, yet their role in fostering larger-scale shifts, such as the transition to a circular economy, has received limited attention. Meanwhile, the global shift toward a circular economy has gained increasing priority, with governments, industries, and international organizations promoting various initiatives aimed at encouraging companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to adopt sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular practices. These initiatives predominantly emphasize the cognitive and practical dimensions of circular-economy strategies, focusing on actionable knowledge and technical skills. However, the emotional drivers--such as enthusiasm, apprehension, or resistance--of such transformative changes are often over-looked. Sentiments, which significantly influence individual and collective behaviors, could be critical to understanding how ready SMEs are to embrace circular-economy principles. Despite their importance, the role of sentiments in shaping organizational and behavioral responses to circular-economy transitions remains underexplored and warrants further investigation.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495024
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1495024
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1495024
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Circular Economy: An International Needs Analysis for Vocational Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anett+Wolgast%22">Anett Wolgast</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Caroline+Pape%22">Caroline Pape</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Metje+Rocklage%22">Metje Rocklage</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2026 13(1):103-125.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 23
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Small+Businesses%22">Small Businesses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employers%22">Employers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employees%22">Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainability%22">Sustainability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Economics%22">Economics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employer+Attitudes%22">Employer Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employee+Attitudes%22">Employee Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education%22">Career and Technical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Needs%22">Educational Needs</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Germany%22">Germany</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Italy%22">Italy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poland%22">Poland</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Extensive theory-based research on academic and vocational education has long explored the connections between emotions, motivation, and learning as drivers of behavioral change in occupational contexts. Emotions and motivations play a crucial role in shaping how individuals and organizations adopt new practices, yet their role in fostering larger-scale shifts, such as the transition to a circular economy, has received limited attention. Meanwhile, the global shift toward a circular economy has gained increasing priority, with governments, industries, and international organizations promoting various initiatives aimed at encouraging companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to adopt sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular practices. These initiatives predominantly emphasize the cognitive and practical dimensions of circular-economy strategies, focusing on actionable knowledge and technical skills. However, the emotional drivers--such as enthusiasm, apprehension, or resistance--of such transformative changes are often over-looked. Sentiments, which significantly influence individual and collective behaviors, could be critical to understanding how ready SMEs are to embrace circular-economy principles. Despite their importance, the role of sentiments in shaping organizational and behavioral responses to circular-economy transitions remains underexplored and warrants further investigation.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1495024
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1495024
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 103
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Small Businesses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sustainability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Economics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employer Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employee Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Needs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Germany
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Italy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Poland
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Circular Economy: An International Needs Analysis for Vocational Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Anett Wolgast
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Caroline Pape
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Metje Rocklage
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2197-8638
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2197-8646
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 13
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training
              Type: main
ResultId 1