This paper examines whether family-owned SMEs differ from non-family SMEs in their adoption of circular economy (CE) practices, with a focus on how these differences are shaped by socio-spatial contexts. Specifically, we investigate the role of a firm’s rural or urban location and the level of country environmental awareness. Using a sample of 13,319 SMEs, we find that family ownership increases the probability of adopting a higher number of CE practices. Furthermore, we find that the positive effect of family ownership on the adoption of CE practices is stronger in rural areas. Finally, while both family and non-family SMEs are more likely to adopt CE practices in countries with greater environmental awareness, non-family SMEs appear to be relatively more influenced by this factor. These findings offer new insights into the intricate interplay of ownership and the socio-spatial context as determinants of the adoption of CE practices in SMEs.

本文研究了家族企业中小企业在采用循环经济 （CE） 实践方面是否与非家族企业不同，重点关注这些差异如何受到社会空间环境的影响。具体来说，我们调查了公司在农村或城市位置的作用以及国家环境意识水平。使用 13,319 家中小企业的样本，我们发现家族所有权增加了采用更多 CE 实践的可能性。此外，我们发现家庭所有权对采用 CE 实践的积极影响在农村地区更强。最后，虽然在环境意识更强的国家，家族和非家族 SME 都更有可能采用 CE 做法，但非家族 SME 似乎受这一因素的影响相对较大。这些发现为所有权和社会空间背景之间的复杂相互作用提供了新的见解，这些因素是中小企业采用 CE 实践的决定因素。