Balancing sustainability and performance through a paradox theory perspective on circular IT practices

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Abstract Reuse and repurposing of laptops and desktops create tensions among key aspects such as performance, cost-efficiency, sustainability, and user expectations. Our research aims to investigate these tensions in the context of IT asset management using paradox theory. We conducted 45 semi-structured interviews with professionals based in 15 public and private firms. In this research, we uncover micro- and meso-level paradoxes and provide detailed insights into how sustainability-related contradictions are negotiated, resisted, or accepted in practice, rather than remaining confined to policy. It advances understanding of paradoxes by unpacking how tensions related to learning, organizing, belonging, and performing manifest differently across public and private sectors, which remain underexplored in the current literature. We have extended paradox theory by conceptualising digital circularity as a socio-technical challenge and introduced a novel socio-material paradox. It further refines existing paradox response models and uncovers a wider range of practical strategies, including contextualization, bundling, resolution, and coping. These research findings not only deepen our theoretical understanding but also provide actionable guidance for IT leaders, procurement officers, and sustainability managers to effectively implement circular IT practices.