Reverse logistics in the electronic industry of China: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on research undertaken to investigate whether current reverse logistics theories and models can be totally applied in developing countries like China using the electronic industry as a case study.Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was adopted with information collected from company web sites, direct observation, and in‐depth interviews with four major consumer electronic product manufacturers in China. Findings were analyzed and compared across all the cases studied to determine the common external and internal drivers for reverse logistics implementation as well as the obstacles faced by the whole electronic industry. A comparison with the literature was made to identify the gaps between current theories and models and actual practices in China.Findings – The findings suggest that while reverse logistics drivers vary from company to company, barriers to reverse logistics are common and are mainly external. The major difficulty in implement...

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