Reverse logistics drivers: empirical evidence from a case study in an emerging economy

Abstract

Academic and corporate interest in reverse logistics (RL) has risen considerably in recent years. In this context, the objective of this study was to identify the drivers that enable RL practice in an emerging economy. Firstly, international peer-reviewed publications on RL were used to develop a RL environment framework representing the main RL internal and external influences. Secondly, a case-based research was conducted in a large manufacturing company located in Southern Brazil. The results indicated that the most cited driver in the RL literature, the government and legislation, was not a main influence on the studied company. Environmental legislation is still limited in the country and struggles to provide incentives to increase materials recycling. An economic factor related to materials value recovery was also found to drive the backward flow. Finally, knowledge of the RL driving forces may support industries to better implement and manage reverse flows and to bridge the gap between existing and future solutions for reverse supply chains.

Lean road transportation – a systematic method for the improvement of road transport operations

“…This is evident from the high volume of recent researches published using a single case study research method (e.g. Bouzon et al 2015;Bevilacqua et al, 2015;Tuli and Shankar, 2015; among others). Even though a single case study might be considered as a limited approach to prove the effectiveness of the proposed systematic method, if it is replicated again in this and/or different industrial context, a generalisation and validation of findings can be achieved (Garza-Reyes et al, 2014;Yin, 2012).…”

Sustainable supply chain management in developing countries: An analysis of the literature

“…The government acts from both a mandatory and a voluntary standpoint, engaging with stakeholders and providing mechanisms that facilitate SSCM (Perry, 2012). In some countries, such as Brazil or Mexico, large buyers may not consider the regulatory framework as a crucial driver, but instead focus on the economic benefits, the desire to maintain a good reputation and to improve overall competitiveness and suppliers' performance (Bouzon et al, 2015;van Hoof and Thiell, 2015).…”

“…This includes the existence of low levels of regulation (Huq et al, 2014;Kasim and Ismail, 2012;Sandhu et al, 2012), but also weak enforcement of regulations (Ehrgott et al, 2013). Some countries report a lack of provision of financial aid (Ras et al, 2007) or incentives to increase sustainable practices, such as material recycling (Bouzon et al, 2015). As Asmat and Ha 2013reported, countries like Bangladesh have a lack of control, monitoring and sanctions.…”

“…Lack of adequate transport infrastructure to relay products from rural to urban areas and to export ports is a major barrier for the adoption of SSCM practices and for competitiveness in general. Roads in many countries are not well paved or maintained and are unable to cope with business expansion and the heavy demands associated with rapid supply requirements (Bouzon et al, 2015;Lam, 2011;Silvestre, 2015b). Outdated telecommunication networks are also reported as an additional infrastructure barrier (Li et al, 2015).…”

Improving road transport operations through lean thinking: a case study

“…This is evident from the high volume of recent researches published in this field using a single case study research method approach (e.g. Bouzon, 2015;Bevilacqua et al, 2015;Tuli and Shankar, 2015;Diehl and Spinler, 2013;Taylor, 2009;etc.). Serrano Lasa et al (2008) therefore comments that many of the breakthrough concepts and theories in operations management, from manufacturing strategy to lean production, have been developed through field case research.…”