Exploring the Pursuit of Sustainability in Reverse Supply Chains for Electronics

Bente Flygansvær, Robert Dahlstrom, Arne Nygaard

Index: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.014

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Abstract

This study examines reverse supply chains in the electronics industry. The analysis characterizes the flow of resources among firms in a reverse supply chain in the Norwegian electronics industry. The study subsequently examines influences of governance mechanisms and culture on the social, ecological, and economic performance in the supply chain. Based on principal-agency theory, the authors implicate collaboration, monitoring, and specific assets as determinants of the interfirm culture operating in the reverse supply chain. The interfirm culture and collaboration serve as antecedents to triple bottom line performance. Data collected with Norwegian electronics collectors indicate that collaboration and interfirm culture influence ecological, economic, and relational components of sustainable performance.