The Barriers to the Practice of Reverse Logistics: The Delphi Technique as a Methodological Approach
Abstract
Reverse logistics (RL) extends the life of the product with a circular economy approach by recycling raw materials or semi-finished products or by performing maintenance and repair. Although RL activities have recently attracted considerable attention from researchers, the practice of RL is relatively scant in real life. In the literature, the barriers to RL practice have been investigated in the context of many countries and different industries. However, in this domain, there is a lack of study to find out which barriers exist in the context of the Turkish manufacturing industry. This paper's purpose of identifying the barriers hindering the practice of RL in the Turkish manufacturing industry based on practical life insight. In order to realize the research purpose, the Delphi process consisting of three stages was carried out. In the first stage, literature reviews were made and expert opinions were taken, and obstacles were listed under 6 main headings: barriers related to management, barriers related to infrastructure and technology, social and cultural barriers, barriers related to law and legislation, financial and economic barriers, and barriers related to knowledge and ability. Then, the 2nd and 3rd stages of the Delphi study were carried out by using the survey method with twenty managers who are competent in their fields. The result of the research indicates that management-related barriers (reluctance of supply chain members to reverse logistics, resistance to innovative methods, etc.) as well as infrastructure and technology-related barriers (deficiency of new information systems, lack of human resources, etc.) are most common barriers in the Turkish manufacturing industry. Based on the literature review, solutions to cope with these critical barriers have been discussed. Issues such as providing the support of the top management, cooperation between the members of the supply chain on RL, training, and motivation of the employees were emphasized.
Keywords
Reverse Logistics , Sustainability , Circular Economy , Delphi Process , Reverse Logistics Barriers
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