An investigation on the effect of inter-organizational collaboration on reverse logistics

Livio Cricelli, Marco Greco and Michele Grimaldi

International Journal of Production Economics, 2021, vol. 240, issue C

Abstract: Despite the popularity of reverse logistics in literature, the effect of different collaboration types on the likelihood to introduce reverse logistics innovation has been under-investigated. Hence, this article explores the impact of domestic collaboration with competitors, customers, suppliers, research institutions, and the breadth of collaboration on a firm's reverse logistics innovation. Four hypotheses - grounded on institutional, resource dependence, and absorptive capacity theories – are tested through generalized structural equation modelling analyses on a longitudinal sample of German firms. The results show a positive impact of vertical collaboration, horizontal collaboration, and collaboration with research institutions on the likelihood to introduce reverse logistics innovation. In contrast, collaboration breadth has a negative impact on reverse logistics, an unexpected and surprising result for the innovation management literature. The article offers recommendations to practitioners as to which partners are more likely to increase the odds of introducing reverse logistics innovation and demonstrates that – to such an aim - firms should select a limited number of partners, identifying the ones that suit their needs the most.

Keywords: Reverse logistics; Domestic inter-organizational collaboration; Circular economy; Innovation; Institutional theory; Resource dependence theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:proeco:v:240:y:2021:i:c:s0925527321001924

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2021.108216

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