A resource-based view approach for reverse logistics service

As reverse logistics (RL) operations are significantly more complex than traditional manufacturing supply chains, many high-tech manufacturers are examining the feasibility of outsourcing reverse logistics activities to third party logistics providers (3PLs) from a strategic planning perspective. Therefore, this work develops a systematic decision making approach for practitioners of reverse logistics in industrial marketing. Reverse logistics service requirements are then analyzed using this approach, in which the resource-based view (RBV) provides the theoretical foundation for determining which reverse logistics service requirements should be fulfilled in-house or outsourced after examining internal resources and capabilities. The outsourcing evaluation framework based on RBV adopts the analytical network process (ANP) not only to investigate the relative importance of service requirements, but also to select an appropriate 3PL.