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The increasing global awareness of environmental issues has led to corresponding initiatives across all industry sectors. These initiatives are claimed to be motivated by legislation, consumer pressure or corporate social responsibility. This thesis investigates product recovery and closed-loop supply chain management in the automotive sector, with a particular emphasis on remanufacturing. T
he thesis takes an interdisciplinary point of view. On the other hand, it addresses remanufacturing in the automotive sector from a supply chain perspective; on the other hand, this work was influenced by the main debates in the environmental social sciences. As a result, the research problem consists of two parts:
The first part asks for the appropriate closed-loop supply chain and remanufacturing structures with regard to the automotive sector. Since closed-loop supply chain management is still considered as a new and emerging discipline, existing closed-loop supply chain models are reviewed and assessed with regard to their applicability to the automotive sector. Two in-depth case studies within the facilities of Original Equipment Manufacturers investigate the remanufacturing process for passenger car engines and electronic devices. The conceptual models of two specific closed-loop supply chains for automotive remanufacturing are developed. Furthermore, a new terminological framework is generated for closed-loop supply chain management, influenced by industrial ecology theory and systems thinking.
The second part of the research problem questions the 'classic' rationale behind product recovery. It seeks to identify the reasons for the establishment and management of product recovery operations, such as remanufacturing. Within this research, the classic assumptions of corporate social responsibility, product take-back legislation and profitability are examined with regard to their applicability to the automotive sector. The research findings demonstrate that the 'classic' motives are not valid for the two specific case studies. An entirely new set of motives is presented and discussed. Thereafter, the case study findings are tested and verified within a broader automotive remanufacturing context, including subcontracted and independent remanufacturers. The testing and verifying of the case study results is undertaken through a questionnaire survey.
The results of this research make three distinct contributions. The first contribution refers to the immediate body of knowledge on closed-loop supply chain management. The thesis reviews existing closed-loop supply chain and remanufacturing structures and creates, through the application of the research findings, new and more appropriate structures for the automotive sector. Secondly, the findings contribute to the development of a theory for closed-loop supply chain management. They demonstrate that theories from related fields cannot sufficiently explain why corporations engage in product recovery activities. This thesis therefore develops a rational for closed-loop supply chain management and remanufacturing in the automotive sector. The third contribution is made with regard to methodology. Research in closed-loop supply chain management has been largely dominated by quantitative contributions. This thesis therefore adds to methodology by taking an interdisciplinary perspective and by applying a unique combination of methodological considerations to investigate the specific research problem.