A qualitative examination of factors affecting reverse logistics systems for end‐of‐life computers

The current study demonstrates the value of utilizing qualitative research methods to analyze logistics problems. Specifically, the study utilizes a qualitative methodology to examine the feasibility of designing a reverse logistics system to recycle and/or refurbish end‐of‐life computers that are deemed no longer useful by their owners. The qualitative methodology is a modified version of a customer visit program in which the in‐depth interviews were used to identify the special needs of stakeholders who could potentially participate in the proposed system. The qualitative interviews were structured and implemented using a standardized approach set forth in the literature. The results indicate that this qualitative technique proved valuable in obtaining industry‐sensitive stakeholder data, which allowed the researchers to more thoroughly analyze the feasibility of the proposed reverse logistics system.