Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to the field of supply chain management and provide a detailed roadmap that supply chain researchers can utilize when applying this methodology.Design/methodology/approachData collection focused on the evaluation of product returns management practices as perceived by business customers who operate in a supplier–customer context. In order to analyze the data using the QCA approach, a multi-step analysis was developed.FindingsThe results indicate five solutions that lead to high levels of customer satisfaction. The existence of multiple sufficient configurations for customer satisfaction indicates equifinality because multiple alternative solutions can lead to the same outcome.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors make a methodological contribution by applying the QCA method to the field of supply chain management and providing a detailed roadmap that supply chain researchers can utilize.Practical implicationsThe authors provide managers five different and novel combinations of antecedents that lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study offers supply chain researchers a better understanding of when it is appropriate to use QCA and how to apply this methodology. From a theoretical perspective, past studies focused exclusively on the “net effects” of these antecedents, thus, did not capture the complexity of the relationships between these various antecedents and customer satisfaction. This is a noteworthy contribution as it highlights the complexity of the amalgam of relationships and factors that impact customer satisfaction within the context of reverse supply chain.
Highlights
In today’s complex and dynamic business environment, supply chain managers must consider multiple factors when making decisions (Gligor et al, 2015)
We introduce qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to the field of supply chain management and provide detailed steps that supply chain researchers can follow when utilizing this methodology
QCA allowed us to identify five distinct configurations that lead to customer satisfaction and, offer a more granular understanding of the value creation process in reverse supply chain (RSC) management
Summary
In today’s complex and dynamic business environment, supply chain managers must consider multiple factors when making decisions (Gligor et al, 2015). Complexity theory suggests that these relationships can be more complex than a simple positive or negative correlation would indicate To explore this possibility, we employ the QCA methodology to a complex phenomenon to examine whether firms can achieve high levels of customer satisfaction by employing different configurations of specific reverse flow and operational antecedents. We hope this study will lead supply chain scholars to adopt QCA, primarily in situations where the phenomenon under investigation is complex and/or the research sample is too small for the application of multiple regression analysis (QCA allows data analysis for smaller samples than regression analysis) By applying this method to the RSC area, we contribute to the literature by offering a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that help firms achieve a competitive advantage.
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