Information sharing in reverse logistics supply chain of demolition waste: A systematic literature review

Abstract

In recent years, reverse logistics supply chain (RLSC) has gained momentum as an environmentally friendly approach that could facilitate in greening the conventional construction supply chains. A perusal of literature shows that the research in the field of RLSC of demolition waste (DW) is in an evolving phase. The improper information sharing (IS) is a serious issue in RLSC of DW, which has not been reviewed extensively. Thus, the aim of this study is to discern the aspects of IS in RLSC of DW and to provide potential future research directions on the topic. To accomplish the aim, the objectives of this paper are two folds: (i) to explore the aspects of IS in RLSC of DW; and (ii) to identify the future research directions of IS in RLSC of DW. A total of 89 articles from five search engines published between 2000 and 2019 were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. The descriptive analysis revealed that most of the reviewed studies were case studies and originated from developed countries. The content analysis found that complex, fragmented, cross-functional and multi-disciplinary nature of the supply chain primarily leads to improper IS in RLSC of DW. A collaborative network is needed to improve IS, which is facilitated by government and Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) based initiatives. The study makes a significant contribution by building the foundation on IS in RLSC of DW through proposing a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework shows an outline for the organisations in RLSC of DW to formulate their information initiative strategy. This could be considered as the first step to improve IS in RLSC of DW. Besides, the study also acknowledges several paths of doing further research to contribute to the domain under study.