The features of negotiations within reverse logistics cooperation

Abstract

The subject of consideration in the paper are negotiations between companies cooperating within reverse logistics. The objective of the paper is to present a concept for describing the specificity of such negotiations, influencing the ability of cooperating parties to create and recover value within reverse logistics. As introductory part of the article the methodology used for preparation of article is presented. Then, reverse logistics as the activity influencing value creation and value restoration is characterized. In next part of the work main units cooperating and negotiating within reverse logistics are distinguished. In this part the specificity of reverse logistics as environment for negotiations is also presented. Within the subsequent parts of the article in order to present the features of negotiations within reverse logistics cooperation the original methodological framework is applied, comprising the key aspects of negotiation’s definition, distinguished on the basis of different approaches presented in literature, e.g. as a process, methods of conflict management and reaching agreement, mutual dependence of the parties and processes of: decision making, communication, mutual exchange and value creation. The summary synthetizes the major features of the considered negotiations, and also indicates the directions of research enriching the proposed concept. The approach to description of negotiations presented by the authors of the paper is a novelty and has an original character, i.e. it is based on their own thoughts on the specificity of the negotiations under consideration. No such concept has been presented in the literature on the subject so far.