Title: What is the buzz about the cross-functional role of purchasing in a sustainable supply chain environment?

Authors: Vaidyanathan Jayaraman

Addresses: Department of Management, School of Business Administration, 417E Jenkins Building, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA

Abstract: The research proposed in this study will address the cross-functional role of purchasing in a sustainable supply chain environment. The literature reflects remarkably little effort to develop a framework for understanding the cross-functional role of purchasing in this environment. Product returns have existed from the first time anyone manufactured a product or opened a store. What has changed in recent years is the attention that businesses are paying to costs involved in returns, as it has become a multi-million dollar problem for most companies. We provide a foundation for future research in purchasing strategies by clarifying the environment dealing with product returns and constructing a framework that shows the critical cross-functional role of purchasing in a sustainable supply chain environment.

Keywords: purchasing strategies; closed-loop supply chains; mathematical programming models; sustainable supply chains; supply chain management; SCM; cross-functional role; sustainability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2009.021642

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2009 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.7 - 20

Published online: 30 Nov 2008 *

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