A Study of Reverse Logistics Activity Factors for Sustainable Management in Multinational Information and Communication Technologies Enterprises

This study analyzes activity factors associated with reverse logistics for sustainable management in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT). Three performance indicators—economic, environmental, and social—were selected and analyzed as major factors in reverse logistics, as proposed by the Global Reporting Initiative. We determined the relative importance of the first and second hierarchy factors using the analytic hierarchy process. The outcome of this relative importance analysis from the first hierarchy was determined to be 0.617, 0.200, and 0.183 for the economic, social, and environmental factors respectively. From this simultaneous analysis of the two hierarchy factors, three specific factors were identified as the most important: (1) the direct economic value generated and distributed (0.350), (2) the financial assistance from the government (0.147), and (3) the financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organization’s activities due to climate change (0.147). The results provide a practical guide for the factors to be prioritized by ICT enterprises for sustainable management in reverse logistics.