Title: Pain points and challenges of core return management among German and French automotive aftermarket companies

Authors: Alena Klapalová; Michal Plaček; Radoslav Škapa; Gabriela Vaceková

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic ' Center for Social and Economic Strategies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic ' Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic ' Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract: In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the circular economy, including the automotive industry. Although core return management for remanufacturing processes has a long tradition in the automotive aftermarket, the circular economy has intensified the effort to improve sustainable practices in this market. The automotive aftermarket is very complex, and intermediaries play the dominant role in the process of core returns. However, most existing research on core return management is focused on the experience of manufacturers and remanufacturers; the practices and views of the intermediaries are almost unknown. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study addressing the experiences and perceptions of market trends and their impact on the core return management of 18 French and German spare parts dealers and core brokers. The results provide new knowledge and offer novel insights into the challenges that should be addressed in the automotive aftermarket path towards the circular economy.

Keywords: core return management; automotive aftermarket; intermediaries; pain points; challenges; circular economy.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2024.138407

European Journal of International Management, 2024 Vol.23 No.1, pp.158 - 179

Received: 08 Jul 2019
Accepted: 18 Nov 2019
Published online: 03 May 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article