Perceived quality of remanufactured products: construct and measure development

Remanufacturing has been characterized as the ultimate form of recycling and an engine of the closed loop supply chain process. Unfortunately, remanufacturing remains a largely untapped opportunity to improve both supply chain productivity and sustainability. Chief among the reasons given for remanufacturing's failure to fully realize its potential is consumer perception of the quality of remanufactured goods. However, little is known about what truly constitutes quality in the context of a remanufactured product. As a first step toward allaying this information asymmetry, this research develops the perceived quality of remanufactured products construct and associated measure. A rigorous instrument development process was followed, consisting of five sequential data-collection efforts from three different countries. Perceived quality of remanufactured products is found to be a multidimensional construct based on four underlying factors: lifespan, features, performance, and serviceability which can be used by both scholars and practitioners. Scholars can use the content valid and reliable instrument as part of future research efforts aimed addressing the dearth of remanufactured focused research addressing behavioral and marketing related issues. Practitioners can use the newly developed measure to aid in their selection of signals best suited to communicate quality expectations and standards. Published by Elsevier Ltd.