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

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.