The Relationship between Knowledge and Green Logistics: a Theoretical Approach

We present a research about the widely accepted knowledge management modes and their interaction with important and fresh processes for the company as the reverse logistics activities, commonly called "green logistics". Knowledge is an important intangible for any area of the organization, especially in the case of logistics of products that are returned to organization because it implies a huge uncertainty and costs. Due to new customer policies, new and higher environmental laws and recover of discarded materials which supposes a new low cost source of raw material the returns are increasing for the companies. The relationship between both areas establishes new and positive effects on flexibility and performance of the organization. Due to the complexity and extension of this research we have divided it into two papers, this first one represents the theoretical background of this research, and the second paper is focused on the empirical contrast of hypothesis and results for this investigation. Thus, this first article has shown a theoretical approach regarding how the modes of knowledge conversion, specifically the creation of knowledge, affects reverse logistics and analyses new relations between these variables and their joint influence on the flexibility of distribution of information (because information has a key role for these variables) and performance of the organization. A second paper will show the empirical contrast for these constructs.