Date of Award
1995
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Abstract
Firms which generate ferrous scrap as a by-product of their manufacturing process ("generators") need to decide how to dispose of their scrap; their options include selling to steel mills, foundries or ferrous scrap processing companies ("processors"). The primary focus of this thesis is an examination of the alternative strategies available to generators.;An analytical framework was tested at twelve sites, with data collection and analysis guided by three research questions and eleven propositions. A range of variables was identified as influencing ferrous scrap disposal strategies which were classified as either drivers, moderators or outcomes; trade-offs among these variables defined the disposal strategies for each of the sites.;The volume driver highlighted the trade-offs in ferrous scrap disposition; three volume groups were observed, each having a distinctly different set of ferrous scrap disposal options. Specifically, volume was found to influence the duration of generator-processor contracts, logistics, the frequency with which generators switched processors, the recovery value received and the level of resources employed in the disposition process.;Although striking differences exist between the three volume groups, the boundaries are indistinct. Characteristics of plants located on the margins demonstrate certain elements of the adjacent group. Contrasts between the volume groups are, therefore, most conspicuous when comparing plants at the midpoints of the three categories.;Cost recovery was found to be the dominant outcome variable. Most of the plants in this study, typically, did not effectively manage the ferrous scrap disposal process, although opportunities exist within each of the volume groups to provide competitive advantages to the firm through effective disposal strategies. Opportunities to develop capabilities in order to pursue additional outcomes, such as cost reduction, were noticeably absent in the medium and low volume groups.;The ferrous scrap disposal network represents an efficient residual management system, applications from which can be applied to other by-products. The research framework developed as part of this study represents a starting point for evaluating plant disposition strategies and an opportunity to apply aspects of a market driven disposal system to other materials.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Patrick Fraser, "Ferrous Scrap Disposition Strategies: An Analytical Model Of Residual Disposal" (1995). Digitized Theses. 2532.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/2532