A multiple stakeholder perspective on barriers to implementing China RoHS regulations

• Multiple stakeholder input is used to evaluate barriers to China RoHS implementation.
• Evaluation of RoHS barriers includes relationships and relative importance of barriers.
• Similarities and differences of stakeholders’ viewpoints were evident from a DEMATEL analysis.
• The study involved practitioner inputs from Dalian, China.
• The lack of supportive government economic policies is a significant barrier to China RoHS implementation.

With increasingly severe environmental risks deriving from electronic and electrical and other products, China has recognized RoHS (the restriction of the use of [certain] hazardous substances [in electrical and electronic equipment]) legislation as a necessity. However, the implementation of China's RoHS has faced a variety of challenges. Some literature has explored the barriers to implementing RoHS in Chinese context. Nevertheless, formal modeling tools to aid a systematic analysis of barriers to implementing China RoHS from a multiple stakeholder perspective can also provide insights. Using the perspectives of three stakeholders: local government, professional associations and a manufacturer in Dalian, China, we acquire multi-faceted managerial inputs to evaluate the barriers to implementing China's RoHS. The managerial inputs further are evaluated by a grey-based DEMATEL with a similarity analysis between the various stakeholders. The contributions include a further understanding of RoHS regulations and responses in China as well as a methodological contribution advancing evaluation and interpretation of DEMATEL. Managerial implications of the presented study and application, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.