Most recent papers:

• An enactment theory model of supplier financial disruption risk mitigation.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 17, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine supplier financial risk through the lens of Enactment Theory, to explore the role of transparency and communication on buyers’ perceptions of supplier default risk. The authors develop a theoretical model proposing that buyer communication with suppliers leads to preemptive actions that may prevent supplier financial default and fewer supply disruptions. The results suggest that reducing equivocality in buyers through communication with suppliers leads to understanding of financial factors not captured through third-party financial indicators, leading to proactive risk mitigation activities that prevent disruptions during recessionary economic cycles. This research proposes that transparency and communication reduces equivocality in buyers, spurring them to take contractual actions that reduces, financial default in key suppliers, which leads to fewer supply disruptions. Design/methodology/approach Survey data collected from 175 firms in the North America and Brazil during a period of the global recession is used to test the impact of communication with suppliers on supply chain disruptions in periods of economic crisis. This relationship is mediated by proactive contract renegotiation and supplier financial health, supporting a model grounded in Enactment Theory. Findings Results show that buyers who regularly assess and develop an understanding of their key suppliers’ financial conditions are more likely to re-negotiate contracts that revise payment terms, leading to improved supplier working capital and fewer supply chain disruptions. Research limitations/implications Validation of industry-specific financial ratios and figures could provide a richer set of insights and some quantitative measures for establishing baseline on what levels of financial ratios actually result in disruptions. However, future research should consider using a cross-sectional sample and, in addition, a qualitative approach to capture risk from a greater variety of industries and supply chain dynamics. Originality/value The notion of effective communication flows as a means for reduction of supplier disruption risk is aligned with Enactment Theory views that emphasize the benefits of risk reduction. Equivocality is reduced in buyers through information exchange and formal assessments in complex environments. This research suggests that while such communication does not have a direct effect on supply disruption risk, it is mediated through proactive buyer actions to improve supplier financial health and contract re-negotiation mechanisms that may preempt financial distress. These are important lessons learned that provide guidelines for supply chain executives in future economic recessions that may occur in the coming years.

  October 17, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-03-2017-0121   open full text
• Institutional pressures and sustainability assessment in supply chains.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 17, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose Firms are increasingly held accountable for the welfare of workers across entire supply chains and so it is surprising that standard forms of governance for socially sustainable supply chain management have not yet emerged. Assessment initiatives have begun to develop as a proxy measure of social sustainable supply chain management. This research aims to examine how social sustainability assessment initiatives instigate and use institutional pressures to drive third-party accreditation as the legitimate means of demonstrating social sustainability in a global supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Ten assessment initiatives focused on assuring social sustainability across supply chains are examined. Data are collected through interviews with senior managers and publicly available secondary material. Findings The findings show how the social sustainability assessment initiatives act by instigating institutional pressures indirectly rather than directly. Coercive pressures are the most prevalent and are exerted through consumer and compliance requirements. The notion of pressures operating as a chain is proposed, and the recognition that actors within and outside of a supply chain are crucial to the institutionalization of social sustainability is discussed. Originality/value Studies on sustainable supply chain management often focus on how companies sense and act upon institutional pressures. To add to the extant body of knowledge, this study focuses on the sources of the pressures and demonstrates how assessment initiatives use coercive, normative and mimetic pressures to drive the adoption of social sustainability assessment in supply chains.

  October 17, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-01-2017-0004   open full text
• Models for understanding the influence of Supply Chain Governance on Supply Chain Performance.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 12, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop models and analyse the influence of supply chain governance (SCG) and its conceptions (contractual, relational and transactional) on supply chain performance (SCP). Design/methodology/approach Multiple case studies and survey methods were used. Data collection in the multiple case studies was performed by in-depth interviews with supply chain executives from top strategic levels in six companies. The research instrument was applied to 185 executives from large companies that possessed a broad, complex supply chain in Brazil. Findings It was identified that SCG, comprising contractual, relational and transactional aspects, has a positive influence on operational and financial SCP. SCG was found to be a more comprehensive view of the supply chain that focuses on more strategic aspects and long-term inter-organizational relationships. SCG affects SCP, primarily in the operational aspects with regard to global costs and in the financial aspects of investment return. Originality/value SCG is a topic that has been widely studied in recent years for analysing inter-organizational relations as a multi-dimensional phenomenon embedded in the company’s structures and processes. Studies analysing all aspects of SCG at the same time, however, have not been found. Moreover, there are a number of performance indicators, but there is a lack of consensus on what determines the performance of these supply chains. Furthermore, few studies have attempted to understand the effects of SCG on supply chain performance.

  October 12, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0260   open full text
• Supply chain resilience in a developing country context: a case study on the interconnectedness of threats, strategies and outcomes.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 12, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose In few prior empirical studies on supply chain resilience (SCRES), the focus has been on the developed world. Yet, organisations in developing countries constitute a significant part of global supply chains and have also experienced the disastrous effects of supply chain failures. The purpose of this paper is therefore to empirically investigate SCRES in a developing country context and to show that this also provides theoretical insights into the nature of what is meant by resilience. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, a supply network of 20 manufacturing firms in Uganda is analysed based on a total of 45 interviews. Findings The perceived threats to SCRES in this context are mainly small-scale, chronic disruptive events rather than discrete, large-scale catastrophic events typically emphasised in the literature. The data reveal how threats of disruption, resilience strategies and outcomes are inter-related in complex, coupled and non-linear ways. These interrelationships are explained by the political, cultural and territorial embeddedness of the supply network in a developing country. Further, this embeddedness contributes to the phenomenon of supply chain risk migration, whereby an attempt to mitigate one threat produces another threat and/or shifts the threat to another point in the supply network. Practical implications Managers should be aware, for example, of potential risk migration from one threat to another when crafting strategies to build SCRES. Equally, the potential for risk migration across the supply network means managers should look at the supply chain holistically because actors along the chain are so interconnected. Originality/value The paper goes beyond the extant literature by highlighting how SCRES is not only about responding to specific, isolated threats but about the continuous management of risk migration. It demonstrates that resilience requires both an understanding of the interconnectedness of threats, strategies and outcomes and an understanding of the embeddedness of the supply network. Finally, this study’s focus on the context of a developing country reveals that resilience should be equally concerned both with smaller in scale, chronic disruptions and with occasional, large-scale catastrophic events.

  October 12, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2017-0059   open full text
• The moderating effect of Lean supply chain management on the impact of Lean shop floor practices on quality and inventory.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 05, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between the implementation of Lean shop floor (LSF) practices and Lean supply chain management, and their effect on quality and inventory turnover. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based research method was conducted and data were collected from 110 plants located in Brazil. The research constructs were validated through rigorous procedures (unidimensionality and discriminant validity and reliability) through confirmatory factor analysis and two hypotheses were tested using ordinary least square regression. Findings The results indicate that: Lean supplier relationship positively moderates the effect of LSF practices on inventory turnover; Lean customer relationship negatively moderates the effect of LSF practices on inventory turnover; and Lean supplier relationship positively moderates the effect of LSF practices on quality. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, the results of this study provide evidences supporting the importance of understanding the systemic relationships between Lean implementation at the shop floor and the firm’s relationships with supply chain partners, that was not tested before. As managerial implications, the results suggest that managers should take a decision to foster a Lean supply chain management depending on which performance metrics they need to improve: quality or inventory turnover.

  October 05, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-10-2016-0350   open full text
• Upstream information distortion in the agro-food supply chain.
  
  Supply Chain Management. October 04, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Ahead of Print.
  Purpose The purpose of this research is to analyse the upstream information distortion among the various members of the agro-food supply chain, regarding the consumers’ quality perceptions. Design/methodology/approach The study focused on the beef chain, which is one of the most active in quality management terms. The study involved different actors in the chain: consumers (402), retailers (98), agro-industrials (40) and cattle farmers (84). Findings The results demonstrated that the more the upstream agents move away from consumers, the more the information becomes distorted. The research also highlighted that the greater the number of links in the chain, the more the consumer’s upstream information tends to be distorted. Originality/value The information flow is one of the important aspects on which the supply chain management focuses. This paper contributes to information flow research between different actors in the supply chain regarding product quality from the consumer perspective. Therefore, for the members of the supply chain, this research represents the potential to direct management’s value-added activities towards what consumers value the most.

  October 04, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0241   open full text
• Reverse logistics for the end-of-life and end-of-use products in the pharmaceutical industry: a systematic literature review.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 375-392, June 2017.
  Purpose The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic literature review (SLR) aiming to identify reverse logistics (RL) concepts and practices applied to the end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-use (EOU) of pharmaceuticals and to identify and synthesize, through bibliometric indicators, research opportunities on RL, considering the analysis of publications in the periodical Supply Chain Management: An International Journal (SCMij). Design/methodology/approach The SLR followed two steps, namely, search for articles on the subject and content analysis of selected material and bibliometric analysis of publications using VOSviewer®. Findings The SLR allowed the compilation of evidences regarding pharmaceutical RL in the groups: environmental risk, the RL evolution and regulatory and stakeholder’s educational perspective. Despite the timid specific literature on pharmaceutical RL, it was also possible to point out research gaps and opportunities. Pharmaceutical RL seems to be influenced by studies from traditional RL including mathematical modeling, managerial strategies and technologies but prescind of a systemic solution. Besides reducing environmental impact, the motivation to implement pharmaceutical RL resides in its potential for revenue. Considering integrated logistics as a trend and an emerging issue, RL for the pharmaceutical industry needs to be addressed more thorough and broadly. Research limitations/implications The limited number of papers returned in this SLR of pharmaceutical RL impaired the bibliometric analysis of them, leading to the inclusion of papers on general RL. Originality/value This study provides an overview of the evolution of RL in the pharmaceutical industry, it also clarifies concepts and EOL/EOU practices, particularly directed to the pharmaceutical industry RL.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-01-2017-0040   open full text
• Towards a classification of supply chain relationships: a routine based perspective.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 341-374, June 2017.
  Purpose This paper studies buyer–supplier relationships (BSRs) by taking a routine-based approach and develops a taxonomy of BSRs. Recent advances in the BSR literature have shown that firms implement a host of diverse routines, called integrative practices, with their supply chain partners. Relationships differ based on what integrative practices are present in them. This paper aims to develop a taxonomy of supply chain relationships based on integrative practices measured at the relationship level. Design/methodology/approach The authors use survey data collected from North American manufacturers to establish the measurement properties of new relationship level constructs that represent different aspects of integration. Cluster analysis is used with these new constructs to develop a taxonomy of supply chain relationships. Regression and bootstrapping techniques are used to establish the predictive validity and stability of the taxonomy. Findings The results show four distinct types of relationships. On comparison, the authors find salient differences between their results and past classifications. As a result of taking a routine-based multidimensional view of integration, the authors find two types of relationships that have not been discovered by past taxonomies. Originality/value The new relationship level constructs will allow academics to have greater precision in their research questions on BSRs, as not all aspects of integration behave in the same manner. The four types of relationships identified by this study provide a useful framework to manage supply chain relationships for practitioners.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-04-2017-0142   open full text
• Enhancing effects of supply chain resilience: insights from trajectory and resource-based perspectives.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 329-340, June 2017.
  Purpose This paper aims to examine the operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity influencing proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience and implementation in inter-organizational relationships. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a research model comprises six research hypotheses with five constructs, including trajectory, absorptive capacity, operating frontier, proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience. The hypotheses are tested on data collected from 297 senior managers of Taiwanese manufacturing firms, using structural equation modeling. Findings The study provides insights into how supply chain members can reinforce their operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity activities to improve proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience. Research limitations/implications The resultant findings cannot be generalized for all forms of supply chains, as they exclusively reflect those in Taiwan. With the research model developed, cross-industrial studies on various forms of supply chains would be worth conducting to investigate whether their inter-relationship effects differ in relation to inter-organizational supply chain resilience. Practical implications This study provides multiple insights for managers and practices seeking to improve inter-organizational supply chain resilience, which have become increasingly popular because their factors enhance coping strategies to achieve corporate goals. The proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience can be effectively improved by enhancing trajectory, absorptive capacity and operating frontier. Originality/value This empirical research attempted to fill the gaps created by trajectory and resource-based perspectives in inter-organizational supply chain resilience. This study reveals how supply chain members can reinforce the factors of their coping strategies (i.e. operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity) to make significant improvements, which is not dealt with in previous studies.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2016-0190   open full text
• Statistical and judgmental criteria for scale purification.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 321-328, June 2017.
  Purpose “Scale purification” – the process of eliminating items from multi-item scales – is widespread in empirical research, but studies that critically examine the implications of this process are scarce. The goals of this research are threefold: to discuss the methodological underpinning of scale purification, to critically analyze the current state of scale purification in supply chain management (SCM) research and to provide suggestions for advancing the scale-purification process. Design/methodology/approach A framework for making scale-purification decisions is developed and used to analyze and critically reflect on the application of scale purification in leading SCM journals. Findings This research highlights the need for rigorous scale-purification decisions based on both statistical and judgmental criteria. By applying the proposed framework to the SCM discipline, a lack of methodological rigor and coherence is identified when it comes to current purification practices in empirical SCM research. Suggestions for methodological improvements are provided. Research limitations/implications The framework and additional suggestions will help to advance the knowledge about scale purification. Originality/value This paper demonstrates that the justification for scale purification needs to be driven by reliability, validity and parsimony considerations, and that this justification needs to be based on both statistical and judgmental criteria.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0230   open full text
• Contrasting the governance of supply chains with and without geographical indications: complementarity between levels.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 305-320, June 2017.
  Purpose The aim of this paper is to explain the organizational changes along supply chains when a geographical brand, i.e. a place name that has value for commercial purposes, becomes a geographical indication (GI). Design/methodology/approach Using a case study research design, this paper compares GI vs non-GI supply chains in the European Union and describes the organizational changes that occur in supply chains when a GI is adopted. Findings When a GI is adopted, an additional “public” level of governance is added along the supply chain that forces it to reallocate and specialize quality controls between the public and private levels of governance to avoid redundancies and to adopt more market-oriented mechanisms of governance in dyadic relationships. The paper argues that these changes occur because the private and public levels of governance complement one another. Research limitations/implications More aspects of supply chain management (the power balance or relationship stability) and a more systematic longitudinal analysis using supply chains in various agrifood industries should be considered to generalize the conclusions. An econometric analysis formally testing the main conclusions (propositions) is also required. Practical implications The changes needed to successfully adopt a GI are identified, and an explanatory map of these changes is offered. Originality/value The structural governance tensions created by the use of common-pool resources within supply chains are explored. It is hypothesized, first, that when a “common-pool resource”, namely, a geographical name, is used in a supply chain, some type of public level of governance that promotes cooperation is required to preserve its value. Second, this public level of governance complements the dyadic mechanisms of governance, requiring the specialization and reallocation of quality controls and the move toward more market-oriented transactions.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-05-2016-0161   open full text
• Want to reduce the bullwhip? Measure it. Here’s how.
  
  Supply Chain Management. August 24, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 4, Page 297-304, June 2017.
  Purpose The popular “beer game” illustrates the bullwhip effect where a small perturbation in downstream demand can create wild swings in upstream product flows. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodical framework to measure the bullwhip effect and evaluate its impact. Design/methodology/approach This paper illustrates a framework using SKU-level data from an industry-leading manufacturer, its distributors, end-users and suppliers. Findings Firms benefit from tracking multiple intra-firm bullwhips and from tracking bullwhips pertinent to specific products, specific suppliers and specific customers. The framework presented in this paper enables managers to pinpoint bullwhip sources and mitigate bullwhip effects. Research limitations/implications This paper presents a framework for methodically measuring and tracking intra-firm and inter-firm bullwhips. Practical implications A disconnect exists between what is known and taught regarding the bullwhip effect and how it is actually tracked and managed in practice. This paper aims to reduce this gap. For the various products analyzed herein, the authors show how using this framework has the potential to reduce delivered product cost by 2 to 15 per cent. Social implications Properly managing the bullwhip leads to lower inventories and potentially lower product prices while simultaneously increasing firm profits. Originality/value This paper presents a novel approach to systematically tracking intra-firm bullwhips along with bullwhips specific to a given supplier or customer.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2017-0088   open full text
• Competence in supply chain management: a systematic review.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 200-218, March 2017.
  Purpose This paper aims to present an integrated view of the literature published on all aspects and facets of competence in supply chain management (SCM) and furthermore provides a framework for classifying and analyzing literature to facilitate further study, practice and research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review identified 98 peer-reviewed scientific journal publications on the subject of competence in SCM. Findings This review identifies and classifies the key content of the subject based on whose competence (level of analysis) and the type of competence (competence element), resulting in a framework that brings together aspects at the individual and organizational level, and of the functional, relational, managerial and behavioral elements of competence from the SCM literature. It furthermore displays the timeliness and wide-ranging character of the subject, as presented by the evolutionary timeline and the main research streams. Research limitations/implications Although competence in SCM is a key to business success, the subject is ambiguous and an explicit need exists for more research. This paper provides a foundation for future examination of and theory building in this subject. It also alerts researchers to complementary studies outside of their own “customary” domains. Practical implications This paper can support managers in their pursuit to secure competence in SCM and thereby improve outcomes on both individual and organizational level. It can furthermore assist in the development of relevant programs and training sessions. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this work represents the first systematic literature review on the subject of competence in SCM. In addition, it proposes a taxonomy for mapping and evaluating research on this subject.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-09-2016-0324   open full text
• The impact of external integration on halal food integrity.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 186-199, March 2017.
  Purpose Much has been written about the importance of external integration for the integrity of food products. To achieve food integrity, all actors along the supply chain have to be fully integrated and comply with an assurance system or process. The more complex the supply chain operations are, the greater will be the need for integration. This research paper investigates the impact of external integration on compliance with halal standards, as an example of product integrity within the food industry. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 1,000 food manufacturers was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the effect of external integration on compliance with halal standards. Findings The results showed that there were links between halal assurance system and external integration. Nevertheless, it was discovered that only customer integration mediated the relationship between the halal assurance system and product quality and production cost. Practical implications The practical implications of the findings extend to managers in the food industry who might pursue supply chain integration as a structure to achieve excellence. The findings suggested that the deployment of a halal assurance system has a positive effect on operational performance. Furthermore, the results show that managers who wish to implement the halal assurance system should carefully invest in an external integration strategy, depending upon the operational performance improvement intended. Originality/value This research is one of the first studies to investigate the effects of external integration on halal food in general and is the first empirical investigation of the effect of safeguarding halal integrity on operational performance.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-05-2016-0171   open full text
• Exploring the impact of geographical traits on the occurrence of supply chain failures.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 160-171, March 2017.
  Purpose This research aims to explore the impact of geographical traits on the occurrence of on-time or the risk of late deliveries – one vital category of supply chain failures. Specifically, the regulatory environment framework and national and organizational culture are explored as potential contingency factors affecting these supply chain failures. Furthermore, the authors assess whether or not potential negative cultural characteristics at the national level can be addressed through specific organizational culture at the organizational level of practice. Design/methodology/approach This study combines primary survey data from 647 plants in 12 countries collected through the Global Manufacturing Research Group with secondary national data from the World Economic Forum and Hofstede’s national culture dimensions to test the six hypotheses. Findings Results indicate that firms situated in a regulatory national environment that is conducive to trade experience fewer late deliveries; a national infrastructure that has continuously been neglected leads to more late deliveries. Firms situated in countries with low levels of national uncertainty avoidance experience fewer late deliveries. Supplier communication should be practiced at an organizational level to excel in these countries. Originality/value This paper adds to the ongoing discusses about the importance of contingency factors at the country level (i.e. institutional and cultural factors), which need to be considered when setting up global supply chains. It also contributes important empirical insights to the convergence/divergence discussion.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2016-0380   open full text
• Traceability and risks: an extended transaction cost perspective.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 145-159, March 2017.
  Purpose The aim of the paper is to investigate the determinants leading firms to choose among different voluntary standards within food supply chains. In specific, the authors explored the role of transaction risks, i.e. internal and exogenous risks, in the adoption of different traceability standards. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted within the Italian population of 216 food-processing firms that adopt voluntary traceability schemes. The identification of different transaction risks was based on the literature on supply chain management and transaction cost economics. An ordinal regression model was used in the analysis. Findings Empirical results highlight that the transaction risks perceived by food firms play a significant role on the kind of traceability schemes to adopt. There is a positive link between internal risks and the decision to implement complex schemes. Moreover, a negative relationship between the perceived exogenous risks and the complexity of the standard adopted is also observed. Exogenous transaction risk lead to the implementation of standards which do not imply strong co-ordination. On the contrary, internal risks imply complex schemes that lead to closer supply chain relationships. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited to cross-sectional data for a single country, and further investigation would help assess the generalisation of the findings. Practical implications The analysis can be considered a useful framework to orient firms strategic decisions towards the most appropriate voluntary standard to adopt for an efficient management of vertical relationships within food supply chains. Originality/value The present analysis is the first attempt to explain the determinants leading firms to choose among different kinds of voluntary standards within food supply chains. The approach used reveals that transaction risks can be considered a useful framework to explain firms’ strategic decisions related to the kind of schemes to adopt.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0268   open full text
• The influence of supply chain quality management practices on quality performance: an empirical investigation.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 122-144, March 2017.
  Purpose The extant literature highlights the notable lack of a consensus among operations and supply chain management scholars regarding the theoretical underpinnings and associated empirical evidence for the performance impact of supply chain quality management (SCQM) practices on quality. The purpose of this paper is to redress this imbalance in the literature through empirical examination of the relationship between SCQM practices and quality performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach In accordance with the research aim, a quantitative approach was adopted, and a multi-item scale Web-based survey was designed to collect primary data. A total number of 325 questionnaires were collected from a sample of UK-based manufacturing companies. Factor analysis, internal consistency and multivariate regressions were used to validate the multi-item scale and test the hypotheses. Findings The findings confirm the proposed hypotheses and reveal statistically significant results for the performance impact of SCQM practices on quality at an aggregate level. However, the results of the individual level analysis of SCQM practices appear to vary from practice to practice. Of various SCQM practices, customer focus with the highest beta value (i.e. ß = 0.303; t-value = 6.120; p = 0.000) was found to have the greatest impact on quality performance. Practical implications The findings encourage managers to place high priority on both inter-firm and intra-firm relationships as prerequisites for achieving superior quality performance. The propositions and the results of the study provide managers with some guidelines about effective management of upstream, midstream and downstream supply chain networks and awareness of the potential synergies arising from the combined effects of SCQM practices that could bring about desired quality performance outcomes across the entire supply chain network. Originality/value Real and sustainable quality performance often requires an equal focus on both intra- and inter-firm relationships among supply chain partners. Therefore, effective management of quality across the entire supply chain is deemed essential if a firm is to smoothly supply high-quality products and services to customers. But little research has been devoted to understanding conceptual underpinnings of SCQM as well as empirical support and validation for the conceptualisation and measurement of SCQM practices. Based on the insights gained from social network theory, this paper makes an attempt to address this gap and examine the impact of SCQM practices on quality performance.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2016-0286   open full text
• Business process management and supply chain collaboration: effects on performance and competitiveness.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 107-121, March 2017.
  Purpose This study aims to examine the interrelationships among business process management (BPM), supply chain collaboration (SCC), collaborative advantage and organisational performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 204 manufacturing firms in Thailand, and the interrelationships proposed in the framework were tested via structural equation modelling. Findings This study highlights the role of intra- and inter-organisational practices and clearly demonstrates the joint role and impact of BPM and SCC, respectively. The results provide empirical evidence that BPM improves both organisational performance and collaborative activities. Also, SCC and collaborative advantage can have indirect positive impacts on organisational performance. Research limitations/implications This work could be expanded by adopting a supplementary dyadic or extended supply chain (SC) approach and could also consider contextual factors, which were outside of the scope of this study. Practical implications The BPM approach has a positive impact on organisational performance, which is essential for collaborative activities between a firm and its SC partners. Further, effective BPM and SCC practices lead to enhanced performance and collaborative benefits. Practitioners should be better able to define and measure specific actions relating to their BPM and SCC practices. Originality value This paper stresses the need to consider the interrelationships between BPM, SCC, collaborative advantage and organisational performance for both direct and indirect effects. Rather than focusing only on improvement at individual firm level, SCC is vital to compete in the market. Improving the effectiveness of SC allows higher organisational performance levels than those that could be achieved in isolation.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-01-2017-0008   open full text
• Taking advantage of disruptive innovation through changes in value networks: insights from the space industry.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 18, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 97-106, March 2017.
  Purpose The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to provide further insights into the challenges and opportunities that arise from simultaneously being an entrant and an incumbent and, second, to help these firms effectively use supply chain management capabilities to respond to disruptive threats. Design/methodology/approach This is an “insights from industry” paper. It is based on a retrospective analysis of rich data obtained at the SIRIUS Chair in Toulouse, France, from an important cluster of aerospace firms and the authors’ accumulated experience. Findings The authors found that under conditions of disruptive change, the ability to make the final customer the focal point and to build a comprehensive understanding of the overall supply network are key in shaping and taking advantage of future opportunities. These abilities enable firms to analyze different scenarios and identify the roles they want to play, the collaborations they need to establish and the possible internal changes required. Originality/value This paper offers several new perspectives from practice. The authors analyze two types of space industry innovations: individual small satellites (or “smallsats”) and smallsat constellations. Three types of capabilities are focused on: inside-out, outside-in and spanning. Disrupt-or-be-disrupted does not fully describe the dynamics the authors observed; cooperative competition and complementarity provide a better framework for ideas on how to cope with disruptive opportunities.

  May 18, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-01-2017-0017   open full text
• Infrastructure framework and manufacturing supply chain agility: the role of delivery dependability and time to market.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 15, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2, Page 172-185, March 2017.
  Purpose The main purpose of this study is to examine the role of delivery dependability and time to market, on the relation between the infrastructure framework and supply chain agility. Furthermore, the impacts of supply chain agility on firm performance are examined. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 113 respondents, senior executives and managers, in purchasing, operations, supplying, planning and other supply chain functions in large manufacturing firms in the MENA region, which includes 12 countries (Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Morocco, Tunis and Algeria). A large-scale survey questionnaire was used for data collection process. The research framework was tested by using hypothesis-testing deductive approach. The results are based on covariance-based analysis and structural equation modelling using analysis of moment structures software. Findings The results show that infrastructure framework elements do not contribute significantly to support supply chain agility. It is also found that delivery dependability and time to market partially mediate the relationship between infrastructure framework elements and supply chain agility. Additionally, it is found that supply chain agility is associated with enhanced firm performance. Originality/value This paper provides an overview and empirically shows that delivery dependability and time to market are appropriate logistics practices for mediating the impact of infrastructure framework and supply chain agility. These relationships indicate a contribution to theory that explains how infrastructure framework elements can procreate supply chain agility, through the synchronising of appropriately matched logistics practices.

  May 15, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-09-2016-0335   open full text
• Humanitarian–business partnerships in managing humanitarian logistics.
  
  Supply Chain Management. April 22, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 82-94, January 2017.
  Purpose The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review to understand the state of the art of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in managing humanitarian logistics. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review is conducted based on the steps proposed by Denyer and Tranfield (2009). The context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) logic is applied to identify the state of the art of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in humanitarian logistics. Thirty-six papers related to the topic are extracted from recognized journal databases and then classified into four categories based on the CIMO logic: situational context, intervention factors, mechanisms and outcomes. Findings The study shows that while the context and mechanisms for developing cross-sector partnerships between the humanitarian and the business sector have been examined and illuminated by many researchers, additional research (in particular, empirical studies) is needed to measure outcomes as well as the contributions of partnerships to the performance of humanitarian logistics. In addition to synthesizing the literature in this area, this study also presents challenges of such partnerships. Practical implications The study improves the understanding of the state of cross-sector partnerships in humanitarian logistics as well as identifies opportunities for future research in this area. The study provides reasons and motives of initiating humanitarian–business partnerships in humanitarian logistics as well as their mechanisms and potential outcomes. This may help in developing successful logistics partnerships with each other. Originality/value This is the first systematic literature review to examine the nature of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in humanitarian logistics using CIMO logic.

  April 22, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0262   open full text
• Green supply chain management: an empirical investigation on the construction sector.
  
  Supply Chain Management. April 22, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 58-81, January 2017.
  Purpose Curtailing the adverse environmental impacts of the construction sector is one the major challenges of the twenty-first century. However, despite the significance of this problem, the limited efforts so far to tackle the negative impacts associated with this particular sector have been largely fragmented and disjointed. Given that the net green outcome of a construction project is the sum total of the efforts undertaken at the various supply chain stages (from the initial design to the end-of-life demolition) by different stakeholders, the green supply chain management (GSCM) approach is seen as a way forward toward streamlining the fragmented efforts at greening the sector. This forms the motivation of the present work, and this paper aims to develop, validate and apply a multi-dimensional GSCM framework for the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive GSCM assessment framework consisting of nine constructs (external and internal drivers; external and internal barriers; core and facilitating GSCM practices; economic, environmental and organizational performance implications) and their underlying factors was developed through an extensive literature review. Using data collected through a structured questionnaire, the framework was validated, and the relevance/appropriateness of each construct and its underlying factors, along with the hypothesized relationships between the constructs, were assessed separately for each supply chain stakeholder. Findings The findings confirm the validity and reliability of the constructs and their underlying factors as well as the assessment framework. In general, the implementation of green practices has had a positive impact on the environmental, economic and organizational performance for all stakeholders, while the extent of the green practices implemented depends on the relative strength of the drivers and barriers. Research limitations/implications This study fills a gap in the literature about applying/implementing GSCM in the construction sector. Practical implications The findings provide practitioners, policy makers and organizations associated with the UAE construction sector, as well as the construction sector in general, insight into all key aspects of GSCM. Originality/value A comprehensive survey-based assessment of GSCM for the construction sector has not been previously attempted and constitutes the novelty of this work.

  April 22, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2016-0227   open full text
• Developing third-party purchase (3PP) services: New Zealand third-party logistics providers’ perspectives.
  
  Supply Chain Management. April 22, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 40-57, January 2017.
  Purpose This paper aims to examine the opportunity for third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to develop further value-added services for their clients, focused on purchasing. The provider perspectives on third-party purchase (3PP) services are examined in conjunction with their business environment, with a survey informed by transaction cost economics. Design/methodology/approach New Zealand 3PL providers were surveyed, and 166 responses were received. Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model. Findings From the perspective of 3PL providers, uncertainty, frequency and transaction size, but not asset specificity, are significantly associated with client value from a 3PP service. While asset specificity in investments is not required by 3PLs, they need a high frequency of orders, sufficient order size and low levels of uncertainty as supporting conditions for the development of 3PP services. Research limitations/implications The sample focuses on 3PL providers and therefore does not address the behavioral characteristics of users or customers of the services. Originality/value This study shows that 3PP services may be further developed by 3PL providers to improve the value offered to their clients.

  April 22, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2016-0189   open full text
• The effects of vulnerability mitigation strategies on supply chain effectiveness: risk culture as moderator.
  
  Supply Chain Management. April 22, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 1-15, January 2017.
  Purpose The vulnerability issue in supply chains is among the most pressing concerns that firms are currently facing. As a preliminary attempt to address the lack of empirical research, this paper aims to primarily explore the relationship between vulnerability mitigation strategies and supply chain effectiveness with security culture as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach Data are gathered via a survey of 209 Indonesian manufacturing firms. The data are analyzed using partial least squares technique. Findings Results indicate that supply chain visibility, supply chain flexibility and supplier development strategies positively affect supply chain effectiveness. Moreover, risk culture positively moderates the effects of supply chain visibility and supplier development on supply chain effectiveness. Practical implications The findings may improve supply chain effectiveness by mitigating the effects of vulnerability causes. Originality/value This study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the relationships between vulnerability mitigation strategies and supply chain effectiveness.

  April 22, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-12-2015-0482   open full text
• Analysing supply chain resilience: integrating the constructs in a concept mapping framework via a systematic literature review.
  
  Supply Chain Management. April 22, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 16-39, January 2017.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the concept of supply chain resilience (SCRES) within a concept mapping framework to seek conceptual clarity, with an emphasis on SCRES definitions, essential elements and managerial practices. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted of 103 peer-reviewed journal articles from the year 2000 to 2015, with the aim of answering a focus review question. Findings Through analysis and synthesis of the literature, the study revealed three major constructs used to define SCRES: phases of resilience, resilience strategies and the capabilities needed to be resilient. Emerging from the capabilities construct are five core SCRES capabilities: the ability to anticipate, to adapt, to respond, to recover and to learn. Also, given the need to consolidate the various constructs of SCRES, the study identified 13 essential elements and 84 managerial practices that support firms to achieve the five capabilities, which are then linked to SCRES strategies and phases to establish the connections that provide an integrated view of the concept. Research limitations/implications The explorative nature of this study and the role of the concept mapping framework, which does not empirically test the relationships in the model, are considered as limitations, to be addressed by the authors in future research. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the classification of different features of SCRES through a comprehensive concept mapping framework that establishes relationships and interactions between them. This study, therefore, lays a foundation for testing these connections in future empirical studies. The paper brings together fragmented literature from multiple studies to create a solid body of knowledge that addresses the need for conceptual clarity in SCRES literature.

  April 22, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2016-0197   open full text
• On green market segmentation under subsidy regulation.
  
  Supply Chain Management. February 15, 2017
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1, January 2017.
  Purpose This study aims to provide a better understanding of the market balance between regular (high-carbon) and green (low-carbon) products. Further, this study analyses the role of government subsidy policy, based on the results of the government's optimal green subsidy decision and its implication to green market segmentation and social welfare. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a Stackelberg game framework to study the interaction between the government's subsidy regulations and the firms' marketing regimes. When considering government subsidy decision, we use multi-objective programming theory and turn the problem into weighted single-objective optimisation programming. Findings This study explores three marketing regimes and identifies the conditions under which each regime should be adopted by a firm. Further, investigating the optimal subsidy decision problem for the government reveals three subsidy regimes corresponding to the three marketing regimes. The government may be stuck in a regime of useless subsidy and the reason for this phenomenon is analysed as well. Research limitations/implications Developing the model into a more complex supply chain situation will enhance the applicability of the framework. Incorporating other environmental regulations, such as carbon tax, can be interesting research extensions of this study. Practical implications This study provides a quantitative framework, which can help the regulator gain a deeper understanding of green subsidy policies and assist focal companies in acquiring a better appreciation of green marketing segmentation. Originality/value The study is one of the first few works to explore the optimal design of green subsidy regulation for the government and its impact on market segmentations of high- and low-carbon products by using quantitative modelling approaches and deriving vital managerial insights.

  February 15, 2017   doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2015-0425   open full text
• To eliminate or absorb supply chain complexity: a conceptual model and case study.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 759-774, September 2016.
  Purpose Existing works in the supply chain complexity area have either focused on the overall behavior of multi-firm complex adaptive systems or on listing specific tools and techniques that business units (BUs) can use to manage supply chain complexity but without providing a thorough discussion about when and why they should be deployed. This research aims to address this gap by developing a conceptually sound model, based on the literature, regarding how an individual BU should reduce versus absorb supply chain complexity. Design/methodology/approach This research synthesizes the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how a BU should respond to supply chain complexity. The authors illustrate the model through a longitudinal case study analysis of a packaged foods manufacturer. Findings Regardless of its type or origin, supply chain complexity can arise because of the strategic business requirements of the BU (strategic) or because of suboptimal business practices (dysfunctional complexity). Consistent with the proposed conceptual model, the illustrative case study showed that a firm must first distinguish between strategic and dysfunctional drivers prior to choosing an organizational response. Furthermore, it was found that efforts to address supply chain complexity can reveal other system weaknesses that lie dormant until the system is stressed. Research limitations/implications The case study provides empirical support for the literature-derived conceptual model. Nevertheless, any findings derived from a single, in-depth case study require further research to produce generalizable results. Practical implications The conceptual model presented here provides a more granular view of supply chain complexity and how an individual BU should respond, than what can be found in the existing literature. The model recognizes that an individual BU can simultaneously face both strategic and dysfunctional complexity drivers, each requiring a different organizational response. Originality/value There are no other research works that have synthesized the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how an individual BU should respond to supply chain complexity. As such, this paper improves the understanding of supply chain complexity effects and provides a basis for future research, as well as guidance for BUs facing complexity challenges.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2016-0044   open full text
• Impacts of non-GMO standards on poultry supply chain governance: transaction cost approach vs resource-based view.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 743-758, September 2016.
  Purpose Following a negative attitude of consumers toward genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the spaces left by the labeling legislation on GMOs of different countries, some retailers and processors introduced their own non-GMO standards, with the intention of avoiding the presence of GMOs in their products. This paper aims to understand how the implementation of these new retailer-driven standards affects governance structures along the supply chain and the determinants of such change focusing on transaction cost approach (TCA) vs resource-based view (RBV). Design/methodology/approach The non-GMO introduction is investigated as a case study in the poultry industry of France and Italy. The case relies on data primarily collected from interviews with the main actors at five stages of the supply chain from the retailer up to animal feed and crop production. Findings Findings indicate that the introduction of non-GMO products had different impacts on the transactions along the supply chain, generally leading to more integrated relationships. Theoretical relevance depends on the observed transaction and the type of governance structure considered. Interestingly, only RBV explains the shift toward hierarchical governance when this is observed. Originality/value This paper contributes to the empirical literature highlighting the upstream effects caused by the adoption of new standards. On the theoretical side, building on Conner and Prahalad’s (1996) seminal work and leveraging on the concepts of opportunism, “potential” superior knowledge and strategic importance of an activity, this research suggests a comparative framework for identifying governance structures and their determinants under TCA and RBV.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-03-2016-0089   open full text
• The role of motivation in relating green supply chain management to performance.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 732-742, September 2016.
  Purpose Not all companies deal with green supply chain management (GSCM) in the same way. The purpose of this paper is to understand a company’s GSCM motivation and how this motivation is linked to stakeholder pressures, a company’s GSCM practices and performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors report the findings of a survey on GSCM motivations. Findings Clear differences are seen in why companies are motivated to pursue GSCM. Based on these different motivations, this paper explains differences in perceived stakeholder pressure and performance. Research limitations/implications GSCM motivation is a sensitive topic and as such might cause respondents to provide socially desired answers. However, the analyses show clear variances in the answers, indicating that the measures put forth by the authors are valid. Social implications This study shows that to achieve sustainable GSCM, companies can be motivated in various ways. Also, stakeholders can learn from this study: they need to focus their attention toward companies whom they have the highest impact on. Originality/value First, this study tests a framework for GSCM motivations and shows that motivation mediates the relationship between stakeholder pressures and performance. Second, this study shows that these differences in motivation impact performance outcomes.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-05-2016-0143   open full text
• Supply chain readiness, response and recovery for resilience.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 709-731, September 2016.
  Purpose Despite the proliferation of supply chain risk management (SCRM) studies, a theoretically supported and empirically validated study on justifying the antecedents and measurement dimensions of supply chain resilience (SCRE) is rare. Therefore, drawing on extensive literature review, this study aims to explore and validate the antecedents and the measurement dimensions of SCRE. Design/methodology/approach This study uses positivist paradigm using quantitative method. However, it also uses qualitative approach in the form of field study to contextualize the research model. The quantitative study is conducted by operationalising a survey research. Partial least square-based structural equation modelling has been used to analyze the data. Findings Study results suggest that the psychometric properties of the SCRE dimensions, supply chain readiness, response and recovery, are reliable and valid. It also affirms that supply chain orientation (SCO), learning and development and supply chain risk management culture (SCRMC) significantly influence the SCRE. Further, SCRMC mediates the relationship between SCO and SCRE. Practical implications The findings of this study will assist the supply chain managers in taking decision on readiness capability development and reducing the decisional uncertainty during response and recovery. Originality/value Drawing on extensive extant literature on crisis management and supply chain management, this study develops and validates the measurement dimensions of SCRE in terms of readiness, response and recovery, as well as justifies the antecedent factors of SCRE, which is a novel attempt in SCRM literature.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-12-2015-0463   open full text
• Accounting for external turbulence of logistics organizations via performance measurement systems.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 694-708, September 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of upper management in designing performance measurement systems (PMS) that account for external turbulence of the organization and to show how this PMS design for turbulence impacts organizational resilience and distribution service performance. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses are developed by integrating management accounting and strategic management perspectives into supply chain management and subsequently tested based on data from 431 logistics organizations (i.e. both logistics companies and internal logistics departments of manufacturing and retailing companies). Findings Attention focusing usage type of the PMS by the upper management fosters incorporating the element of risk into the PMS of the company. Further, PMS design for turbulence enhances organizational resilience, and, indirectly, this also leads to improved distribution service performance. Originality/value This paper is the first to introduce the concept of PMS design for turbulence to the literature and to show that it is relevant for supply chain risk management by fostering the capabilities and the performance of logistics organizations. Further, it is shown that a seemingly detached issue such as the general PMS use focus of the upper management impacts supply chain risk management.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2016-0040   open full text
• The effects of behavioural supply chain relationship antecedents on integration and performance.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 678-693, September 2016.
  Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of behavioural antecedents of collaboration in supply chain relationships on supply chain integration and performance by developing and empirically validating a model linking these constructs. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed based on the relational exchange theory, social exchange theory and resource-based view. An international survey with supply chain/logistics managers from manufacturing focal firms based in Europe, USA and Asia was conducted; they provided input on upstream and downstream relationships based on their actual interaction and experience with supply chain partners. The collected data, which reflect supply chain managers’ perceptions on the above described phenomena, were analysed using the partial least squares method. Findings Mutuality, reciprocity, trust and commitment are instrumental for the formation of supply chain relationships characterised by higher information integration. In turn, information integration has much stronger impact on the coordination of operational decisions related to production and demand planning than on decisions related to actual production processes, but, interestingly, the latter affects supply chain performance much more than the former. Research limitations/implications The research could benefit from a longitudinal rather than a cross-sectional approach, incorporating multiple respondents such as representatives of supply chain partners and senior management of the focal firm, to capture potentially varying opinions on the supply chain phenomena under examination. Practical implications The results can assist supply chain decision-makers in understanding the importance of behavioural closeness between supply chain partners for the development of collaborative supply chain relationships that lead to higher integration and superior performance. Insight is provided on linkages between examined dimensions of supply chain integration. A process view of intermediate steps needed to translate collaborative relationships into higher supply chain integration and performance across the supply chain is offered. Originality/value The development and testing of an integrated model examining linkages between supply chain relationship antecedents, integration and performance is an original contribution. By proposing and confirming a sequential order of the influence of behavioural antecedents, integration dimensions and their impact on supply chain performance, the paper sets foundations of a roadmap for achieving higher supply chain performance from collaborative supply chain relationships. Finally, the paper contributes to the limited theoretical justification on the development of knowledge for assisting decision-making in SCM/logistics and its integration into models, processes and tasks.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2016-0211   open full text
• Antecedents and consequences of supply chain information integration: a resource-based view.
  
  Supply Chain Management. December 12, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 6, Page 661-677, September 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of supply chain information integration (SCII) and their consequences on company performance from the perspective of resource-based view (RBV). Design/methodology/approach Based on empirical survey data collected from 202 Australian manufacturers, this study examines the effects of strategic supply chain relationship (SCR) and supply chain technology (SCT) internalization on external and internal information integration (II) and the effects of external and internal II on operational (operational efficiency and service quality) and financial performance. Structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation methods are used to test the proposed relationships. Findings The results indicate that both strategic SCR and SCT internalization are positively related to external and internal II. Moreover, strategic SCR has a stronger positive relationship with external II than with internal II, and SCT internalization has a stronger positive relationship with internal II than with external II. Internal II is positively related only to service quality, and external II is positively related only to operational efficiency. Both operational efficiency and service quality are positively related to financial performance. Originality/value This study contributes to the SCII literature and provides significant managerial implications for manufacturers to leverage their supply chain resources and capabilities by establishing a resources-capabilities-performance framework for the antecedents and consequences of SCII.

  December 12, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2015-0336   open full text
• Supply network-enabled innovations. An analysis based on dependence and complementarity of capabilities.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 642-660, August 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to seek to explain the influence of power asymmetry and the moderating role of an organization’s absorptive and desorptive capacity on enhancing supply chain competence from its orientation to open innovation with its supply network. Design/methodology/approach To perform this study, the authors use data collected from 262 European firms. They apply regression analysis to test the moderating role of an organization’s absorptive and desorptive capacity on enhancing its supply chain competence from its orientation to open innovation. Findings The results confirm both the influence of power asymmetry and absorptive capacity on obtaining benefits that derive from an organization’s orientation to open innovation. The results do not, however, support the moderating effect of an organization’s desorptive capacity. Subsequent analyses performed in the study show that organizations that achieve complementarity among their own absorptive capacity and the capacities of its supply network manage to obtain greater benefits from its orientation to open innovation. Originality/value This paper responds to the need to study innovation in the context of a supply network and respond to calls in the literature on open innovation and supply chain management for the need to study the moderating role of absorptive and desorptive capacity.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2016-0062   open full text
• Lean and green synergies in supply chain management.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 627-641, August 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how synergies between lean and green supply chain practices emerge. In particular, the authors explore which practices identified in the literature are actually implemented in a synergic way and determine what synergic results they bring. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth case study of the Brazilian subsidiary of a large multinational company was conducted using interviews, in-plant observations and document analysis. Findings The majority of the practices (26 out of 31) bring synergic results to lean and green performance. Synergies can emerge spontaneously (rather than being strategized) even when the implementation of green and lean practices is compartmentalized in different areas, with no department or supportive management team to treat them in a joined way. The strongest synergic results are found in practices related to suppliers and customers because these supply chain actors act as bridges between the lean and green areas. Research limitations/implications The authors did not have access to the company customers and suppliers. This restriction made the analysis of drivers skewed towards the perspective of the focal company and the way they framed their interactions. Second, the assessment of synergies was in the majority of cases qualitative. Originality/value Empirically, it is the first time that all synergic practices identified in the literature are explored through a case study. Theoretically, the authors developed a model of determinants of lean and green synergies based on constructs emerging from the data; behavioural literature in synergies and research on synergies in mergers and acquisitions.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-03-2016-0101   open full text
• The growing scale and scope of the supply chain: a reflection on supply chain graduate skills.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 610-626, August 2016.
  Purpose The growing scale and scope of the supply chain requires a greater understanding of the broader supply chain skills picture. This study aims to assess the supply chain skills needs within the context of a UK-based higher education institution involving graduates, academics and employers to appreciate the graduate skills demands of modern supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods study entailing in-depth interviews with academics followed by a questionnaire distributed to graduates and employers has been designed and utilised. Findings The findings indicate that the changing supply chain scope encourages the requisition and development of different supply chain skills with varied levels of emphases in relation to 25 skills identified in the literature. Key graduate skills needs are highlighted, including time management, collaborative learning, teamwork and problem solving, with the addition of two supply chain skill areas, namely specialist training and the understanding and application of regulations. The findings of the current study present a limited emphasis on information technology (IT) skills, despite the significant IT advancements and changes in supply chains. Research limitations/implications The study has been carried out in a UK university delivering undergraduate supply chain management courses. It would be beneficial to test whether the findings are exemplary across other supply chain courses and to investigate the integration of these skills within the supply chain syllabus and how employers, graduates and academic parties could actively engage in developing the agenda for future supply chain skills needs. Practical implications This research paper highlights the gaps in supply chain skills, which inevitably puts considerable pressure on operatives and managers whose responsibility it is to ensure compliance with regulations and professional bodies. Originality/value This paper contributes to the supply chain skills discussion and reports subject relevant challenges for supply chain educators by engaging three key stakeholders – graduate employers, graduates and academics. The findings have generated additional supply chain skills to the academic literature, in addition to providing an understanding of the weighting of skills in terms of their importance and application to industry needs.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-02-2016-0059   open full text
• An analytical model for system-wide and tier-specific assessment of resilience to supply chain risks.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 589-609, August 2016.
  Purpose Based on the emerging view of supply chains as complex adaptive systems, this paper aims to build and test an analytical model for resilience assessment surrounding supply chain risks at the level of the supply chain system and its individual tiers. Design/methodology/approach To address the purpose of this study, a multimethod research approach is adopted as follows: first, data envelopment analysis (DEA) modelling and fuzzy set theory are used to build a fuzzy network DEA model to assess risk resilience of the overall supply chains and their individual tiers; next, the proposed model is tested using a survey of 150 middle- and top-level managers representing nine industry sectors in Iran. Findings The survey results show a substantial variation in resilience ratings between the overall supply chains characterizing nine industry sectors in Iran and their individual tiers (upstream, downstream and organizational processes). The findings indicate that the system-wide characteristic of resilience of the overall supply chain is not necessarily indicative of the resilience of its individual tiers. Practical implications High efficiency scores of a number of tiers forming a supply chain are shown to have only a limited effect on the overall efficiency score of the resulting supply chain. Overall, our research findings confirm the necessity of adopting both the system-wide and tier-specific approach by analysts and decision makers when assessing supply chain resilience. Integrated as part of risk response and mitigation process, the information obtained through such analytical approach ensures timely identification and mitigation of major sources of risk in the supply chains. Originality/value Supply chain resilience assessment models rarely consider resilience to risks at the level of individual supply chain tiers, focusing instead on the system-wide characteristics of supply chain resilience. The proposed analytical model allows for the assessment of supply chain resilience among individual tiers for a wide range of supply chain risks categorized as upstream, downstream, organizational, network and external.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2015-0430   open full text
• Humanitarian supply chain use of cloud computing.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 569-588, August 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of cloud computing (CC) use on collaboration and its ultimate impact on the agility of humanitarian supply chains. Further, this paper aims to analyze the moderating role of inter-organizational trust in the relationship between CC use and collaboration. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides an empirical assessment of CC use based on an interview analysis of 19 individuals from humanitarian organizations. A survey questionnaire is later used with 107 participants from US relief organizations. Partial least squares test is used to examine the relationships depicted in the conceptual model. Findings The results provide an account of how CC is used in a humanitarian context. Further, the results indicate that CC use has a positive and significant impact on collaboration between humanitarian organizations and their suppliers. Collaboration is found to be significantly positively associated with agility in humanitarian organizations. Research limitations/implications No study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has empirically assessed the impact of CC use on humanitarian supply chain collaboration. This will be the first study to empirically analyze the relationships between CC use, inter-organizational trust, collaboration and agility in a humanitarian context. Practical implications This study provides a theoretically and empirically validated model depicting the relationships between CC use, collaboration, agility and inter-organizational trust in humanitarian supply chains. Humanitarian organizations can use these findings to optimize agility. Originality/value This study contributes to supply chain management research, particularly humanitarian supply chain management knowledge, by empirically examining the usefulness of CC use on collaboration and agility in the supply chain.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-01-2016-0024   open full text
• Interplant coordination, supply chain integration, and operational performance of a plant in a manufacturing network: a mediation analysis.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 550-568, August 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships at the level of plant in a manufacturing network, labelled as networked plant in the paper, between inter-plant coordination and operational performance, supply chain integration (SCI) and operational performance and inter-plant coordination and SCI. Design/methodology/approach This paper is developed based on the data obtained from the sixth version of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI). Specifically, this paper uses a subset of the IMSS VI data set from the 606 plants that identified themselves as one of the plants in a manufacturing network. Findings This paper finds that external integration is significantly related to operational performance of networked plant, whereas internal integration is not. As an enabler for external integration, the influence of internal integration on operational performance of networked plant is mediated by external integration. This paper also provides evidence to the purported positive impact of internal integration on inter-plant coordination, as well as the positive impact of inter-plant coordination on external integration. It further suggests that inter-plant coordination can influence operational performance of networked plant through external integration and also mediate the relationship from internal integration to performance through external integration. Originality/value This paper contributes to the SCI literature and extends the understanding of the impact of SCI on the operational performance by selecting networked plant as a unit of analysis. Besides, this paper distinguishes inter-plant coordination from SCI and investigates the relationship between inter-plant coordination, SCI, and operational performance for the first time.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-10-2015-0391   open full text
• Does finance solve the supply chain financing problem?
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 534-549, August 2016.
  Purpose Recently, in response to the credit crunch and the increased costs of financing, new solutions for supporting the financial management of supply chains, known as supply chain finance (SCF), have been developed. They exploit the strengths of supply chain links to optimise working capital. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reference framework that links together the objectives leading to the adoption of SCF solutions and several moderating variables. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a multiple case study methodology, analysing 14 cases of the application of SCF solutions among Italian companies. Findings The main findings are the identification of the different objectives leading to the adoption of SCF; the analysis of the impact of moderating variables (the level of inter- and intra-firm collaboration, the level of the trade process digitalisation and the bargaining power and financial strength of the leading firm) on SCF adoption; and the formulation of a reference framework supporting the effective adoption of SCF solutions. Research limitations/implications This contribution is exploratory in nature; theory-testing contributions should be the focus of further research. Also, the sample is limited to Italian companies. Finally, the service provider’s point of view has been marginally taken into consideration in this study. Originality/value The article addresses the need for more empirical research on SCF. It provides a reference framework focused on the objectives and moderating variables leading to effective SCF adoption, providing a theory-building contribution on the general topic of SCF and on the specific topic of the adoption process of different SCF solutions.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2015-0436   open full text
• Who’s to blame or praise? Performance attribution challenges in outsourced service provision in supply chains.
  
  Supply Chain Management. September 16, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 5, Page 513-533, August 2016.
  Purpose The aim of this paper is to understand the antecedents and effects of performance attribution challenges arising in the provision of business-to-business (B2B) services in supply chains. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on three in-depth case studies of logistics service providers (LSPs) offering supply chain solutions to their clients in Sweden. The analysis of performance attribution challenges and their antecedents and effects is based on 38 semi-structured interviews and review of 43 documents, including contracts and performance monitoring records. Findings Three key antecedents of performance attribution challenges are stressed. Two of these, the inseparability and contestability of service inputs, are closely related to the notion of service co-production. The third antecedent is the limited provider capability in performance data collection and analysis. Performance attribution challenges may result in provider aversion to performance-related risk and have a harmful effect on client relationships, for example, in terms of provider perceptions of opportunism and unfair allocation of gains. These effects can be mitigated through contracting, interventions in performance measurement system design and deployment of relational mechanisms. Research limitations/implications The paper extends the service management literature that emphasises on service co-production by suggesting that inputs of the client firm and its supply chain partners may not only vary in quality but also can be inseparable from provider inputs and highly contestable. It also empirically demonstrates how performance attribution challenges and their antecedents and effects manifest themselves in B2B service provision, as opposed to supply chain settings where the main user of logistics services is the consumer. Practical implications LSP managers should contract for performance based on high-quality and incontestable external inputs they rely upon. Contractual specifications (performance indicators and related incentives) should explicate and consider the inputs required by clients and their supply chain partners to minimise their contestability. Originality/value The study proposes an empirically based framework of the antecedents and effects of performance attribution challenges, an issue that has received scant attention in logistics outsourcing research and the business services literature more broadly.

  September 16, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-11-2015-0439   open full text
• Dealing with defaulting suppliers using behavioral based governance methods: an agency theory perspective.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 499-511, June 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore factors influencing the effectiveness of buyer initiated behavioral-based governance methods (BBGMs). The ability of BBGMs to improve supplier performance is assessed considering power imbalances and the resource intensiveness of the BBGM. Agency Theory is used as an interpretive lens. Design/methodology/approach An explorative multiple case study approach is used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from buying companies involved in 13 BBGMs. Findings Drawing on Agency Theory several factors are identified which can explain BBGM effectiveness considering power differences and the resource intensiveness of the BBGM. The data show that even high resource intensive BBGMs can be implemented effectively if there are benefits for a powerful supplier. Cultural influences and uncertainty of the business environment also play a role. Originality/value This study develops a series of propositions indicating that Agency Theory can provide valuable guidance on how to better understand the effectiveness of BBGMs. Underlying mechanisms are identified that explain how power imbalance does not necessarily make improvement initiatives unsuccessful.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2015-0299   open full text
• Associating the motivation with the practices of firms going green: the moderator role of environmental uncertainty.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 485-498, June 2016.
  Purpose This study aims to explore the moderation effect of environment uncertainties (supply, competition and demand) in the relationship between a firm’s drivers (internal and external) and practices (purchasing, design and manufacturing, logistics and internal management) when going green. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire survey was utilized in this study. The survey was distributed to 981 electronic manufacturing companies, with 174 valid responses collected (a response rate of 17.74 per cent). Confirmatory factor analysis and regression models were then conducted to test the result. Findings The result indicates that both the internal and external drivers have significant influence on the adoption of green-related practices when firms go green. It is further confirmed that the practice of green purchasing is significantly influenced by the moderator of environmental uncertainty. Moreover, supply uncertainty has the most significant influence on numerous green practices, such as green purchasing, internal management and green logistics. Originality/value This paper measures the drivers, practices and environmental uncertainty of firms going green from multiple perspectives. It provides guidance to practitioners on how to choose appropriate practices in accordance with the uncertainties they are facing.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-05-2015-0184   open full text
• Accelerating supply chain management learning: identifying enablers from a university-industry collaboration.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 470-484, June 2016.
  Purpose There is an acknowledged need to advance the supply chain management (SCM) learning agenda, with an emphasis on integration. This paper discuss an Australian university–industry collaboration aimed at accelerating SCM learning and offers some insight into models for building a forward-looking SCM. Design/methodology/approach The research is an exploratory case study of the industry–university collaboration, using grounded theory procedures. The primary data involved 25 interviews with key participants from the university and industry partners, and from the first cohort of students in the undergraduate program developed within the collaboration. Findings A theoretical framework for accelerating SCM learning was developed from the case study data; it comprises six constructs that influence, at strategic and operational levels, the acceleration of SCM learning. Four cross-construct concepts from the framework that form the cornerstones of accelerated learning are discussed in some detail. Research limitations/implications The framework facilitates an examination of successes and shortfalls in the case study collaboration and generates a deeper understanding of critical elements for progressing the SCM learning agenda, and expanding SCM education. As with all qualitative research, the results may not be generalisable; testing the relevance and usefulness of the framework with the field will be an important next step. Practical implications As the framework identifies conditions, characteristics and capacities of organisations and individuals that support the acceleration of SCM learning, it can provide assistance in designing future university–industry collaborations for advancing SCM learning. Originality/value The framework identifies critical success factors for alliances and partnerships aimed at accelerating learning in an emerging body of knowledge such as SCM.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-10-2014-0343   open full text
• Dynamic development and execution of closed-loop supply chains: a natural resource-based view.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 453-469, June 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to reflect on recent closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) practices using a natural resource-based view (NRBV) and dynamic capabilities (DC) perspective. Design/methodology/approach Two empirical case studies of CLSC exemplars are used to discuss the theoretical relevance of these views. Findings The paper shows how strategic resources help companies in two sectors achieve successful CLSC designs. Strategic supply chain collaboration is an important success factor but also presents a number of challenges. The NRBV is used to explain the importance of new resources in technology, knowledge and relationships and stresses the role of DCs to constantly address changes in the business environment to renew these strategic resources. Research limitations/implications This research elaborates on NRBV theory related to CLSCs and reinforces the inclusion of DCs. It specifies the application of NRBV in the context of textiles and carpet manufacture and highlights the inherent conflicts in seeking value while moving towards sustainable development. Practical implications Investments in technical and operational resources are required to create CLSCs. Pure closed-loop applications are impractical, requiring relationships with multiple external partners to obtain supply and demand for recycled products. Social implications CLSCs may provide opportunities for social enterprises or third sector organizations collaborating with manufacturers. Originality/value This paper provides insights into the constituent resources needed for successful CLSCs. It also helps move CLSC research from a tactical logistics problem to a problem of strategic resources and relational capabilities: what we term “dynamic supply chain execution”. This paper develops a framework for transitioning towards CLSCs, underlining the importance of co-development and forging new relationships through commitment to supply chain redesign, co-evolution with customers and suppliers and control of supply chain activities.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-12-2014-0405   open full text
• The impact of ambidexterity on supply chain flexibility fit.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 433-452, June 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether supply chain (SC) ambidexterity improves supply chain flexibility (SCF) and its impact on SC competence and firm performance. A new measurement instrument for SCF is proposed that takes into account the demands of the environment: SCF fit. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model is developed to examine the relationships proposed. The hypotheses are tested with data from 302 manufacturing firms using a structural equations model methodology. Findings The results show that SC ambidexterity helps to achieve the optimal level of SCF and that supply chain management (SCM) is important to firm performance. Research limitations/implications This paper makes three contributions to the SCM literature: first, it develops the conceptual definition of SC ambidexterity and studies its effects at the SC level; second, it develops a new instrument to measure SCF known as SCF fit; third, it studies both the impact of SCF fit on SC competence and the importance of SC in firm performance. Practical implications This paper develops a measurement instrument that permits managers to diagnose the level of SCF and the correspondence/gap between current and optimal levels and to establish comparisons between different SC. It also indicates the importance of SCM for firm performance and the need to consider the SC as a whole. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to analyze ambidexterity in an organizational network like the SC. It shows that exploitation practices do not jeopardize SCF as long as they are accompanied by exploration practices. That is, high levels of exploration and exploitation are compatible in the SC and lead to the optimal level of SCF.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2015-0328   open full text
• Contextual factors and lean production implementation in the Brazilian automotive supply chain.
  
  Supply Chain Management. June 14, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 417-432, June 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to understand the patterns of lean production implementation, and the relationship between three context factors (i.e. firm size, positions within the supply chain and time length of the lean initiative) and the adoption of lean production practices in firms of the automotive supply chain in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 65 companies of the automotive supply chain in Brazil. For data analysis, first a cluster analysis was performed to identify common characteristics in the companies’ context factors when considering patterns of lean implementation. Then, multivariate analysis of variance was used to investigate the differences between the context factors and the degree of use of lean practices. Findings High lean adopters had better performance than low lean adopters in terms of lead time, inventory and turnover. Firms at the first and second tier of the automotive supply chain were “leaner” than firms at the third tier. Large-sized firms were more likely to have a higher degree of use of lean practices than medium and smaller ones. Some, but not all, lean practices followed these patterns. Results also showed that some lean practices were most commonly adopted at the beginning of the lean journey, whereas others took more time to mature. Originality/value This paper demonstrated how lean practices were implemented at different positions within the supply chain, and the patterns of implementation often followed. It also considers lean in the context of developing countries such as Brazil.

  June 14, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-05-2015-0170   open full text
• Institutional pressures, resources commitment, and returns management.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 398-416, May 2016.
  Purpose This study aims to explore the relationships among institutional pressures, commitment of resources and returns management. Returns management is regarded as a part of supply chain management. However, the research in returns management has received much less attention. To bridge the gap, this study concerns key concepts from two important schools of thought, i.e. institutional theory and the resource-based view, to build up the research model. Design/methodology/approach Retailers and maintenance providers in the 3C industry (computers, communication and consumer electronics) in Taiwan were surveyed, and the statistical methods of hierarchical and moderated regression were used to examine the relationships among institutional pressures, commitment of resources and returns management. Findings Institutional pressures, comprising non-market and market pressures, affect the implementation of returns management (product return practices and product recovery practices). Commitments of resources positively and significantly moderate the relationship between the pressures imposed by non-market and market actors and product return practices and product recovery practices. Research limitations/implications This study investigates only the factors that drive returns management. Future research can examine the relationship between the antecedents and consequences of returns management. Furthermore, returns management may become increasingly critical for firms to develop and perform corporate social responsibility (CSR). Therefore, future research can investigate the relationship between CSR practices and returns management. Practical implications This research suggests that managers under institutional pressures should continually pay attention to the effects of external factors on returns management. Additionally, the results reveal that a commitment of resources can reinforce the relationship between the pressures imposed by non-market and market actors and the implementation of returns management. Under significant institutional pressures and resource constraints, managers may increase the effectiveness of returns management while attending to the concerns of non-market and market actors. Originality/value This study presents a model that considers three major explicative variables: institutional pressures, resources commitment and returns management. It is the first investigation to integrate three streams of literature on institutional theory, the resource-based view and returns management.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-04-2015-0144   open full text
• Reverse resource exchanges in service supply chains: the case of returnable transport packaging.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 381-397, May 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how reverse resource exchanges and resource dependencies are managed in the service supply chain (SSC) of returnable transport packaging (RTP). Design/methodology/approach A single case study was conducted in the context of automotive logistics focusing on the RTP SSC. Data were collected through 16 interviews, primarily with managers of a logistics service provider (LSP) and document analysis of contractual agreements with key customers of the packaging service. Findings Resource dependencies among actors in the SSC result from the importance of the RTP for the customer’s production processes, the competition among users for RTP and the negative implications of the temporary unavailability of RTP for customers and the LSP (in terms of service performance). Amongst other things, the LSP is dependent on its customers and third-party users (e.g. the customer’s suppliers) for the timely return of package resources. The role of inter-firm integration and collaboration, formal contracts as well as customers’ power and influence over third-party RTP users are stressed as key mechanisms for managing LSP’s resource dependencies. Research limitations/implications A resource dependence theory (RDT) lens is used to analyse how reverse resource exchanges and associated resource dependencies in SSCs are managed, thus complementing the existing SSC literature emphasising the bi-directionality of resource flows. The study also extends the recent SSC literature stressing the role of contracting by empirically demonstrating how formal contracts can be mobilised to explicate resource dependencies and to specify, and regulate, reverse exchanges in the SSC. Practical implications The research suggests that logistics providers can effectively manage their resource dependencies and regulate reverse exchanges in the SSC by deploying contractual governance mechanisms and leveraging their customers’ influence over third-party RTP users. Originality/value The study is novel in its application of RDT, which enhances our understanding of the management of reverse exchanges and resource dependencies in SSCs.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2015-0265   open full text
• Trade credit dynamics during the phases of the business cycle – a value chain perspective.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 363-380, May 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of how the business cycle affects net-trade-credit and its components in firms on different tiers of the value chain, including retail, wholesale and two consecutive manufacturing tiers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by the means of four surveys in the years 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2014, representing different phases of the business cycle, that is, from strong economic growth to a deep recession and on to slow recovery and finally into decline. Descriptive statistics and three ANOVA models were used in the analysis of the data. Findings The distinctive profile of each value chain tier appears to have an effect on tier-specific trade credit dynamics. Overall, upstream positioned firms and small firms are likely to experience a decline in the net-trade-credit during uncertain economic times. The type of task interdependence between tiers also appears to affect trade credit dynamics in some tiers of the value chain. Furthermore, initiated by recession, certain trade credit dynamics in the value chain suggest a mechanism that transmits an increased working capital burden from customers to suppliers along the value chain. Research limitations/implications Results are based on survey research with a limited amount of respondents and geographical coverage, implying limited generalisability. The use of implicit measures limits the conclusiveness of the research. Originality/value The conventional perception of the power-based determination of trade credit policies is complemented with a value chain-related task interdependence perspective. The results of this paper also highlight that a more holistic value chain perceptive on working capital management would be more sustainable in comparison to firm-centric approaches.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2015-0307   open full text
• Value chain analysis: an iterative and relational approach for agri-food chains.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 352-362, May 2016.
  Purpose Value Chain Analysis (VCA) is established as a diagnostic tool. The purpose of this study is to extend existing applications and develop an iterative and relational method. to facilitate the application of VCA to agri-food chains as a strategic process rather than a diagnostic tool. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple case study design, the new approach to VCA was applied to four Australian prawn fisheries. These fisheries varied in size, location, management structures and marketing arrangements and allowed the general applicability of the approach to be explored. Findings The application of the revised VCA revealed the importance of undertaking a strategic approach, with the outcome for all fisheries being a greater understanding of their consumers and an enhanced realisation of commercial opportunities. Two fisheries completed the revised VCA, and the findings show that a relational approach is crucial in creating value. In addition, it was shown that formalised structures and the informal behaviours of the value chain members have a strong positive impact on the relationship process. Research limitations/implications The research furthers the value chain literature and contributes an iterative approach to the application of VCA. The research also shows that obtaining improvements is not achievable for all chains, and, if the entire chain is not engaged with the process, the value of the results will be compromised. Further research is needed to confirm the validity of findings in other food industries. Originality/value The relational approach is an original contribution to the area of VCA research and provides industry with a blueprint for creating successful value chains. Specifically, the areas of implementation and evaluation make an original contribution to the theoretical and practical knowledge of value chains.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-06-2015-0220   open full text
• Factors that influence interorganizational use of information and communications technology in relationship-based supply chains: evidence from the Macedonian and American wine industries.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 334-351, May 2016.
  Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand how interorganizational relationships influence information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled supply chain (SC) interactions of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developed versus developing economies through the theoretical lens of transaction cost economics and social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses case study data to examine SMEs operating in both a developing economy, the Republic of Macedonia, and a developed economy, the USA. Findings Insights reveal that the institutional context (i.e. environmental uncertainty) has significant indirect influence on ICT use by SMEs from rule-based and relationship-based SCs in the wine industry through contractual and relational mechanisms (i.e. contracts and social bonds). Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the body of SC knowledge by providing a comparative qualitative analysis of interorganizational factors (i.e. information sharing, collaboration, trust, contractual governance, relational governance and environmental uncertainty) that influence ICT use by SMEs in upstream wine SCs from developing and developed economies. Practical implications This paper provides valuable implications for the SC participants (e.g. grape suppliers, wineries and other suppliers) and industries (e.g. Macedonian and American wine industries) related to ICT use and non-use. Originality/value This study makes a novel contribution by being the first to qualitatively explore ICT use by SMEs from the wine industry and to identify the importance of legal institutional environment in buyer–supplier exchanges from developed versus developing economies.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-08-2015-0343   open full text
• Watch the working capital of tier-two suppliers: a financial perspective of supply chain collaboration in the automotive industry.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 321-333, May 2016.
  Purpose This paper aims to examine how lack of financial cooperation damages the operational efficiency of supply chains. The thesis is that economic and technological forces are provoking increasing financial tensions that push companies to transfer their credit needs and inventory requirements to their weakest suppliers. Thus, what might initially seem positive from an individual perspective can in fact generate losses in production efficiency for the supply chain as a whole. Design/Methodology/approach This paper uses official data collected from 116 first- and second-tier suppliers in the Spanish automotive components sector, covering nine years (2001-2009). The relationships between the key variables are analysed using panel data estimations. Findings Significant differences were found between the working capital (WC) of first- and second-tier companies, proving additionally that although this approach may temporarily improve the results of first-tier suppliers, it leads to lower production efficiency in plants throughout the value chain. Practical implications Practitioners should avoid short-sighted attitudes when organizing the supply chain on a cooperative basis, going beyond the conventional wisdom on physical and information flows between original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers to reach upstream stages and embracing financial considerations. Originality/value The paper takes a novel approach to the issue of inter-organizational collaboration in the supply chain, aiming to go beyond conventional Lean Supply practices. From an empirical point of view, while much of the research on the topic utilizes key informant insights collected using psychometric data collection techniques, this study uses different financial proxies collected from secondary panel data.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-03-2015-0104   open full text
• Motivational influences on supply manager environmental sustainability behavior.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 305-320, May 2016.
  Purpose Although supply chain managers serve a central role when implementing corporate environmental sustainability objectives, existing literature does not demonstrate high levels of supply manager support for such initiatives. This paper aims to investigate the potential of individual behavioral influences to explain supply manager orientation toward environmental responsibility. Methodology/approach This paper constructs a research model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore how personal environmental motivations influence supply manager environmental behavior in the workplace. This paper also incorporates hyperbolic discounting as a cognitive bias moderator in the model. The research hypotheses were tested with regression of survey data of practicing supply managers in the USA. Findings Support was found for the direct TPB hypotheses, revealing the importance of an individual’s personal attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control on interpreting and applying the organization’s environmental sustainability objectives. Although the interactive effect of hyperbolic discounting as a cognitive bias was not supported, a direct effect was found. Practical implications The findings can help organizations improve supply manager support for sustainability initiatives. Originality/value Prior supply chain sustainability research has examined drivers and barriers at political, legal, economical and overall firm levels. This study expands this research base by investigating individual-level barriers and drivers related to personal responsibility for environmental sustainability. As a second contribution, integration of cognitive biases in the TPB has been understudied in existing literature.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2015-0283   open full text
• The influence of supply chain on the innovation process: a systematic literature review.
  
  Supply Chain Management. May 24, 2016
  Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3, Page 289-304, May 2016.
  Purpose The importance of innovation as a generator of competitive advantage and the collaborative nature of this process are recurring themes in the literature. This paper aims to contribute to the improvement of knowledge about the relationship between supply chains and the innovation process by means of a systematic literature review. Methodology/approach The method used consists of the identification, selection, analysis and synthesis of existing research on the subject and aims to ensure that the review is transparent, auditable and replicable. This paper presents the analysis of 94 papers from 37 journals and the major contributions are explored. Findings The identification and analysis of relevant articles showed the complexity, timeliness and the wide-ranging character of the theme. The analysis of articles allowed the identification of facilitators of the innovation process, as well as five approaches applicable to supply chains to drive the innovation process. From these analyses, a model synthesising the main practices identified for improving innovation performance is presented. Research limitations/implications When carrying out literature reviews, the selection of articles might be considered subjective. To circumvent this limitation, the papers have been assessed by three researchers. Practical implications The results presented can be applied in the decision-making process by managers in the areas of innovation and supply chain. Originality/value This paper synthesises knowledge involving the relationships between supply chains and the innovation process. The analysis is based on quantitative and qualitative criteria.

  May 24, 2016   doi: 10.1108/SCM-07-2015-0266   open full text