Behavioural issues in supply chain collaboration: communicating the literature via interactive learning

Abstract

Technological innovation enables modern Supply Chain Management (SCM). The willingness to reassess the roles and behaviours of management is required to unleash the true creative power of SCM. Unfortunately, most managers and business educators have focused more on quantitative and technical aspects of SCM than on creating an environment that supports systems thinking and holistic decision making. Without redefining the system, collaboration will not occur at levels needed to create the learning SC. To help managers and educators make a closer examination at collaborative behaviour, we review the literature and illustrate its theory through an interactive simulation that demonstrates the need to go beyond technology to culture and structure to establish a truly collaborative SC model. One unique benefit of this approach is the simulation can be run first hand to support the literature and provide the significant emotional event needed to promote the needed paradigm shift to true SC collaboration.