Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the key drivers and challenges to supply chain collaboration in the humanitarian sector; to appraise the relationships between international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and local non-governmental organizations (LNGOs) during disaster relief; and to explore the humanitarian context in regard to supply chain collaboration.Design/methodology/approachLiterature from both the commercial and humanitarian sectors is discussed in the context of vertical partnerships. A Jordanian study spanning a network of 26 international and LNGOs is explored via semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe research provides valuable insights on the challenges facing LNGOs and INGOs when developing partnerships. Contextual factors, including host governmental policies and the social-economic setting of a disaster directly affect the motivations for supply chain collaboration between LNGOs and INGOs.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is built on interviewees with 30 humanitarian professionals working in one country during an extended crisis. The majority of the empirical data are only from one actor’s perspective, thus further research into dyadic and network relationships is required. Approaches to addressing the diverse cultural and decision-making perspectives of LNGOs and INGOs warrant further investigation.Practical implicationsRecognizing the motives and challenges to vertical partnerships between LNGOs and INGOs will assist the managers, both at the strategic and operational levels, to find solutions and evolve strategies to build effective partnerships. Compromise and consideration for partner’s drivers and cultural views are essential for effective joint humanitarian relief initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper extends supply chain collaboration to a humanitarian context. Overcoming the challenges facing collaborative efforts and complementary nature of the drivers provide a means to achieve effective partnerships. Despite the uniqueness of the humanitarian context, such as the secondary nature of cost and dynamic demand, the core principles of collaboration still hold.
Highlights
The frequency and impact of disasters have increased almost threefold in the last four decades according to the records of the Emergency Events Database (Thomas and López, 2015)
Many international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) expressed their satisfaction with the fast approvals, in relation to decision making, that were granted when dealing with large local non-governmental organizations (LNGOs) that have tribal authority and good connections with the ministries, or that can offer tax and custom exemptions on the donations received
Such LNGOs are normally sponsored by members of the Jordanian Royal Family
Summary
The frequency and impact of disasters have increased almost threefold in the last four decades according to the records of the Emergency Events Database (Thomas and López, 2015). In response to the diversity and intensity of these disasters, humanitarian organizations are critical to delivering the right aid to the right people at the right place quickly to alleviate unnecessary distress (Chandra, 2006; European Commission, 2008). This is important for the survival of displaced persons and communities. Supply chain management has demonstrated its applicability in the commercial sector, but less so in the humanitarian arena (Fawcett and Waller, 2013). Funding is typically available over a short period (Balland and Sobhi, 2013), while the outcomes of the relief actions are hard to quantify and evaluate accurately (Tomasini and Van Wassenhove, 2009; Nikbakhsh and Farahani, 2011)
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