Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the potential of outsourcing of humanitarian logistics activities to commercial logistics service providers (LSPs) throughout the different disaster phases. The authors identify incentives for initiating outsourcing of humanitarian logistics activities to commercial logistics providers, humanitarian logistics activities to be outsourced and selection criteria for partners.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on empirical data collected by interviewing 12 practitioners from commercial LSPs and 12 practitioners from humanitarian organizations (HOs). A review of related literature guided this research.FindingsThis research shows that incentives for initiating outsourcing engagements, partner selection criteria and activities to be outsourced are changing throughout the different disaster phases. A number of research propositions are presented.Research limitations/implicationsThis research constitutes a first step towards the goal of a comprehensive analysis of humanitarian logistics outsourcing throughout the different disaster phases. The authors collected data from practitioners and large organizations based mainly in Europe and the USA. Hence, insights from national and local organizations of other parts of the world are missing.Practical implicationsThis research provides a deeper understanding of outsourcing of humanitarian logistics activities. As the main implication for practice, the research suggests a strategic use of outsourcing during the three disaster phases. The authors acknowledge that business objectives, risks, stakeholder agendas and requirements, as well as costs play a vital and changing role for outsourcing decision-making during the three disaster stages. The managerial implications arising from the research can provide support to commercial LSPs and HOs that initiate or develop strategic outsourcing relationships.Originality/valueThis study covers the gap in the humanitarian literature related to context-specific factors of outsourcing in humanitarian logistics by empirically investigating the phenomenon. This is one of the first studies that empirically investigate the potential of outsourcing of humanitarian logistics activities throughout the disaster phases.
Highlights
Logistics services providers play an increasingly prominent role in humanitarian operations by entering into commercial and non-commercial relationships with humanitarian organizations (HOs) (Hoxtell et al, 2015; Bealt et al, 2016; Vega and Roussat, 2015)
2.3 Findings from literature review The review of Vega and Roussat (2015) revealed that up to 2013, no study considered logistics service providers (LSPs) as a focal firm in humanitarian supply chains (Vega and Roussat, 2015) and only four papers referred to the involvement of LSPs in humanitarian logistics as a mean to increase the overall humanitarian performance ( Jahre and Jensen, 2010; Schulz and Blecken, 2010; Cozzolino, 2012; Jensen, 2012)
We found nine research papers that are published in peer-reviewed journals that focus on logistics providers and outsourcing in humanitarian operations as well as on business-humanitarian partnerships with focus on logistics (Nurmala et al, 2018, Baharmand et al, 2017; Cozzolino et al, 2017; Bealt et al, 2016; Wang et al, 2016; Vega and Roussat, 2015; Abidi et al, 2015; Sań chez Gil and McNeil, 2015; Nurmala et al, 2017)
Summary
Logistics services providers play an increasingly prominent role in humanitarian operations by entering into commercial and non-commercial relationships with humanitarian organizations (HOs) (Hoxtell et al, 2015; Bealt et al, 2016; Vega and Roussat, 2015). Current research on humanitarian operations acknowledges that HOs can draw valuable lessons from private enterprises and vice-versa © Ioanna Falagara Sigala and Tina Wakolbinger. The full terms of this licence Journal of Humanitarian Logistics may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode and Supply Chain Management
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