Supply Chain Business Research Articles

The Impact of Supply-Chain Management Capabilities on Business Performance in Egyptian Industrial Sector

The aim of the research is to add to the knowledge of supply chain management practices by exploring the relationships among three constructs of supply chain management capabilities (SCMC) including outside–in process capabilities (OIC), inside-out process capabilities (IOC) and spanning process capabilities (SC) as the concepts proposed by Day (1994) and confirmed by the empirical studies provided through Tracey, Fite and Sutton (2004) and Tracey, Lim and Vonderembse (2005) through developing and testing a research framework of supply chain management capabilities and its impact on business performance construct. Based on the literature review, a proposed research model and five hypotheses are developed. The results indicated that there are significant positive correlation between the three constructs of supply chain management capabilities and business performance. Hypotheses (H2 and H4) are supported and accepted, hypotheses (H1 and H3) are supported but partially accepted, and hypothesis (H5) is rejected; therefore, the overall obtained results of testing the research hypotheses supported the proposed relations in the research.

Investigating the impact of short food supply chain on emigration: A study of Valencia community in Spain

Recent financial crisis had severe impact on many economies around the globe. In Spain, it has resulted in increasing job loss, increasing short food supply chain businesses and rise in emigration. This research investigates how direct trades between producers and consumers (short supply chain) affect decisions of those who have decided to emigrate abroad. This paper also questions whether short supply chains can be part of the solution to restrict emigration by creating employment opportunities in depressed economies such as autonomous community of Valencia in Spain. This research adopts quantitative approach and a survey strategy. The research concludes that short food supply chain (SFSC) businesses could be one of the potential solutions to address some of the issues raised by the globalization, such as the unemployment and environmental damage. In addition, data findings also show that launching an SFSC business could be a way to avoid issues associated with emigration.

Making firm supply chain arrangement fit business contingency: an empirical study

Using the primary data gathered by a nation-wide survey of US textile industry, this study analysed firm supply chain arrangement from a business contingency perspective. In analysis, supply chain arrangement was measured by the focus of a firm on leanness, hybrid, or agility, while environmental characteristics as business contingency were captured by the degrees of environmental diversity, complexity, dynamism, and hostility. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling were utilised to construct the statistical analysis. The results revealed that the supply chain arrangements in response to business environment by high and low performers were significantly different. High performers better fit business environment than low performers, and maximised the benefits of interaction with business environment. A dissonance between supply chain arrangement and business environment could only result in conflicting capabilities and wasted resources, consequently, lower performance.

An extension proposition for the Agent-Based Language Modeling Ontology for the representation of Human-Driven Collaboration in Supply Chain Systems

Supply chain systems bring a new perspective to collaboration in organizations. Human driven collaboration through communication, knowledge sharing, and cooperation, can be extended outside the organization and its partners in the supply chain. However, while human driven collaboration is part of business processes in the supply chain, they are usually depicted in models either from a high-level abstract view or implicitly included in the use of the exception related mechanisms. This creates the need for an ontology capable of representing human-driven collaboration in Supply Chain Business Processes that can enable collaboration. The Agent Lab Language (TALL) ontology was chosen as a possible solution to the proposed research problem because it is constructed around the concept of an agent and business collaborations. A Bunge-Wand-Weber ontological representation analysis was further used to evaluate the ontological completeness of the Agent Language Lab (TALL). From this analysis a set of propositions was elaborated in accordance with human-driven collaboration requirements. Following these propositions and the results of the analysis, additional constructs were proposed to the TALL ontology as a solution to the research problem.

A General Supply Chain Continuity Management Framework

Innovation challenges for handling supply chain risks have become one of the most important drivers in business competitiveness and differentiation. Furthermore, supply chain risk evaluation is of a great importance in emerging areas such as biomanufacturing, nanotechnology, and energy. However, with the advent of globalization and the advance of new technologies, the global and lean supply chains are more than ever at risk. In this scenario, this paper has the purpose to develop a general supply chain business continuity framework, which is an extension of the model developed by [1]. The fact that this model has already been implemented in the pharmaceutical supply chain risks in business units of Iran [2], demonstrates the potential of its replication to different field of industry all over the world. In addition, this paper shows that this framework can be extended to the financial and marketing operational constructs.

Including carbon emissions in the planning of logistic networks: a Brazilian case

The issue of sustainability has gained increasing importance in the agenda of government leaders and business managers alike, all over the world. Companies have come to realise that on top of being beneficial for the planet, strategies for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability policies represent important opportunities for businesses growth. Many such strategies are related to the business supply chain, where most decisions that impact emissions and sustainability are made. Examples of such decisions can be found in supply chain logistic network design and management: facility location, definition of transportation modes, and distribution policies, including which facilities should serve what markets. In this work, a nonlinear mathematical model to support the planning of more sustainable logistic networks was developed using a plausible hypothetical logistic network located in Brazil as a case. One aspect of the developed model that sets it apart from others in the current literature is that in addition to traditional logistic costs, carbon emission costs resulting from transportation activities along the supply chain were also taken into account in the analysis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by using a computer simulation aimed at evaluating road and rail transportation modes, in terms of the impact that each has on the cost optimisation of the network configuration, especially in regard to the total cost of emissions and stocks held in the chain to ensure a desired level of customer service.

A Conceptual Model for Investigating the Possibility Effect of Environmental Uncertainty on the Relationship between Supply Chain Operational Capabilities and Business Performance

This paper expands previous research by modelling the contingency effect of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain operational capabilities (SCOC) and business performance. Previous research found that there is strong relationship between SCOC and business performance. However, the contingency effect of environmental uncertainty is not included. In addition, the last research was focused on SMEs, but similar study related to creative industries is rarely to find. Even, creative industries have similarities to SMEs. Therefore, focusing on creative industries and adding environmental uncertainty in different country (Indonesia) would enrich the generalization, especially the issue in supply chain management. This paper also contributes to provide guidance in terms of relationship among the constructs in theoretical model for the managers of creative industries.

Sex and salary

Purpose – This paper aims to develop and test hypotheses on determinants of supply chain managers’ salaries. While women make up about half the workforce, there is evidence in the trade press that they receive far less than half of the compensation. Sex of the manager and size of his or her organization are among the predictors of salary. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses are tested using regression analysis of data from a survey of supply chain managers in Canada. This technique enables testing for a gender effect, while controlling for the effects of other factors. Findings – Seven variables are found to be significant predictors of supply chain manager salaries. Smaller companies pay lower salaries. Small business supply chain/logistics managers working longer hours with a professional designation, more experience, greater budgetary responsibility and greater share of compensation coming as a bonus earn higher salaries. Finally, male small business supply chain managers earn more than their female counterparts. Research limitations/implications – The piece includes a discussion of limitations and future research opportunities into the gender salary gap. Practical implications – There are implications for small businesses wanting to hire supply chain managers, and for female (and male) managers looking for work. Social implications – This paper presents evidence of possible gender discrimination against half the population. The potential social implications are tremendous. Originality/value – This is a unique piece of research in testing theory-driven hypotheses about supply chain salaries, especially by including gender and organizational size as predictors.

Cyber supply chain risk management: Revolutionizing the strategic control of critical IT systems

Cyber supply chain risk management (CSCRM) is a new discipline designed to help IT executives address the challenges of the rapid globalization and outsourced diffusion of hardware and software systems. CSCRM is an integrative discipline combining elements of cybersecurity, supply chain management, and enterprise risk management into a new and powerful concept to exert strategic control over the end-to-end processes of the focal organization and its extended enterprise partners. This article provides a survey of the field, as well as a detailed analysis of the results of a four-year research project on CSCRM, conducted by the Robert H. Smith School of Business Supply Chain Management Center for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, that focused on the development of organizational assessment tools and a capability/maturity model for this emerging discipline.

Measuring social compliance performance in the global sustainable supply chain: an AHP approach

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has increasingly become an important operation task for business organizations in recent decades in orderto be positioned competitively within industry supply chain management. The economic, environmental, and social goals come from the threemajor dimensions of SSCM and they are derived fromcustomer and stakeholder requirements. The social compliance program (SCP)is a basic requirement established and aimsto evaluate suppliers and or business organizations’ SSCM implementation as foundation.An empirical checklist used to commonly use as a tool to evaluate suppliers’ performance in the field of social compliance, but the argument is that it is insufficientand approaches ambiguity when examiningthebusiness efforts of sustainable decisions. Today, for instance, less in-depth theoretical data are qualitativelyutilized for suppliers’ social compliance performanceevaluation. This paper represents a case study to illustrate the proposed SCP criteria used for evaluating and selecting sustainable global suppliers is practicable in field of meeting social compliance perspective. This study adopts the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology by using a multi-criteria decision framework to measure the SCP within SSCM. For comparison, we collected the relevant factors and alternatives through aquestionnaire collected from 137 surveys that were submitted by various business units from a global sports brand company, whose suppliers are located in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It appears that, in general, the concept of management involvement, the launch of a management system, communication within collaboration, a training mechanism, and a transparent attitude and performance action are critical elements that lead business decisions and supply chain sustainability. We present reliable factors thatcontribute to the framework decision model and which are applicable to business entities for effectively evaluatingand selectingsustainable suppliers. Moreover, we find that the value mechanism applied to suppliers can also enhance the motivation of the business model and to meet the goal dimension of SSCM.

Profitable SME internationalisation: the influence of cross-relational and relationship-specific network competence

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often internationalise to enhance their long-term survival and profitability. Their abilities to develop business network relationships with supply chain and other business partners have also been found to have a beneficial effect on their international success. However, the influence of such network competence on their long-term profitability has received less attention. The aim of this study is to do so, by examining how the network competence of SMEs influences their internationalisation propensity and subsequent profitability. Using a sample of 298 Finnish SMEs across five industries, the results indicate that relationship-specific network competence is associated with increased likelihood of first foreign market entry, whereas cross-relational network competence is positively related to increased profitability among internationalised SMEs. Thus, internationalising SMEs benefit from both types of network competence, but their importance depends on the phase of the internationalisation process and on the strategic goals of the firm.

Analysing the importance rating of CSR challenges in order to improve the supply chain performance

To achieve a high reputation, in the competitive market place, organisations are trying to implement CSR strategies along with their supply chain business functions. The objective of this research is to identify and analyse the significant CSR challenges with an aim to improve the SCP of automobile industry located at NCR of India. To achieve the objective, seven CSR challenges have been considered and analysed using preference rating approach. In order to make analyses more robust, a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach has also been used to suggest implementable strategies for improvements in SCP. The results indicate that the CSR challenge ‘narrow perception towards CSR initiatives’ holds first rank through achieving highest importance rating (1.0000), highest prominence (6.3194) and highest relation (1.0834) value, among other considered challenges. The findings of this research may help mangers in CSR based decisions-making processes for improving the SCP of their organisation.

Direct Supply Chain from Forest to House Builder: A Japanese Business Model

We developed a direct supply chain from a forest to a house builder for environment-friendly wooden long-life housing based on the “progressive market-in” method. This business model successfully incorporates the external environmental value of the house into its market price.In this paper, we discuss the direct supply chain business model and its environmental effect in Japan, using a micro approach (for individual economic bodies) and a macro approach for the country.

Strengthening supply chain risk management for business continuity: a case study approach

This research is undertaken to determine the current business supply chain risk management (SCRM) practices in Malaysia's electronics industry after the Japan earthquake and tsunami through assessment of robustness, resilience, flexibility and agility of the supply chain. In this study, findings of the case studies of buyer-seller (dyadic) relationships conducted on SCRM practices are reported. Three interviews were conducted with senior managers from one of the top Japanese electronics manufacturers as well as its component parts supplier. We observed that while successful SCRM greatly enhances business continuity, securing the supply chain requires a full collaboration among supply network partners, a well-aligned structure and a more dynamic and innovative approach for catastrophic risks management. We also proposed a conceptual framework that can be used in future study for examining the relationship of robustness, resilience, flexibility, agility of a supply chain and firm's sustainability.

An Empirical Study on the causal relation of Partnerships Factors, Supply Chain Responsiveness and Business Performance in International Certification Companies

An Empirical Study on the causal relation of Partnerships Factors, Supply Chain Responsiveness and Business Performance in International Certification Companies

Loyalty in Business to Business Context: A Study in Puchong, Malaysia

Customer loyalty has been a focus of marketing as it is believed that higher level of customer loyalty may result in higher levels of repurchase. Numerous researches are carried out on the antecedents of customer loyalty in consumer market, but not many been discussed within business market and supply chain environment. This study aims to examine how product value, profitability, marketing support and perceived switching costs can influence customer behavioural loyalty in the business-to-business (B2B) context. By targeting small retailers as case market, tailored questionnaires were distributed to 150 business customers. The findings of this study suggests that customer behavioural loyalty towards supplier can be improved by focusing on increasing product value, enhancing profitability and building switching of costs.

Supply chain challenges and their implications for business strategies : a small and medium sized enterprises perspective in Lithuania

The purpose of the article is to find out patterns of interdependency, in terms of opportunities targeted and strategies deployed, between current supply chain challenges and business strategies of small and medium sized enterprises in Lithuania. The research starts with the theoretical analysis of the problem, then the results of an empirical study on supply chain challenges faced and business strategies undertaken by small and medium sized enterprises in Lithuania are presented. At the end of the article conclusions and further research suggestions are formulated.

Operations Analysis: A Case for Supply Chain Performance

Under the on-going globalization economic trend, for international businesses that transports raw material, intermediary goods, and end products across borders, establishing and sustaining an efficient supply chain is the most critical part of their business strategy to succeed. But how do managers know that the firms supply chain is performing efficiently and effectively? Continuous measurement to obtain feedback and implementation of improvements based on the retrieved information is the answer to that. Balanced scorecard, which was developed by Kaplan and Norton, was a milestone for performance evaluation in supply chain management, which asserted in measuring performance not just from financial perspective, but to determine by focusing on the customer, internal process, and learning & growth. Since then to present, the scorecard has been evolved to further generations to correspond with the rapid changing economic situation.The following case study on Danone Dumex Sdn Bhd was conducted on a purpose to appraise a practical international business supply chain by using first generation balanced scorecard as a gauge. Danone Dumex was chosen as evaluation target due to the nature of business, which is a manufacturing firm that requires multinational logistics. For the research method, company report was reviewed, personal interview to a supply chain director was performed, and extensive information sources were revised and filtered. From the assessment, for customer, financial, and internal process perspective, Danone Dumex had an outstanding performance. This is attributable to their business strategy of customer above all, and based on that, the firm has established a prominent standard in quality control and market forecasting system, and implemented to its supply chain by utilizing customized SAP. Meanwhile, their less emphasis on learning and growth perspective should be reconsidered in a long-run, as its competitors are improving on the same direction as Danone Dumex is heading.

A Quality and Partnering-Based Model for Improving Supply Chain Performance

This study proposes a Supplier Quality Affiliation (SQA) approach that is integrated into a mixed integer programming Strategic Supply Chain Management (SSCM) model for overall improvement of the supply chain business process. A pool of acceptable quality and high quality suppliers are affiliated using multi-dimensional quality attributes for the supplier operation parameters in the SQA model. Based on the pre-defined partnering attributes, the SQA model next identifies a select group of high quality suppliers that can be converted into partners. The outcome of the SQA model is then integrated into the SSCM model for ensuring input quality while providing several options for overall business gains of the supply chain members, which include suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers. Applicability of the SQA model is investigated using a real world case study and the SSCM model is illustrated with a numerical example using random data.

The Influence of Communication and Information Quality on Trust in the Small Business Supply Chain

IntroductionIt is recognized that organizations use alliances and partnerships to leverage performance vis-a-vis environmental uncertainty. Indeed, an emerging body of research focuses on partnerships undertaken by small businesses (Beekman & Robinson, 2004; Gelinas & Bigras, 2004; Richter, 2004). We know, for instance, that partnering with small firms offers benefits to incumbent firms (Afuah, 2001). However, while we understand the legitimacy benefits that small firms can obtain through such partnerships, we know less about the specific processes by which small-business partnerships improve the quality of their collaborations.We have moved from Gulati's (1998) challenge to unravel the interesting yet vexing problem of alliance performance. We know that partner-specific skills accumulate over time leading to improved performance over the duration of an alliance (Lavie & Rosenkopf, 2006; Soda, Usai, & Zaheer,2004) and that the embeddedness obtained through trusted, deep partnerships enhances performance (Andersson, Forsgren, & Holm, 2002). However, despite this repository of research, a great many alliances fail (Gulati, Sytch, & Mehrota, 2008) while others persist despite failing to produce desired benefits (Inkpen & Ross, 2001). Improving the quality of such alliances is often attributed to improvements in trust, information sharing and communication (Johnston, McCutcheon, Stuart, & Kerwood, 2004).Even so, a great deal of our research on alliances emphasizes outcomes specific to larger, publicly traded firms. This bias in the strategy literature related to performance manifests because performance measures for such firms are more readily available than are such measures for small firms. Small firms are often left unstudied (or perhaps under-studied) in strategic research. While understandable, this lack of focus may generate findings regarding firm-alliance performance relationships that do not, in fact, generalize to small businesses. We know, in general, that small businesses often lack the managerial expertise of larger counterparts (Chaganti & Parasuraman, 1996), and we know that small businesses typically lack resource endowments which might sustain them during periods of uncertainty (Porter, 1 99 1 ). We further recognize the importance of partnerships and alliances for small businesses, both for the resources they bring, and also for the legitimacy they confer (Lerner, 1999). What we know less about is how small business managers and owners utilize communication and information sharing as a conduit to developing more trusting partnerships.Taken together, these findings suggest the importance of examining the characteristics of trust, communication and information quality for small businesses. Lacking the resources of their larger partners, small businesses find themselves highly reliant on the quality and trustworthiness of their larger partners (McDowell, Harris, & Zhang, 2009). This study seeks to examine how small business managers rely on communication and information quality as correlates to trust (see Figure 1).The remaining sections proceed through four areas. First, we discuss the relevance of a small business emphasis in research. Second, we examine extant literature and detail a theorygrounded model specifying an expected relationship between communication, information quality and emergent trust in partnerships. We then proceed to details of the study at hand. Finally, we conclude this with a discussion of our findings and discuss future research directions.Literature ReviewSmall BusinessThe existence and performance of small businesses are critical to the economic health of a nation. Current research provides evidence that small businesses provide flexibility (Gelinas & Bigras, 2004), learning opportunities (Beekman & Robinson, 2004), job creation (Audretsch, 2003), along with innovation and rapid sales growth possibilities (Connell, 2009; Lerner, 1999). …