The Collaborative Supply Chain

Dependence structure, relational mechanisms and performance: teasing out the differences between upstream and downstream supply chain partners

Purpose

Firms are subject to power from both upstream and downstream partners; those partners may have different or even opposing impacts on supply chain relationships and financial performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate how upstream and downstream dependence structures affect a firm's financial performance through upstream and downstream relational depth (DEP) and relationship extendedness (EXT).

Design/methodology/approach

Data representing both upstream and downstream supply chain perspectives was collected using a multiple-respondent survey and was further augmented using financial performance data from an archival database.

Findings

Dependence advantages (ADVs) and disadvantages from upstream and downstream partners affect relational mechanisms and firm performance differently. Only downstream ADV will enhance a firm's DEP and EXT and subsequently affect firm's revenue and profit. Contradictory to widely held belief, the results reveal that firms that maintain long-term relationships with buyers and suppliers may experience lower revenue/profit.

Originality/value

This research represents a significant step in understanding the economic ramifications of dependence by (1) highlighting the difference between upstream and downstream supply chain dependence structure and (2) understanding the indirect effects of dependence structure on financial performance.

Applications of deep learning into supply chain management: a systematic literature review and a framework for future research

In today’s complex and ever-changing world, Supply Chain Management (SCM) is increasingly becoming a cornerstone to any company to reckon with in this global era for all industries. The rapidly growing interest in the application of Deep Learning (a class of machine learning algorithms) in SCM, has urged the need for an up-to-date systematic review on the research development. The main purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive vision by reviewing a set of 43 papers about applications of Deep Learning (DL) methods to the SCM, as well as the trends, perspectives, and potential research gaps. This review uses content analysis to answer three research questions namely: 1- What SCM problems have been solved by the use of DL techniques? 2- What DL algorithms have been used to solve these problems? 3- What alternative algorithms have been used to tackle the same problems? And do DL outperform these methods and through which evaluation metrics? This review also responds to this call by developing a conceptual framework in a value-adding perspective that provides a full picture of areas on where and how DL can be applied within the SCM context. This makes it easier to identify potential applications to corporations, in addition to potential future research areas to science. It might also provide businesses a competitive advantage over their competitors by allowing them to add value to their data by analyzing it quickly and precisely.

Operationalizing resilience through collaboration: the case of Sri Lankan tea supply chain during Covid-19

This paper investigates the impact of subcomponents of collaboration: information sharing, connectivity, coordination, integration, and visibility on the tea supply chain resilience of Sri Lanka during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research was carried out with mixed methods. The quantitative approach adopted a systematic random sampling technique to determine the sample size (n = 137), whereas the qualitative study used the purposive sampling technique to determine the sample size (n = 6). Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to tea supply chain professionals and structured interviews were conducted to collect data for the qualitative approach of the study. This study found that all the subcomponents of collaboration positively impacted on tea supply chain resilience during the Covid-19. Moreover, connectivity and coordination have the highest positive impact on tea supply chain resilience while the other three sub-components: information sharing, integration and visibility have significant but relatively less positive impact on supply chain resilience. Thus, tea exporting companies must prioritise, take action steps for enhancing connectivity and coordination when formulating supply chain strategies to enable supply chain resilience. The study being one of the latest empirical studies taking Sri Lankan tea supply chain as a case study, contributes to the knowledge having identified the impact of sub-components of collaboration on tea supply chain resilience during Covid-19. Sri Lanka is one of the most vulnerable middle-income countries and its economy suffered severely during the Covid-19 outbreak. The findings will be supportive in making tea supply chains much stronger, providing a robust contribution to the country's GDP as part of Sri Lanka's national efforts in economic rebuilding.

An emergency supplies scheduling for chemical industry park: based on super network theory

In a concentrated area of chemical industry parks (CIPs), emergency relief efficiency is not only affected by the rescue capability of themselves, but also their coordination relationships with other CIPs. Previous studies focus on the location of resource warehouse and the scheduling of logistics transportation, in the relief process after unexpected events, but rarely integrate them ideally in practice. This paper utilizes the super network theory to propose a regional emergency scheduling model to improve collaboration efficiency among primary relief centers (PRC), local relief centers (LRC), and CIPs. So, the proposed super network model fills the research gap of only considering emergency logistic supply chain and provides decision scheme regarding the emergency material dispatch plan. We developed a modified projection algorithm to solve the scheduling problem by turning it to a variational inequality and compare the performance under several disaster scenarios. The practicability of the model is proved by the result of the numerical example given.

Impacts of Collaborative Partnership on the Performance of Cold Supply Chains of Agriculture and Foods: Literature Review

Collaboration in a supply chain continuously proves its role in increasing the performance of supply chains, which attracts the attention of both academia and practitioners, specifically, how to generate higher impacts of collaborative partnership on the performance of supply chains and measure them. In cold supply chains of agriculture and foods, the vital need for collaboration becomes even more significant to improve the performance. Therefore, this paper reviews relevant articles derived from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Via the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), the research team classifies the types of collaborative partnership in cold agriculture and food supply chains, issues of the literature when analyzing collaboration impacts on the performance of CSCs of agriculture and foods, and finally, the opportunities for the future research to boost the collaboration practices in these cold chains. Following this sequence, 102 articles were eventually extracted for the systematic review to identify themes for not only addressing the review questions but also highlighting future research opportunities for both development of partnership integration and performance of the cold chains of agriculture and foods.

Identifying the key areas for benchmarking towards the improvement of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) construction firms in developing countries: the case of Ghana

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify key areas for benchmarking (BM) towards the improvement of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) construction firms in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed the use of the quantitative research method in the collection and analysis of primary data collected from field surveys using a piloted close-ended questionnaire created following a review of available literature on BM. Based on 63 solicited views of professionals with SMEs (quantity surveyors, project managers and architects) data collected were statistically analysed using a one-sample t-test.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that the key areas for BM towards the improvement of SME construction firms in developing countries in order of relevance are “Financial Performance”, “Competitiveness”, “Customer Satisfaction”, “Technology Advancement”, “Communication Skills”, “Collaboration”, “Employee Satisfaction” and “Product orientation”.

Practical implications

The study has given more insight into the areas that need more attention for SMEs BM to achieve improvement. It can therefore be suggested firms that adapted identified areas will derive the benefits of BM. It is further opined that more BM education should be provided to various SMEs construction firms to facilitate an effective and efficient BM regime aiming at performance enhancement in project delivery.

Originality/value

This forging research attempts to identify the key areas for BM towards the improvement of SMEs construction firms in developing countries. Although there have been several efforts to create BM tools for the construction industry.

Exploring Supply Chain Collaboration for Green Innovations: Evidence from the High-Tech Industry in Poland

The purpose of this article is to investigate whether the wide scope of supply chain collaboration including both customers and suppliers (Upstream–downstream External Collaboration) determines the greening of innovation more significantly than the scope limited only to suppliers (Upstream External Collaboration) or customers (Downstream External Collaboration). This goal was achieved as part of extensive research on the impact of relational capital on the innovativeness of high-tech companies in Poland. The results of the research were analysed using fuzzy conversion scales and descriptive statistics based on triangular fuzzy numbers. The application of the achievements of the fuzzy sets theory made it possible to test the hypotheses presented in the article with the use of fuzzy analysis of variance (fuzzy ANOVA). The findings confirm that the subjective scope of collaboration in the supply chain is important for greening innovation. Companies that cooperate with both suppliers and customers (Upstream–downstream External Collaboration) declared a greater tendency to green their innovations than those that cooperate with only one group of partners. The research findings contribute to the literature on the role of collaboration in the ecological responsibility and environmental performance of supply chain partners. The conclusions may have practical implications for the design and implementation of strategies in sustainable supply chain management. The study provides important lessons for SC managers facing the challenge of sustainable management during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Business continuity through customer engagement in sustainable supply chain management: outlining the enablers to manage disruption

Business continuity in disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic involves sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) with limited resources and risks for the well-being and prosperity of stakeholders and customers involved with limited environmental effects. The purpose of the paper is to outline enablers in customer engagement that supports SSCM in times of disruption like the COVID-19 pandemic. This research uses an extensive literature review followed by academic and industry practitioners' opinions to identify customer engagement enablers in SSCM for business continuity. Hybrid stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and rough set numbers rank customer engagement enablers that support SSCM in disruption. The research builds on stakeholder theory and the sustainability framework for economic performance through non-economic aspects. The research concludes that the focus on agility for target customers through collaboration and information sharing in SSCM will support business continuity. It shall support decision-making in the supply chain in uncertainties. Engagement with stakeholders leads to focused execution in response to customer demand through faster communication and crucial information sharing, thus eliminating bottlenecks for business continuity.

Agility in humanitarian supply chain: an organizational information processing perspective and relational view

Humanitarian organizations are increasingly facing challenges in terms of improving the efficiency and the effectiveness of their disaster relief efforts. These challenges often arise due to a lack of trust, poor collaboration and an inability to respond to disaster affected areas in a timely manner. Our study attempts to understand how these challenges are overcome by seeking answers to questions related to the topics of swift-trust, collaboration and agility in humanitarian supply chains. For instance, in our study we have attempted to examine how information sharing and supply chain visibility in humanitarian supply chains improve the swift-trust among the humanitarian actors engaged in disaster relief operations. Further, we attempt to understand how-swift trust, commitment and collaboration among the humanitarian actors improve the agility in humanitarian supply chains. In our study we provide both theoretical and data-driven answers to our stated research gaps. Our theoretical model is firmly grounded in organizational information process theory and relational view. We tested our research hypotheses using variance based structural equation modelling with survey data collected using a web based pre-tested instrument from 147 NGOs respondents drawn from the National Disaster Management Authority database. Our results help to advance the theoretical debates surrounding "swift-trust", "collaboration" and "agility" in humanitarian settings. We further provide direction to managers engaged in disaster relief operations. The humanitarian actors engaged in disaster relief often fail to understand how to build swift-trust. Moreover, how swift-trust further affects commitment and collaboration which in turn further affect agility in humanitarian supply chains. Thus humanitarian organizations must understand how information sharing and supply chain visibility is key to swift-trust among humanitarian actors and agility in humanitarian supply chains. Finally, we outline the limitations of our study and offer some future research directions for investigation.

Model for Optimizing the Ratios of the Company Suppliers in Slovak Automotive Industry

The Slovak automotive industry consists of various companies and suppliers, with different positions in the supply chain for automotive manufacturers. The accuracy of component deliveries and their quality affect the ultimate competitiveness of the entire automotive industry. The creation of strategic partnerships and stable supplier–customer relationships is currently a necessity. The aim of the article is to design the model for optimizing the ratio of the company suppliers in the Slovak automotive industry. The basis for designing the model was the results of our own research focused on the quality and timeliness of component deliveries from various suppliers. Supply chain members work with multiple subcontractors, using multiple subcontractors to supply the same components. We analyzed the overall quality of delivered components at a certain stage of the supply chain. The quality of the supplied components was the sum of all items from all suppliers. The aim of the proposed model is to determine the optimal percentage of individual suppliers of a particular part so as to minimize the overall risk associated with the supply and inventory of a particular part for the customer. Research methodology was focused on identification of the key performance indicators and key risk indicators of components deliveries by different suppliers. Those indicators provide a basis for the effective results of further research. We designed and used an algorithm for preparing and evaluating the model for optimizing the ratio of the company suppliers in the Slovak automotive industry. This research used modeling methods, simulations, and optimization models. The proposed model was verified in the specific conditions of the automotive supply chain. Deliveries from two subcontractors were simulated. Based on the results of the simulations, the optimal supply ratio of the two subcontractors was determined for a specific component of a member of the supply chain at a higher level. The results of the research can be useful for different suppliers in the Slovak automotive industry. By partially modifying the model and adapting it for different conditions in other industries, the model of optimizing the distribution of supply from individual suppliers can be used for other supply chains.

Enhancing sustainable supply chain management performance through alliance portfolio diversity: the mediating effect of sustainability collaboration

Purpose

While strategic alliances is a concept increasingly discussed in the field of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), an emerging and more crucial concept regarding alliances—namely, the alliance portfolio—is mostly ignored in the SSCM context. Mainly drawing on the categorisation–elaboration model (CEM), this research develops a three-layer model to explore the effects of three alliance portfolio diversity facets on the three triple-bottom-line SSCM performances through the mediation of sustainability collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach

The field data are collected from 321 Vietnamese manufacturers. Scale accuracy is assessed through the confirmatory factor analysis method. Hierarchical linear regressions are applied to test the proposed model and hypotheses.

Findings

Partner, governance, and functional alliance portfolio diversities have a U-shaped, inverted U-shaped, and positive linear effect, respectively, on sustainability collaboration. Sustainability collaboration is in turn found to enhance the SSCM performances in terms of economic, environmental, and social.

Originality/value

This research introduced a new theoretical lens, CEM, to the SSCM field. It also provided findings that can help firms to manage their alliance portfolios more dynamically in terms of the nature and diversity level of the portfolio and in a way that adds to the triple bottom line through the mediating effect of sustainability collaboration.

Supply Chain Resilience: Unleashing the Power of Collaboration in Disaster Management

This study builds on the extant literature of supply chain collaboration, specifically, vertical and horizontal collaboration, and examines how these capabilities influence the resilience of supply chains that experience regular natural disasters in rural communities, as their economic wellbeing relies heavily on the continuation of these supply chains. A multiple case study approach has been adopted to investigate the role of collaboration within food supply chains of two different South Asian regions. This context was selected because these regions are prone to regular natural disruptions, and these food supply chains also play a crucial role in the disaster relief process. The data revealed that effective communication, mutual dependence, information sharing, informal financial support, and trust are some of the components of supply chain collaboration that enhance the overall resilience of supply chains in natural disasters.

Supply chain vulnerability assessment for manufacturing industry

In today's business, environment natural and manmade disasters like recent event (Covid 19) have increased the attention of practitioners and researchers to Supply chain vulnerability. Purpose of this paper is to investigate and prioritize the factors that are responsible for supply chain vulnerability. Extant literature review and interviews with the experts helped to extract 26 supply chain vulnerability factors. Further, the relative criticality of vulnerability factors is assessed by analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Critical part supplier; location of supplier; long supply chain lead times; Fixing process owners and mis-aligned incentives in supply chain are identified as the most critical factors among twenty-six vulnerability factors. Research concludes that not only long and complex supply chain but supply chain practices adopted by firms also increase supply chain vulnerability. Relative assessment of vulnerability factors enables professionals to take appropriate mitigation strategies to make the supply chains more robust. This research adds in building a model for vulnerability factors that are internal to supply chain & controllable.

Communicating for change: a systems thinking approach

Purpose

This study describes in detail an application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC)-based systems thinking approach towards clear and effective communication in a change management exercise. The same is achieved through the example of a large defence organization that is struggling with a multitude of problems in its stores and purchase departments.

Design/methodology/approach

It is demonstrated through the case study how five systems thinking tools – Current Reality Tree (CRT), Evaporating Cloud (EC), Future Reality Tree (FRT), Negative Branch Reservation (NBR) and Prerequisite Tree (PRT) – can be applied in overcoming different layers of resistance and for getting the necessary agreement from the stakeholders for a successful change initiative.

Findings

The five logical thinking tools helped answer the three questions – “what to change”, “what to change to” and “how to cause the change” (Goldratt, 1990) – satisfactorily and overcome various layers of resistance to get the desired buy-in from the stakeholders for a successful change management exercise.

Originality/value

The cause-and-effect based method presented in this work is generic enough and can be adopted for getting a buy-in in a variety of change management contexts.

The conceptual framework on integrated flexibility: an evolution to data-driven supply chain management

Purpose

This paper aims to establish a relationship between supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain flexibility (SCF) to develop a two-dimensional approach, i.e. integrated flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on a relational view and dynamic capability theory, this paper argues that integrated flexibility is the strategy that enables organisations to achieve different positions and states to create distinctive capability. The article has proposed the conceptual framework that connects different supply chain strategies and practices to improve supply chain performance (SCP) considering the cross-disciplinary approach.

Findings

The conceptual framework around the new perspective, i.e. integrated flexibility, is built to deal with issues related to operations management. The paper suggests examining the mediating effect of SCF between SCI and SCP and the moderating role of knowledge management (KM), data analytics (DA) and quality management (QM) practices on their relationship. Moreover, research direction in terms of propositions and implications are developed to showcase how underlying practices streamline the supply chain and lead to superior SCP.

Practical implications

The proposed framework discusses the degree of integration and flexibility levels to guide practitioners in designing a supply chain strategy with their partners and answering how much resources need to be extended to achieve flexible operations and realise SCP.

Originality/value

Authors have developed an entirely new integrated flexibility concept that provides a base to sustain in the competitive market. The foundation of integrated flexibility is built on relational view and dynamic capability theory and supported by DA, QM and KM.

Impact of Coordination, Psychological Safety, and Job Security on Employees’ Performance: The Moderating Role of Coercive Pressure

Based on institutional theory, the current study examines the relationship of coordination, job security, psychological safety, and coercive pressure with employees’ performance. Further, coercive pressure is treated as a boundary condition between coordination, job security, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. A survey method was used to collect data from 235 faculty members of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. Study results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between job security and coordination with employees’ performance. The results also reveal that coercive pressure moderates job security, coordination, and psychological safety with employees’ performance. Implications for organizations and HEIs administration are discussed.

Potentials of blockchain technologies for supply chain collaboration: a conceptual framework

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potentials of blockchain technologies (BC) for supply chain collaboration (SCC).

Design/methodology/approach

Building on a narrative literature review and analysis of seminal SCC research, BC characteristics are integrated into a conceptual framework consisting of seven key dimensions: information sharing, resource sharing, decision synchronization, goal congruence, incentive alignment, collaborative communication and joint knowledge creation. The relevance of each category is briefly assessed.

Findings

BC technologies can impact collaboration between transaction partners in modern supply chains (SCs) by streamlining information sharing processes, by supporting decision and reward models and by strengthening communicative relationships with SC partners. BC promises important future capabilities in SCs by facilitating auditability, improving accountability, enhancing data and information transparency and improving trust in B2B relationships. The technology also promises to strengthen collaboration and to overcome vulnerabilities related to moral hazard and shortcomings found in legacy technologies.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is mainly focused on the potentials of BC technologies on SCC as envisioned in the current academic literature. Hence, there is a need to validate the theoretical inferences with other approaches such as expert interviews and empirical tests. This study is of use to practitioners and decision-makers seeking to engage in BC-collaborative SC models.

Originality/value

The value of this paper lies in its call for an increased focus on the possibilities of BC technologies to support SCC. This study also contributes to the literature by filling the knowledge gap of how BC potentially impacts SC management.

Assignment constraints in shared transportation services

Competitive markets, increased fuel costs, and underutilized vehicle fleets are characteristics that currently define the logistics sector. Given an increasing pressure to act in a manner that is economically and ecologically efficient, mechanisms that help to benefit from idle capacities are on the rise. In the Sharing Economy, collaborative usage is typically organized through platforms that facilitate the exchange of goods or services. Our study examines a collaborative pickup and delivery problem where carriers can exchange customer requests. The aim is to quantify the potential of horizontal collaborations under a centralized framework. An Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search is developed to solve yet unsolved test instances. A computational study confirms the results of past studies which have reported cost savings between 20 and 30%. In addition, the numerical results indicate an even greater potential for settings with a high degree of regional customer overlap. Unfortunately, these high collaborative gains typically come at the cost of an uneven customer distribution, which is known to be one of the main barriers that prevent companies from entering into horizontal collaborations. To generate acceptable solutions for all participants, several constraints are included in the model. The introduction of these constraints to single-vehicle instances, decreases the potential collaborative gain considerably. Surprisingly, this does not happen in more realistic settings of carriers operating multiple vehicles. Overall, the computational study shows that centralized collaborative frameworks have the potential to generate considerable cost savings, while at the same time limiting customer or profit share losses and enabling carriers to keep some of their most valued customers.

Analysis of the Value of Information and Coordination in a Dyadic Closed Loop Supply Chain

Purpose: This article analyzes the value of information and coordination in a closed loop supply chain (CLSC) and discusses the benefits of a global or local optimization approach and the impact of uncertainty. Methodology: A theoretical dyadic closed loop supply chain is analyzed where the manufacturer re-manufactures products returned by customers, producing “as good as new products” for the retailer. Twelve coordination scenarios were analyzed. For the definition of these scenarios, a framework based on two criteria was proposed: value of information and perimeter of decision making. Findings: Information on returns leads to lower costs than information on demand. In the presence of complete or partial coordination between the actors in the supply chain, it is preferable to have low product return rates. However, if we are in the complete absence of coordination, high rates of return are more convenient as they function as a buffer against uncertainties. The perimeter of decision making (global or local optimization) does not significantly improve the supply chain performance in relation to its costs. Only the exchange of information improves its performance. Therefore, companies should make efforts to exchange information, first, on their lot sizes, then on their returns and finally, on the customer demand. Originality: The novelty of our work relies on an analysis of the closed loop supply chain performance with the simultaneous presence of information, coordination, and uncertainty.

Supply chain collaboration: differing perspectives of Brazilian companies

Purpose

This article examines the extent of collaboration experienced by 191 Brazilian shippers, logistics service providers (LSPs) and carriers in their logistics operations in urban freight transport. This study investigates relationships over time, the type of service and the nuances associated with the frequency of meetings, frequency of technical visits and frequency of training.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors carried out a component analysis and, based on factor loadings, calculated indexes for use in non-linear canonical correlations to evaluate company-level differences in perceptions of the degree of collaboration and strength of relationship over time.

Findings

The results indicate that in the triad, LSPs are the strongest supporters of collaboration over time regardless of whether the logistics service is shared or dedicated; shippers demonstrate the weakest support for collaboration and prioritize relationships of one to three years in length. Carriers seek to develop short-term relationships and participate actively in meetings and technical visits because they strongly support strategic and interpersonal collaboration. Carriers also follow LSPs in terms of strategic and interpersonal collaboration and shared logistics services.

Originality/value

This article contributes to understanding the perceptions of interactions among specific logistics collaboration elements related to strategic, tactical and interpersonal relationships that the Brazilian companies face in their daily urban freight transport.

Trust and commitment in supply chain management: a systematic review of literature

Purpose

Trust and commitment (T&C) among the supply chain partners in the context of supply chain management (SCM) are of interest for both researchers and practitioners. This paper analyses literature on T&C and identifies gaps for further research.

Design/methodology/approach

The current literature review paper provides a comprehensive perspective on the topic using bibliometric analysis followed by a systematic review of literature. In all, 207 relevant articles were extracted from the Scopus database using the relevant key word searches. For the purpose of the systematic review, another 48 relevant papers were identified through an iterative process. Hence, 255 papers published between the years 1990–2019 were analysed for the sake of this study.

Findings

A total of 15 definitions of trust, nine definitions of commitment, 13 classifications of trust, 40 antecedents of trust, six classifications of commitments, 39 consequences of trust, 11 antecedents of commitment and 15 consequences of commitment were identified and analysed. Future research directions were presented.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to identifying the antecedents and consequences of T&C. A detailed framework could be developed in future research. The antecedent and consequences for T&C could be discussed in greater detail.

Practical implications

Important implications for managers emerge from this study for building and implementing T&C, as SCM requires a thorough understanding of relationship-building skills. The discussion on the definitions of T&C, types of trust and the antecedents and consequences provides important insights for practitioners for strategy formulation. Results provide important insights and bring about greater clarity for researchers and practitioners on T&C in SCM.

Originality/value

Through rigorous analysis of the prevailing research, this paper extensively reviews literature on T&C in SCM till 2019. It summarises the current status and proposes future research directions.

Social gains for artisanal agroindustrial producers induced by cooperation and collaboration in agri-food supply chain

Purpose

This study aims to analyze which collective actions (cooperation, coordination and collaboration), present in the supply chain of artisanal products, generate positive effects in terms of social gains.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct multiple case studies in the supply chain of seven artisanal agroindustries in the Distrito Federal, Brazil. The data were collected through interviews, documental analysis and direct observation. The data were analyzed using the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin (1977). With priori and a posteriori analytical categories, it was possible to conduct: a detailed analysis of the current situation of artisanal agroindustries regarding collective actions from the perspective of supplier/supplier and supplier/client and a detailed analysis for the possible effects of collective actions that impact the supply chain and the indicators of social sustainability of artisanal agroindustries.

Findings

The results indicate that cooperation and collaboration have contributed positively in the transactions of the products of the artisanal agroindustries, reflecting in social gains for the producing families. In this context, some collective actions can be highlighted as follows: the collective commercial spaces, the demonstration spaces of the artisan products in the clients’ environment, the prospecting of improvements from the final consumers, the face-to-face meetings with the suppliers, the product dissemination by the customer, the joint marketing actions and the rationalization of transportation logistics.

Research limitations/implications

The study used a qualitative approach and findings and discussion are inherently interpretative and cannot be generalized.

Practical implications

This study can contribute to researchers and practitioners interested in collective actions contributing to the incrementation of social responsibility in agri-food supply chains.

Social implications

Understanding how the collective actions support the inclusion of smallholding and artisanal producers in agri-food supply chains can help policymakers and managers to implement initiatives related to social responsibility, which can be measured using social indicators. This creates a social benefit through rural growth and economic development, generation of income and social productive inclusion of the artisanal producers in larger agri-food supply chains.

Originality/value

For the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper approaching collective actions as the main source of incrementation of social benefits, which can measure the incrementation of social responsibility in agri-food supply chains.

Model for Collaboration among Carriers to Reduce Empty Container Truck Trips

In recent years, intermodal transport has become an increasingly attractive alternative to freight shippers. However, the current intermodal freight transport is not as efficient as it could be. Oftentimes an empty container needs to be transported from the empty container depot to the shipper, and conversely, an empty container needs to be transported from the receiver to the empty container depot. These empty container movements decrease the freight carrier’s profit, as well as increase traffic congestion, decrease roadway safety, and add unnecessary emissions to the environment. To this end, our study evaluates a potential collaboration strategy to be used by carriers for domestic intermodal freight transport based on an optimization approach to reduce the number of empty container trips. A binary integer-linear programming model is developed to determine each freight carrier’s optimal schedule while minimizing its operating cost. The model ensures that the cost for each carrier with collaboration is less than or equal to its cost without collaboration. It also ensures that average savings from the collaboration are shared equally among all participating carriers. Additionally, two stochastic models are provided to account for uncertainty in truck travel times. The proposed collaboration strategy is tested using empirical data and is demonstrated to be effective in meeting all of the shipment constraints.

Thirty years of the International Journal of Logistics Management – a retrospective analysis

Purpose

International Journal of Logistics Management (IJLM) celebrated 30 years of its publication in 2019. This study provides a retrospective overview of the IJLM articles between 1990 and 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied bibliometrics to study and present a retrospective summary of the publication trends, citations, pattern of authorship, productivity, popularity depicting influence, and the impact of the IJLM, its contributors, their affiliations, and discusses the conceptual layout of IJLM's prolific themes.

Findings

With 23 yearly articles, IJLM contributed 689 specialized research papers on Supply Chain Management (SCM) by 2019. Authorship grew by 42 new contributors adding up to 1,256 unique IJLM authors by 2019. Each of its lead contributors associated with 1.55 other authors to contribute an article in the journal among which 93% are cited at least once. Survey-based research dominated in last 30 years. The h-index of the journal is 73 while its g-index suggests that 133 IJLM articles were cited at least 17,689 times in Scopus. IJLM authors affiliated to the Cranfield University and the US contributed the highest count of articles. Bibliographic coupling analysis groups IJLM articles into eight bibliographic clusters while network analysis exposes the thematic layout of IJLM articles.

Research limitations/implications

The literature selection is confined to the Scopus database starting from 1990, a year before the inception of the IJLM, thereby limiting its scope.

Originality/value

This study is the first retrospective bibliometric analysis of the IJLM, which is useful for aspiring contributors.

Supply chain collaboration in performance-based contracting: an empirical study

Purpose

Despite the significant increase in the adoption of performance-based contracting (PBC) in various industries, the primary value drivers of it are still not clear. Considering a lack of empirical evidence for PBC, this study investigates the effects of collaboration between the suppliers to understand the value offerings created in PBC by empirical findings. The purpose of this paper is to examine how supply chain collaboration (SCC) affects PBC benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 381 survey participants who hold the title of manager or above, hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The results reveal that a strong and positive relationship between SCC and PBC benefits.

Research limitations/implications

One of the limitations of this research is the collection of data through the Amazon Mechanical Turk online service. The experience level of participants in PBC and the absence of validation of these scale items by industrial experts are other limitations of this study. Nonetheless, the authors found convincing evidence that SCC has a positive effect on PBC benefits.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the importance of SCC to increase financial, operational and non-financial benefits of PBC for practitioners. The findings offer guidance for managers aiming to increase PBC benefits through SCC.

Originality/value

This is the first study to empirically examine the impact of SCC for better PBC and contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical findings in a PBC context. This research also develops valid and reliable instruments to measure PBC benefits through rigorous empirical and statistical analysis that can be used in future studies.

The Application of a Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making Model Based on Linguistic Extended VIKOR for Quantifying Risks in a Supply Chain Under a Fuzzy Environment

In this research, the quantification of supply chain risk has been investigated from the perspectives of the buyer. The objective of this research article is to investigate numerous risks that affect the aviation supply chain (ASC) performance and to develop a proposed framework to measure the overall supply chain risk index by considering the importance of each risk. Aviation industry is at higher level of risks, that's why the researchers have identified the most serious 10 supply chain risks (SCRs) in this industry. In order to tackle with this key problem, an indexing system for comprehensive risk evaluation has been developed, which captures the ratings and weights for risk factors, namely occurrence probability, severity of impact, and ease of mitigation, encountered by a holistic supply chain in a given scenario. In this context, to quantify the risks in a supply chain, the researchers have formulated as a fuzzy multi-attribute group decision making (FMAGDM) model, based on fuzzy FMEA and extended VIKOR methods to analyze the most feasible solution according to the selected risk parameters as per situation. The results of the present study depicted that disruption risk, financial risk, and legal/political regulations are the most significant and typical risk (ASC). A practical case study in an aviation sector of Pakistan is piloted to check the practicability of the suggested methodology. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model has been discussed by ranking risk alternatives in descending order. In order to check the robustness of results, a sensitivity analysis has been conducted.

Investigating the role of demand planning as a higher-order construct in mitigating disruptions in the European supply chains

Purpose

The goal of the paper is twofold. First, it aims to empirically conceptualize whether a wide array of fragmented demand planning activities, performed in supply chains, can be logically categorized into actionable sets of practices, which then form a broader conceptualization of the demand planning process. Second, regarding certain contextual factors, our research seeks to investigate the contribution of demand planning, as a higher-order construct, to mitigating disruptions induced by operational risks in supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, PLS-SEM was used to estimate the reflective-formative nature of the model. The results of PLS-SEM were additionally complemented by the assessment of the predictive power of our model. Finally, to reveal possible contingency effects, the multigroup analysis (MGA) was conducted.

Findings

The study suggests that demand planning process (DPP) is a second-order construct that is composed of four sets of practices, including goal setting, data gathering, demand forecasting, communicating the demand predictions and synchronizing supply with demand. The study also reveals that the demand planning practices, only when considered together, as a higher-order factor, significantly contribute to mitigating disruptions driven by operational risks. Finally, the research shows that the strength of the impact of demand planning on disruptions is contextually dependent.

Research limitations/implications

While the study makes some important contributions, the obtained findings ought to be considered within the context of limitations. First, the study only investigates disruptions driven by operational risks, ignoring the negative consequences of environmental risks (terrorist attacks, natural disasters, etc.), which may have a far more negative impact on supply chains. Second, the sample is mostly composed of medium and large companies, not necessarily representative of demand planning performed by the entire spectrum of companies operating in the market.

Practical implications

The study shows that to effectively mitigate disruptions induced by operational risks, the demand planning practices should be integrated into a higher-order construct. Likewise, our research demonstrates that the intensity of demand planning process is contingent upon a number of contextual factors, including firm size, demand variability and demand volume.

Social implications

The study indicates that to mitigate disruptions of operational risk, demand planning as a higher-order dynamic capability can be referred to the concept of organizational learning, which contributes to forming a critical common ground, ensuring the balance between formal and informal dynamic routines.

Originality/value

The paper depicts that to fully deal with disruptions, the demand planning practices need to be integrated and categorized into the dedicated higher-order. This may lead to forming demand planning as a higher-order dynamic capability that provides a more rapid and efficient rebuttal to any disruptions triggered by operational risks.

Cyber security risks in globalized supply chains: conceptual framework

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine cyber security risks in globalized supply chains (SCs). It has been seen to have a greater impact on the performance of SCs. The information and communication technology of a firm, which enhances the efficiency and effectiveness in the SC, could simultaneously be the cause of vulnerabilities and exposure to security threats. Researchers have primarily focussed on the cyber-physical system (CPS) vulnerabilities impacting SC. This paper tries to categorize the cyber security risks occurring because of the SCs operating in CPS.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the flow of information along the upstream and downstream SC, this paper tries to identify cyber security risks in the global SCs. It has further tried to categorize these cyber security risks from a strategic point of view.

Findings

This paper tries to identify the various cyber security risk and cyber-attacks in globalized SC for improving the performance. The 16 cyber security risks have been categorized into three categories, namely, supply risk, operational risk and demand risk. The paper proposes a framework consisting of different cyber-attacks across the information that flows in global SCs along-with suitable mitigation strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents the conceptual model of cyber security risks and cyber-attacks in globalized SCs based on literature review and industry experts. Further validation and scale development of these risks can be done through empirical study.

Practical implications

This paper provides significant managerial insights by developing a framework for understanding the cyber security risks in terms of the drivers of these risks and how to deal with them. From a managerial perspective, this framework can be used as a decision-making process while considering different cyber security risks across the stages of globalized SCs.

Originality/value

The major contribution of this study is the identification and categorization of cyber security risks across the global SCs in the digital age. Thus, this paper introduces a new phenomenon to the field of management that has the potential to investigate new areas of future research. Based on the categorization, the paper provides insights on how cyber security risks impact the continuity of SC operations.

Towards a Definition and Concept of Collaborative Resilience in Supply Chain

In the era of turbulent environment, handling disruptions and building resilience is of prime importance to businesses. Most literature on building resilience in a supply chain is organization-focused and discusses firm-level abilities to bounce back after a disruption. In this study, the authors explored and defined collaborative resilience in a supply chain. Specifically, a case study approach across five supply chains was followed. Through this research, an empirical definition and understanding of collaborative resilience in supply chains was derived as the finding of the study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical research to develop a definition of collaborative resilience in supply chain. This study may strike many future research studies for research on the phenomenon of collaborative resilience in supply chains.

Literature review on supply chain collaboration: comparison of various collaborative techniques

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to create an understanding on the magnitude and dimension of supply chain collaboration (SCC) reported in the literature. The detailed review discusses various indicators that help companies to implement collaboration successfully and create awareness on the barriers faced while initiating collaboration in supply chain (SC).

Design/methodology/approach

The meta-analysis includes full-text papers retrieved from the Web of Science database using verified keywords. The articles are reviewed for identifying the performance indicators used to evaluate the SC. The systematic review is performed for the collaborative techniques in the following categories: information sharing (IS); vendor managed inventory; and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment. The papers are then comprehensively analyzed for the approaches, and the key findings are mentioned along with the future scope.

Findings

The review suggests that the SC relationship, trust, quality of IS and technological involvement are to be focused for successful implementation of the collaborative technique. Proper collaboration helps SC partners to enhance their technique of operations in an effective manner which results in high business turnovers.

Originality/value

The review paper provides a quantitative study of SCC. A bird’s eye view of the scopes and benefits of using SCC for the academic scholars and industrial personnel are the primary concern discussed.

Measuring the flexibility index for a supply chain using graph theory matrix approach

Purpose

In complex business environment of today, organizations are trying to be flexible and agile for meeting dynamic demands of customers in terms of product variety, cost cutting and decreasing product life cycle. The main purpose of this paper is to identify different attributes of flexibility and to propose an approach for evaluating flexibility index of a supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Total 33 factors are identified from the literature and further clustered into six major groups. They are top management commitment, organizational factors, mutual understanding, flow of information, relationship and decision-making and responsiveness. On the basis of these factors, an index has been developed by using graph theory matrix approach to evaluate the flexibility intensity of the supply chain for the firm in consideration.

Findings

The proposed approach has been illustrated in context to an Indian automobile organization, and value of the flexibility index has been evaluated. Framework proposed will help the supply chain managers to evaluate the flexibility index of their respective organizations.

Research limitations/implications

As values taken for different flexibility sub-factors are based on inputs given by managers of case organization, chances of bias may be there. Therefore, a study may be validated with more case studies to validate the proposed framework. Based on the flexibility index, organizations can find their strong and weak areas for strategy development.

Originality/value

A firm can also compare the flexibility index of its own supply chain with other’s supply chain or with the best in the industry for benchmarking purpose. Benchmarking of flexibility will help organizations in developing strategies to compete in dynamic market scenario.

Logistics performance collaboration strategy and information sharing with logistics capability as mediator variable (study in Gafeksi East Java Indonesia)

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of collaboration, capability and information sharing (IS) on logistic performance, the effect of collaboration and IS on capabilities, the effect of collaboration on logistic performance through capabilities, the influence of IS on logistic performance through capabilities and the effect of logistics capabilities on logistics performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative approach and is included in explanatory research. This research uses cross section research design. The research populations are all companies incorporated in GAFEKSI (Joint Forwarder and Expedition Indonesia) of East Java. Sampling in this research is by using a purposive sample. The sample of this study amounted to 47 forwarder and expedition companies. Data analysis method used is partial least square.

Findings

Collaboration has a positive impact on capabilities (CAP); capability (LOC) positive impact on logistic performance; collaboration does not directly affect the logistics performance; and construct capabilities (LOC) is the mediation of IS in building business logistics performance. Increasing the intensity of IS has no direct contribution to increased flexibility, and collaboration is driven by partnership and network, whereas CT (trust) can be ignored, as it is not proven to make a dominant contribution to collaboration.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research is found in the strategic role of capabilities as the dominant latent variable in building business performance of logistic companies. This study finds dual mediation, where both mediations are expressed as full mediation, because the direct effect of mediator latent variables is significant (Little et al., 2010; Hair et al., 1995).

Evaluation of supply chain coordination index in context to Industry 4.0 environment

Purpose

Today, most of the manufacturing systems are changing very fast in terms of the adoption of new technologies. New technologies being implemented are Internet of Things, cyber physical systems, cloud computing, Big Data analytics and information and communication technologies. Most of the organizations in the value chain are implementing these technologies at the individual level rather than across the whole supply chain. It makes the supply chain less coordinated and causes suboptimal utilization of resources. For efficient and optimal use of modern technologies, supply chains should be highly coordinated. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an approach for determining the index to quantify coordination in the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

From the literature review, total 32 factors have been identified. These factors are further clubbed into six clusters for evaluation of the coordination index. The graph theoretic approach has been used for evaluating the coordination index of a supply chain of an Indian organization.

Findings

This study has illustrated a comprehensive approach to quantify coordination of a supply chains for effective benchmarking of the supply chain performance in the Industry 4.0 era. Presently, it is observed that top management is giving more focus on organizational issues such as lean organization structure, organization culture and responsiveness factors for improving coordination in the supply chain rather than on Industry 4.0 technologies.

Originality/value

This framework can also be used for comparison, ranking and analysis of coordination issues in different supply chains in the era of Industry 4.0. Organizations can use this approach for benchmarking purpose also to improve different supply chain processes for meeting dynamic market requirements.

Guanxi and intra-organizational conflicts: evidence from Chinese logistics industry

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand conflicts that develop between managers and their respective firms when a personal relationship is present between managers of buying and supplying firms in the Chinese logistics industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a case study methodology to allow for an assessment of the conflicts that emerge between managers and their respective firms when a personal relationship is present between them.

Findings

The findings reveal conflicts between managers and their respective firms as a result of personal relationship between managers buying and selling logistics services in China.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses semi-structured interviews with Chinese senior managers to explore intra-organizational conflicts, which develop as a result of personal relationships embedded within buyer–supplier relationships. The generalizability of the findings will have to be empirically examined in future research.

Practical implications

Chinese firms can use the findings to understand conflicts, which arise between managers and their respective firms when a personal relationship is present between managers engaged in the process of buying and selling logistics services.

Originality/value

A notable gap in buyer–supplier relationship literature, specifically in Chinese business culture, is an unfulfilled need for research examining intra-organizational conflicts, when a personal relationship is present between managers of buying and supplying firms in the logistics industry. This paper addresses this gap.

Centralized vs decentralized sourcing strategy for multi-tier automotive supply network

Purpose

Multiple stages of procurement for a product in a supply chain (SC) altogether form a “multi-Tier” supply network. The purpose of this paper is to develop and verify a systematic solution approach to ascertain the realistic cost advantage of a coordinated centralized sourcing strategy as compared to an isolated decentralized sourcing strategy for a multi-tier supply network under demand uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed systematic solution approach consists of seven steps to compare and contrast the cost advantage of a centralized coordinated sourcing strategy over a decentralized stage-wise sourcing strategy for a multi-tier supply network. A real-life automotive industry case analysis of two distinct products provides sufficient empirical evidence on the expected cost advantage of centralized coordinated sourcing strategy under demand uncertainty.

Findings

The case analysis affirms the practicability of the proposed seven-step solution approach to determine the realistic cost advantage of coordinated sourcing.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this research is restricted to a single product and two-tier supply network analysis. This research work also considers a restrictive assumption of negligible coordination cost.

Practical implications

The suitability of the proposed solution approach is verified using real-life case examples. This research provides theoretical insights and factual evidence to SC practitioners, so as to adopt a centralized sourcing strategy in a varied manufacturing environment.

Originality/value

There is no evidence of a systematic step-by-step solution approach to determine the cost advantage of a coordinated sourcing strategy over an isolated decentralized sourcing strategy for a multi-tier supply network under demand uncertainty.

Investigating the role of knowledge transfer in supply chain collaboration

Purpose

Despite the large literature base associated with dyadic collaboration, its knowledge-based antecedents are still not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to better understand those antecedents and to explore why the supply chain (SC) literature has found mixed results regarding knowledge transfer and absorptive capacity in dyadic collaboration research.

Design/methodology/approach

The critical incident technique (CIT) was utilized, using qualitative semi-structured interviews to refine a proposed research model. In total, 43 executives were interviewed each providing a description of both a successful and an unsuccessful SC dyadic collaboration. The interviews were analyzed to better understand the knowledge-based antecedents of buyer–supplier collaboration.

Findings

This study suggests that dyadic collaboration and subsequent outcomes are improved by successful knowledge transfer. Additionally, knowledge transfer requires both distributive and absorptive capacities in each participant. The research also uncovered new evidence to support the need for a collaborative orientation to support successful knowledge transfer.

Research limitations/implications

The interviews conducted using the CIT provided a wealth of information and executive experiences in SC collaboration. However, the interviews only provide a single perspective of collaborative engagements. Multiple perspectives of each collaboration would add value to this research.

Originality/value

SC collaboration and knowledge transfer have been well studied across disciplines. This research introduces new knowledge-related variables that can contribute to successful collaboration: distributive capability and SC collaborative orientation.

Framework to precede collaboration in supply chain

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to help supply chain (SC) decision makers successfully penetrate through SC collaboration and strengthen their SC in the global market by understanding collaborative activities, and understand how these activities are related to each other in the SC.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a set of collaborative activities from literature, and the developed model is helpful for SC decision makers to monitor their SC activities and take corrective actions to improve collaboration in their SC by using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis.

Findings

This study reveals that collaborative activities increase the value of whole SC. The various activities are modeled on the basis of “an activity influencing other activities” and “an activity influenced by other activities,” which is useful for SC managers to take a decision.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is literature based; therefore, there would be need of more explanation of the activities which lead to understand and implement SC collaboration in case of service and manufacturing industry.

Practical implications

The model of this study is helpful for decision makers to implement supply chain collaboration (SCC) and to understand various SCC activities on the basis of their driving and dependence power.

Originality/value

This research provided insight into skills needed for SC decision makers to implement collaboration in the SC using ISM. The results of the study could be adopted to monitor the existing SCC program or design new collaboration program to meet the global market requirements. To the best of knowledge, there is no reference that discusses SC collaborative activities on the basis of their driving and dependence powers.

A review and analysis of service level agreements and chargebacks in the retail industry

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine service level agreements (SLAs) in the retail industry and uses empirical data to draw conclusions on the relationships between SLA parameters and retailer financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on prior SLA theories, hypotheses about the impacts of SLA confidentiality, choice of chargeback mechanisms and chargeback penalty on retailer inventory turnover are tested.

Findings

Retailer inventory turnover could vary by the level of SLA confidentiality, and the variation of retailer inventory turnovers could be explained by chargeback penalty.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings may not be readily applicable to SLAs outside of the retail industry. Also, most conclusions were drawn from publicly available SLAs.

Practical implications

The significant relationships between SLA parameters and retailer inventory turnover imply that a retailer could improve its financial performance by leveraging its SLA design.

Originality/value

Not only does this study contribute to the understanding of retail SLA design in practice, but it also extends prior theories by investigating the implications of SLA design on the retailer inventory turnover.

Impact of information technology and relational aspect on supply chain collaboration leading to financial performance

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of use of information technology (IT) and relational aspect on supply chain collaboration (SCC) in the context of developing country, in this case India. The study has considered two important components of use of IT namely, information sharing and information quality and further investigated their impact on SCC. Two important components of relational aspect, namely, trust and commitment have been considered, as identified from literature review, trust has been considered as an antecedent to commitment and the impact of commitment on SCC has been investigated. The research also investigates the impact of SCC on financial performance of the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on extensive review of SCC literature a research model has been proposed hypothesizing the relationships between information sharing, information quality, trust, commitment, SCC and financial performance. The proposed research model is tested using data from 166 manufacturing firms across India. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships between constructs.

Findings

The results showed that there is significant positive impact of information sharing and information quality on SCC. Consistent with earlier literature, trust was found to have a significant positive impact on commitment and commitment was found to have significant positive impact on SCC. Further, the findings confirmed the positive relationship between SCC and financial performance of the firm.

Originality/value

This is the first study to the best of our knowledge which has investigated the impact of SSC on financial performance in Indian context. This study has taken into account both use of IT and relational aspect simultaneously and investigated their impact on SCC.