Service supply chain management: a behavioural operations perspective

Determinants of competitive advantage through achieving pharmaceutical supply chain management capabilities in the Ethiopian healthcare sector

PURPOSE

These days, supply chain management (SCM) is essential to maintaining the long-term sustainability of the whole manufacturing ecosystem. This research examines the effects of competitive priorities (cost, quality, flexibility and delivery) on achieving success for the three key participants in SCM: suppliers, distributors and customers.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

Survey data from 258 workers in pharmaceutical businesses was utilized in an empirical study partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine whether supply chain capabilities (SCC) were influenced by competitive advantage (cost, quality, flexibility and delivery).

FINDINGS

The results of the investigation show a favorable correlation between competitive advantage in the Ethiopian pharmaceutical and medical supplier industry and SCC.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study demonstrates the positive impacts of cost, quality, flexibility and delivery on suppliers, distributors and customers. Our findings suggest that pharmaceutical and medical suppliers prioritize achieving high-quality service before focusing on cost reduction.

Choice of cooperation strategy under demand updating and altruistic behavior

The integration of logistics service supply chains to improve the service quality of has become the choice of many logistics integrator. This paper considers two common cooperation modes, namely, enabling cooperation and merger cooperation. Meanwhile, this paper takes demand updating and integrator's altruistic behavior into account, establishes a Stackelberg game model and draws the following key conclusions. First, this paper determines the conditions of cooperation, when provider's profit distribution ratio is in the middle, the integrator and the provider cooperate successfully and adopt the merger strategy. Second, this paper finds that demand updating affects the scope of cooperation. When demand decreases (increases), the scope of cooperation between suppliers and integrator decreases (increases). Finally, when the demand reduction degree is small, the demand updating benefits the integrator's profit. In this situation, integrator has incentive to share updated demand information to provider.

Platform Service Supply Chain Network Equilibrium Model with Data Empowerment

With the rapid development of information and communication technology, data empowerment has become an important way for platform service supply chain (PSSC) members to obtain a competitive advantage. Based on the three-level PSSC network structure composed of service providers, platform operators, and demand markets, this paper assumes that platform operators empower service providers to improve service quality, and PSSC members invest in data security risk control. Then, using variational inequality and equilibrium theory, a supply chain network equilibrium model considering data empowerment is constructed, and the equilibrium conditions of the whole network are obtained. Based on numerical examples, this paper analyzes the impact of the sensitivity of the demand market to service quality, the relative importance of service providers’ service quality improvement level, the data empowerment cost of PSSC members, and the data security risk control investment of PSSC members on the equilibrium state of the supply chain network. The results show the following: because the service quality is produced by the cooperation between service providers and platform operators, platform operators may have free-riding behavior and are only willing to invest a fixed data empowerment cost to ensure the essential service quality; data security risk control investment is an important factor affecting service sales; and when supply chain network members reduce data security risk control investment, consumers’ willingness to pay for services will be reduced, resulting in a decline in the overall profit of the supply chain network.

A trust model for consumer conversion in community-based group buying: the dual roles of group leaders

Purpose

In the presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to the social distance restriction, consumers' regular consumption behaviors and patterns have been changing fundamentally. Thereafter, an innovative group buying model has emerged and developed explosively with a specific focus on consumer's location, known as community-based group buying (CGB). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the transfer mechanism of user's trust in dyadic contexts of social and commercial role-playing in the CGB program.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts an empirical research method, with an online and offline questionnaire survey, a total of 382 responses have been obtained. Then, both descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression analysis are conducted to explore the dual roles of group leader and its corresponding effects on consumers' trust (i.e. emotional trust and behavioral trust) and engagement actions (i.e. purchase and share) in the CGB program.

Findings

Results indicate that resident's trust and their perception of group leader's friend role can positively enhance their engagement actions in the CGB programs. Meanwhile, for the purpose of profit maximization, the group leader is more willing to play a friend role in transactions no matter whether the role conflict exists.

Originality/value

Research findings provide some managerial insights for CGB platform on the selection and training of group leaders and the incentive mechanism design.

On-demand service platform operations management: a literature review and research agendas

Purpose

The literature review aims to facilitate a broader understanding of on-demand service platform operations management and proposes potential research directions for scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

This study searches four databases for relevant literature on on-demand service platform operations management and selects 72 papers for this review. According to the research context, the literature can be divided into research on “a single platform” and research on “multiple platforms”. According to the research methods, the literature can be classified into “Mathematical Models”, “Empirical Studies”, “Multiple Methods” and “Literature Review”. Through comparative analysis, we identify research gaps and propose five future research agendas.

Findings

This paper proposes five research agendas for future research on on-demand service platform operations management. First, research can be done to combine classic research problems in the field of operations management with platform characteristics. Second, both the dynamic and steady-state issues of on-demand service platforms can be further explored. Third, research employing mathematical models and empirical analysis simultaneously can be more fruitful. Fourth, more research efforts on the various interactions among two or more platforms can be pursued. Last but not least, it is worthwhile to examine new models and paths that have emerged during the latest development of the platform economy.

Originality/value

Through categorizing the literature into two research contexts as well as classifying it according to four research methods, this article clearly shows the research progresses made so far in on-demand service platform operations management and provides future research directions.

Key Drivers of the Emergency Capabilities of Integrated Elderly Services Supply Chains

This study investigated integrated elderly care services supply chains using a combination of Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM), and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), The research identifies the key factors related to the emergency response capabilities of elderly service supply chains and the most important ways to improve them. The integrated DEMATEL-ISM-TOPSIS method provides new theoretical support for the management of elderly care service supply chains.

Understanding the link between IS capabilities and cost performance in services: the mediating role of supplier integration

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between information systems (IS) capabilities, supplier integration and cost performance in the service context. Specifically, it empirically investigates how supplier integration meditates the relationship between three dimensions of IS capabilities and cost performance in service firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 156 UK service firms was conducted and the data analyzed to determine the role of supplier integration in mediating the effects of IS capabilities on firms' cost performance. The research model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), and the neural network model was used to rank the relative influence of significant predictors obtained from SEM.

Findings

The results confirmed that supplier integration fully mediates the effects of information technology (IT) for supply chain activities and flexible IT infrastructure on cost performance and partially mediates the effect of operations manager's IT knowledge on cost performance. The results showed that operations manager's IT knowledge is the strongest predictor of supplier integration.

Originality/value

This study takes a step toward quelling concerns about the business value of IS, contributing to the development and validation of the measurement of IS capabilities in the service operations context. Additionally, it adds to the emerging body of literature linking supplier integration to the operational performance of service firms.

Information technology management and service performance management capabilities: an empirical study of the service supply chain management process

Purpose

The dynamic capabilities view is invoked to hypothesize relationships among the service supply chain management (SSCM) process capabilities using the information technology management (ITM) process capability. This study argues that ITM will have an impact on the service performance management (SPM) process capability only when it works through mediators and demonstrates the impact by using the framework of SSCM process capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a survey using quantitative data collection to empirically test the research framework. The proposed framework and hypotheses were tested using a mail-in survey of the service industry in Thailand. The statistical analysis of data acquired from the survey was performed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results support the existence of a mediating role for the ITM process affecting the SPM process. This study identifies the role of ITM and emphasizes the urgent need for firms to embed other mediating factors into their approaches to achieve SPM process goals in the service supply chain context.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers important implications to researchers as well as practitioners by highlighting the significance of mediating roles for ITM to achieve SPM process.

Originality/value

This research is among the initial attempts to argue the impact of ITM on SPM through mediators.

Measuring the maturity of service supply chain process: a new framework

Purpose

The aim of this study is to develop a framework for measuring of service supply chain (SSC) maturity process.

Design/methodology/approach

The main framework of the SSC maturity was developed by reviewing the concepts and models of SSC, business excellence, maturity and supply chain performance evaluation. Then, the maturity level of each excellence criterion was defined in the proposed model by using the excellence criteria for SSC and the concept of Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA) cycle in combination with the process survey tools maturity model. Based on the excellence criteria and their maturity levels, a questionnaire was designed to practically measure the proposed framework.

Findings

The concepts and features of maturity levels defined for each of the excellence criteria were used to implement and operationalize the proposed framework and evaluate the SSC processes.

Practical implications

Through the assessment of the existing status of SSC processes, the findings allow managers to reach a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of such processes. Then, some opportunities are provided for improving each excellence criterion to enhance the performance of each process.

Originality/value

In fact, this study provides guidelines for organizations to measure their progress and performance and improve their management systems. The main advantages of the proposed SSC measurement framework include self-assessment facilitation, calculation of criteria scores and development of uses. The proposed model, like quality and productivity awards, can pave the way for increased competitiveness of the service industry.

Service supply chain: from bibliometric analysis to content analysis, current research trends and future research directions

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to carry out the systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis and content analysis of extant literature of service supply chain (SSC).

Design/methodology/approach

Systematic literature review (SLR) technique was used for identifying the research papers. In the first step after reading titles, abstracts and keywords and, full-length articles wherever required, papers not related to SSC were removed. In second steps papers were read more critically and papers not related to SSC were removed. Finally on 502 papers bibliometric and content analysis was further carried out. Content analysis was based on the clusters formed by bibliographic coupling. Further, content analysis of the recent articles revealed the current research trends and research gaps.

Findings

This paper identified the six existing research diversifications in SSC as (1) logistics SSC, (2) model, framework and conceptual papers, (3) third-party logistics service providers, (4) articles from various perspective, (5) measurement of quality and performance on services and (6) impact of adoption of technology, cooperation and branding on logistics service providers. Further, six future research directions are also provided.

Practical implications

This research provides a clear view of the progression of publication, research diversification, research themes of six identified clusters, sub-themes of clusters and content analysis of each cluster. Content analysis of recent articles reveals the current research trend and future research directions.

Originality/value

This is a first of its kind of study which presents the diversification of research areas within SSC, bibliometric analysis, content analysis and provides actionable future research direction.