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Attaining high response rates in survey‐based supply chain management (SCM) research is becoming increasingly difficult, but small samples can limit the reliability and validity of empirical research findings. The purpose of this article is to analyze the status quo and provide a discussion of methodological issues related to the use of small samples in SCM research.

An in‐depth review of 75 small sample survey studies published between 1998 and 2007 in three journals in the field that frequently publish survey‐based research papers (TJ, IJPDLM, and JBL) was conducted, and key characteristics of these studies were compared with the characteristics from 44 small sample survey studies published in leading operations management (JOM) and management (AMJ) journals.

The review of papers published in TJ, IJPDLM, and JBL shows that small samples are frequently used in SCM research. This study provides an overview of current practices, opportunities for improvement, and a number of specific recommendations that may help increase the analytical rigor of (future) survey‐based studies that rely on small samples.

The recommendations provided in this article can greatly benefit researchers in the field of SCM. By following these proposals, the reliability and validity of research findings will be increased, researchers will be better equipped to investigate interesting questions where small samples are the norm rather than the exception (e.g., the study of dyadic supply chain relationships), and important and valid contributions to the theory and practice of SCM will be generated.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how external pressures, internal capability and transaction attributes of logistics outsourcing synergically influence the extent of asset-based and non-asset-based logistics outsourcing.

Based on the data surveyed from 250 manufacturing companies in China, this study employed fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to deduce multiple configurations for logistics outsourcing decisions.

The results suggest that asset-based logistics outsourcing is primarily driven by external imitation pressures or internal demands for logistics technologies, while non-asset-based logistics outsourcing is mainly driven by the demands for external management-based logistics services. Asset specificity plays a positive role in promoting both asset-based and non-asset-based logistics outsourcing. The requirement for third-party logistics (3PL) management capability depends on the outsourcing types and outsourcing causes.

This study provides guidance to practitioners for them to make outsourcing decisions. It suggests that asset-based logistics outsourcing is more appropriate when there are high external imitation pressures or more internal logistics demands, while non-asset-based logistics outsourcing should be used only when a firm needs management-based logistics services. Besides, 3PL users are suggested to outsource their logistics when their 3PL providers are required to make specific investments. In addition, managers should carefully evaluate firms’ capabilities in managing outsourcing relationships.

Previous studies largely ignored the interaction effects of a set of factors on logistics outsourcing decisions, and to date, little research empirically examined how outsourcing is driven in terms of different types of outsourcing. Drawing on the institutional theory, dynamic capability view, and transaction cost theory and overarching under the complexity theory, this study examines how institutional, organizational and transactional factors interplay with each other to influence different types of logistics outsourcing (i.e. asset based and non-asset based). Methodologically, the configural analysis (i.e. fsQCA) is applied to explore complex causal configurations that drive logistics outsourcing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) customer service chatbots are a new application service, and little is known about this type of service. This study applies service quality, trust and satisfaction to predict users' continuance intention to use a food-ordering chatbot.

The proposed model and hypotheses are tested using online questionnaire responses to collect users' perceptions of such services. One hundred and eleven responses of actual users were received.

Empirical results show that anthropomorphism and service quality, such as problem-solving, are the antecedents of trust and satisfaction, while satisfaction has the most significant direct effect on the users' intention.

The results provide further useful insights for service providers and chatbot developers to improve services.

In Taiwan, hypermarket stores should implement hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) according to regulations. The aim of this study was to investigate key factors influencing successful implementation of HACCP in hypermarket stores that prepare hot meals.

We used a survey design and thus posted four questionnaires to each of the 136 hypermarket stores in Taiwan (two questionnaires for employees and two for managers). Therefore, a total of 544 questionnaires were posted, and 188 responses were received, yielding a 34.6% response rate.

Food safety knowledge, teamwork, perceived cost, perceived benefit and leadership were tested. Binary logistic regression results indicated that food safety knowledge and teamwork were key factors related to successful HACCP implementation. Perceived cost, perceived benefit and leadership were not related to successful HACCP implementation. Control variables, such as number of full-time employees and number of products sold, were discovered to be related to successful HACCP implementation.

Overall, the findings of this study can help the hypermarket industry assess its current quality management practices and focus on food safety performance improvement.

The transportation of fresh food requires cold chain logistics to maintain a low-temperature environment, which can reduce food waste and ensure product safety. Therefore, temperature control is a major challenge that cold chain logistics face.

This research proposes a prediction model of refrigerated truck temperature and air conditioner status (air speed and air temperature) based on hybrid mayfly algorithm (MA) and extreme learning machine (ELM). To prove the effectiveness of the proposed method, the mayfly algorithm–extreme learning machine (MA-ELM) is compared with the traditional ELM and the ELM optimized by classical biological-inspired algorithms, including the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The assessment is conducted through two experiments, including temperature prediction and air conditioner status prediction, based on a case study.

The prediction method is evaluated by five evaluation indicators, including the mean relative error (MRE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²). It can be concluded that the biological algorithm, especially the MA, can improve the prediction accuracy. This result clearly proves the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid prediction model in revealing the nonlinear patterns of the cold chain logistics temperature.

The case study illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed temperature prediction method, which helps to keep the product fresh. Even though the performance of MA is better than GA and PSO, the MA has the disadvantage of premature convergence. In the future, the modified MA can be designed to improve the performance of MA-ELM.

In prior studies, many scholars have conducted related research on the subject of temperature monitoring. However, this monitoring method can only identify temperature deviations that have occurred that harmed fresh food. As a countermeasure, research on the temperature prediction of cold chain logistics that can actively identify temperature changes has become the focus. Once a temperature deviation is predicted, temperature control measures can be taken in time to resolve the risk.

This paper aims to investigate outsourcing of different types of logistics activities in Taiwanese food industry, and benchmark with practices in The Netherlands.

The outsourcing of four levels of logistics activities is investigated: transportation (level 1), packaging (level 2), transportation management (level 3), and distribution network management (level 4). A structured questionnaire was designed and sent to logistics managers in The Netherlands and Taiwan to evaluate the most commonly outsourced activities and identify specific outsourcing firm's characteristics.

About 69 per cent of the companies, in both countries outsource level 1 activities, 16 per cent level 2, and 37 per cent level 3 activities. Only few companies (about 10 per cent) outsource the highest level of activities. In particular, The Netherlands has higher percentages for levels 1 and 3. This might be caused by the fact that most Taiwanese companies emphasise low cost whereas the Dutch companies focus on flexibility in order to deal with higher complexities. When intentions for the future are included, Taiwan is planning to outsource level 2 (40 per cent) and level 4 activities (36 per cent) much more than The Netherlands (respectively 13 and 17 per cent). When zooming in, it was found that outsourcing strategies of companies in the subsectors differ. For instance, the dairy sector outsources more frequently than the meat sector on the first three levels. This might be caused by the fact that meat companies emphasise food quality, whereas dairy companies emphasise flexibility and reliability.

This study investigated only food processors. The paper suggests further research should include other types of food organisations.

The paper provides valuable insights in outsourcing strategies of food processing companies in Taiwan and The Netherlands for advanced logistics service providers who are looking at the market potential of Taiwan.

This paper investigates how the channel leadership strategies develop a post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resilient agri-supply chain, which reduces supplier and retailer's price loss and enhances the logistics service quality level considering logistics outsourcing of agri-product especially for the rapidly changing market condition.

Based on the classical leadership theory, two channel leadership strategies, i.e. LPL and SL, are considered. The proposed framework first derives the equilibrium price and service quality level decision among the supplier, the logistics provider and the retailer. Then it compares both leadership strategies in terms of the equilibrium prices and service quality theoretically. This article also presents a case study of Arabian dates pricing and supply chain to test the theoretically derived propositions.

Selection of suitable leadership strategy is a critical factor for profit maximization of the supply chain drivers and proper optimization of equilibrium price and service quality. Here, the product's quality and the market's socio-economic condition play an important role in selecting a suitable leadership strategy. A random transformation of the physical market to an e-commerce portal creates a wide variation of the market's socio-economic parameters, affecting the equilibrium pricing and the logistics provider's service quality.

This study proposes a post-COVID-19 resilient agri-supply chain framework considering price and quality-dependent stochastic market demand, incorporating a wide range of socio-economic factors in the model to counteract the effect of rapid behavior change of agri-market due to COVID-19 norms. This research examines the effect of different channel leadership strategies to facilitate suitable decisions on prices and service quality and retrieve the profit of the supplier, retailer and logistics provider. The future models can incorporate competitiveness in logistics outsourcing, fourth-party logistics (4PL) and contract farming in the agri-supply chain. Each of the extensions can open avenues in different directions.

As the post-COVID-19 market and the customer behavior is randomly changing, and the traditional market is rapidly converting into supermarkets and e-commerce portals, this paper examines the model with a wide variety of e-commerce portals with multi-variation of product. It is conclusive that the product's quality and the market's socio-economic behavior significantly impact the equilibrium decision. The drivers of the supply chain must take them into account before choosing a particular channel leadership strategy.

This study considers a multi-product and multi-market (e-commerce) model by integrating a wide variety of products and the market's socio-economic parameters. The model is tested in a price and quality-dependent stochastic market condition, contributing to the literature by reconciling two different channel leadership strategies into the global logistics of fresh agri-product.

This article aims to evaluate published food cold chain (FCC) literature against risk management and supply chain sustainability concepts.

The article uses the theory refinement logic proposed by Seuring et al. (2021) to analyze the contents of FCC management-related literature published over the past 20 years. A sample of 116 articles was gathered using Web of Science and subsequently analyzed. The respective articles were then systematically coded against the frameworks of Beske and Seuring (2014) and Vlajic et al. (2012), which focused on building sustainable and robust supply chains, respectively.

The literature review revealed that debates around managing contemporary sources of disruptions/vulnerability and making FCCs more sustainable and resilient are gradually developing. However, an overarching risk management perspective along with incorporating social and environmental dimensions in managing FCCs still needs the adequate attention of the respective research community.

The deductive internal logic of theory refinement approach used in this paper could have been further strengthened by using additional frameworks. This limitation, however, opens avenues for further research. The findings of the paper will stimulate the interest of future researchers to work on expanding our understanding related to sustainability and risk management in FCCs.

The paper is the first attempt to organize published FCC literature along dimensions of supply chain sustainability and risk management. The paper thus provides the respective researchers with a foundation that will help them adopt a focused approach to addressing the research gaps.

The purpose of this paper is to test how integrative mechanisms, including information sharing and process coordination, influence logistics outsourcing, and how logistics outsourcing influence performance from an extended RBV perspective.

The structural equation modeling (SEM) method is used to examine the proposed model, based on data collected from 361 companies in greater China.

Integrative mechanisms are helpful for logistics outsourcing (basic, customized, and advanced outsourcing). Specially, information sharing contributes to customized and advanced outsourcing, but has no significant effect on basic outsourcing. In contrast, process coordination improves basic and advanced outsourcing, but insignificantly influences customized outsourcing. Besides, each type of logistics outsourcing has differently effects on 3PL users’ performance. This study contributes to 3PL theories and practices.

This study empirically examines the antecedents and the outcomes of logistics outsourcing, contributing to 3PL literature and practices.

This study considers online searching by health information consumers as a learning process. We focus on search sequences, query reformulation, and conceptual changes.

A qualitative user study (30 participants; three health information seeking tasks) investigated mobile searching behavior. Recorded screen activity, questionnaires, and in-depth personal interview data were collected and analyzed.

(1) Search platform sequences of health information consumers in search as a learning process were exacted and their features were highlighted. (2) Query sequence and reformulation pattern of health information consumers were exacted and discussed. (3) The types and degree of conceptual changes of health consumers were reflected by their query reformulation behavior and differ from different health information search tasks. (4) Characteristics of health consumers' search as learning process were revealed.

(1) A novel perspective of consumer health information studies was proposed by exacting search platform sequence, query sequence and linking them with conceptual changes during the search as learning process. (2) Conceptual changes in the searching as a learning process are regarded as a measure of search outcome in this study, in which terms extracted from queries were used to reflect conceptual changes in consumers' mind. (3) Our findings provide evidences that types of health information seeking tasks do have significant influences on the search as a learning process.

The findings of this study can lead to the fit-to-needs of the search platforms, provide advice for information architecture of search list of search platforms, and guide the design of knowledge graph of health information systems.

Potential relationships between information-seeking behavior and conceptual changes in search as a learning process relative to health information were revealed.