Search results

1 – 10 of 111
Article
Publication date: 4 September 2020

Craig R. Carter, Lutz Kaufmann and David J. Ketchen

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theorization of the unintended consequences of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).

1675

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theorization of the unintended consequences of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors integrate extant theory of unintended consequences, sustainable supply chain management and paradox theory to develop a typology of the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives and a conceptual model of the antecedents of these unintended consequences.

Findings

The authors advance a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive typology of the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives. These unintended consequences include trade-offs as well as synergies in the form of positive spillover. The authors’ conceptual model identifies multiple levels of stakeholders, multiple performance dimensions, multiple time horizons and the interplay with social construction as antecedents to the unintended consequences of SSCM initiatives.

Practical implications

The authors’ typology suggests that managers must move beyond simply assessing whether the intended consequences of an SSCM initiative have been achieved. Managers must also, to the extent they can, assess the potential for unintended consequences to arise. The authors’ typology provides an initial roadmap for managers to continue, discontinue or further consider an SSCM initiative, based on the resulting unintended consequences. The authors’ theorization also provides guidance about how managers can more successfully bring SSCM initiatives to fruition and start cycles of learning.

Originality/value

There largely has been a focus in the operations and supply chain management literature on trade-offs between economic performance on the one hand and social or environmental performance on the other. The authors advocate that this focus needs to shift to interactions within and between social and environmental performance. Further, trade-offs are only one type of unintended consequence. By developing a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive typology, the authors introduce a much clearer conceptualization of the unintended consequences of an SSCM initiative and a much better understanding of how to manage SSCM initiatives, both prior to and postimplementation.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 40 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Stephane Timmer and Lutz Kaufmann

The purpose of this paper is to investigate legal effects on social sustainability practices at buying firms. The US Dodd-Frank Act has forced listed companies to determine the…

1119

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate legal effects on social sustainability practices at buying firms. The US Dodd-Frank Act has forced listed companies to determine the degree to which their products contain conflict minerals (CM). The research question this study seeks to answer is the following: which factors influence a company’s ability to determine the provenance of its inputs?

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines secondary data in the form of CM reports of 50 US listed firms for two consecutive years using a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach.

Findings

This study identifies different configurations of stakeholder salience and firm resources that lead individual companies to achieve high levels of traceability. Findings show that firms’ CM governance mechanisms are a key determinant in the firms’ capacity to meet regulatory traceability requirements. Further, the authors find that both the presence and absence of specific stakeholder pressures and firm resources can lead to traceability. Findings also suggest that firms can achieve traceability without any pressure from stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

The study investigates the practices of individual firms that are subject to the Dodd-Frank Act, rather than adopting a supply chain-wide perspective. Further, proxies had to be used to measure several constructs because of reliance on firms’ reporting, which implies that the study did not account for certain behavioral factors that influence traceability.

Practical implications

This study provides managers of both resource-rich and less resource-rich firms with possible pathways for achieving CM traceability.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the field of sustainability by providing exploratory insights into the antecedents of traceability and deriving theoretical propositions to guide further research. The authors apply fsQCA to investigate secondary data over multiple years, thus using a novel configurational methodology.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 47 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 September 2016

Barbara K. Wichmann and Lutz Kaufmann

The purpose of this paper is to investigate when and how to best use social network analysis (SNA) in the supply chain management (SCM) discipline. In doing so, the study…

4055

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate when and how to best use social network analysis (SNA) in the supply chain management (SCM) discipline. In doing so, the study identifies SCM phenomena that have been examined from a social network perspective (SNA approach) in the SCM literature and highlights additional SCM phenomena that would be worth investigating using social network research. Then, the study critically investigates the application of SNA as a methodology (SNA method), with the goal of assessing and mitigating methodological risks in future studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study carries out a systematic literature review of articles published in 11 top-tier SCM journals over a 20-year period.

Findings

First, while social network research has gained momentum especially since 2010, scholars are not yet entirely aware of the many possibilities the SNA approach offers to the SCM field. Second, expanded possibilities also hold for the development of SNA as a method.

Originality/value

The paper guides future SCM research by investigating when SNA is the right approach to use and how SNA as a method should be performed. Theoretically richer and practically more relevant research should result.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 46 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2016

Felix Reimann, Pei Shen and Lutz Kaufmann

Building on the dual-system approach and resource-advantage theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a particular personality trait of negotiators – namely…

2152

Abstract

Purpose

Building on the dual-system approach and resource-advantage theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a particular personality trait of negotiators – namely, agreeableness – moderates the effectiveness of using coercion and reward power to appropriate value in buyer-supplier negotiations.

Design/methodology/approach

Simulated negotiations in buyer-supplier dyads with 152 participants are analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The analysis shows that negotiators’ agreeableness moderates the effectiveness of using coercion and reward power for suppliers, but not for buyers. Negotiators in the role of suppliers use reward power more effectively and coercion power less effectively if they have high agreeableness. Buyer negotiators benefit from using coercion, regardless of their personality.

Research limitations/implications

This research focuses on two common negotiation tactics and one particularly relevant personality trait. Future research might examine additional tactics and personality traits, and might delve deeper into explaining the observed differences between negotiators in the role of buyer and supplier.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that negotiators on the supplier side can improve their effectiveness by choosing tactics that fit their personality. Negotiators on the buyer side should consider using coercion power, regardless of their personality.

Originality/value

This research introduces dual-system theory to the supply chain management (SCM) literature and suggests that SCM research can benefit from simultaneously examining conscious decision processes and subconscious influences. It further suggests that the effects of dual-system interactions are sensitive to context, and more theory accounting for differences between buyers and suppliers in a dyad should be developed.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 46 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2019

Sunil Babbar, Xenophon Koufteros, Ravi S. Behara and Christina W.Y. Wong

This study aims to examine publications of supply chain management (SCM) researchers from across the world and maps the leadership role of authors and institutions based on how…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine publications of supply chain management (SCM) researchers from across the world and maps the leadership role of authors and institutions based on how prolific they are in publishing and on network measures of centrality while accounting for the quality of the outlets that they publish in. It aims to inform stakeholders on who the leading SCM scholars are, their primary areas of SCM research, their publication profiles and the nature of their networks. It also identifies and informs on the leading SCM research institutions of the world and where leadership in specific areas of SCM research is emerging from.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on SCM papers appearing in a set of seven leading journals over the 15-year period of 2001-2015, publication scores and social network analysis measures of total degree centrality and Bonacich power centrality are used to identify the highest ranked agents in SCM research overall, as well as in some specific areas of SCM research. Social network analysis is also used to examine the nature and scope of the networks of the ranked agents and where leadership in SCM research is emerging from.

Findings

Authors and institutions from the USA and UK are found to dominate much of the rankings in SCM research both by publication score and social network analysis measures of centrality. In examining the networks of the very top authors and institutions of the world, their networks are found to be more inward-looking (country-centric) than outward-looking (globally dispersed). Further, researchers in Europe and Asia alike are found to exhibit significant continental inclinations in their network formations with researchers in Europe displaying greater propensity to collaborate with their European-based counterparts and researchers in Asia with their Asian-based counterparts. Also, from among the journals, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal is found to exhibit a far more expansive global reach than any of the other journals.

Research limitations/implications

The journal set used in this study, though representative of high-quality SCM research outlets, is not exhaustive of all potential outlets that publish SCM research. Further, the measure of quality that this study assigns to the various publications is based solely on a publication score that accounts for the quality of the journals, as rated by Association of Business Schools that the papers appear in and nothing else.

Practical implications

By informing the community of stakeholders of SCM research about the top-ranked SCM authors, institutions and countries of the world, the nature of their networks, as well as what the primary areas of SCM research of the leading authors in the world are, this research provides stakeholders, including managers, researchers and students, information that is helpful to them not only because of the insights it provides but also for the gauging of potential for embedding themselves in specific networks, engaging in collaborative research with the leading agents or pursuing educational opportunities with them.

Originality/value

This research is the first of its kind to identify and rank the top SCM authors and institutions from across the world using a representative set of seven leading SCM and primary OM journals based on publication scores and social network measures of centrality. The research is also the first of its kind to identify and rank the top authors and institutions within specific areas of SCM research and to identify future research opportunities relating to aspects of collaboration and networking in research endeavors.

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2010

Lutz Kaufmann, Craig R. Carter and Christian Buhrmann

The authors perform a large‐scale review of debiasing literature with the purpose of deriving a mutually exclusive and exhaustive debiasing taxonomy. This taxonomy is used to…

2762

Abstract

Purpose

The authors perform a large‐scale review of debiasing literature with the purpose of deriving a mutually exclusive and exhaustive debiasing taxonomy. This taxonomy is used to conceptualize debiasing activities in the supplier selection process. For each supplier selection‐debiasing construct, scale items are proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic classification approach was used to build a debiasing taxonomy, combined with a Q‐methodology.

Findings

Based on the developed and externally validated debiasing taxonomy, five debiasing activities for the supplier selection context are derived. The conceptual investigation of these supplier selection‐oriented debiasing measures helps both researchers and supply managers to gain a better understanding of debiasing mechanisms and to effectively further improve the supplier selection process by integrating behavioral aspects.

Originality/value

This research extends the taxonomy of decision biases developed by Carter, Kaufmann, and Michel, by systematically analyzing strategies to debias the decision‐making process. The highly fragmented research landscape on debiasing was inventoried and structured. As a result, a debiasing taxonomy was created that extracted five main debiasing categories. These were then conceptualized within the context of the supplier selection process. In doing so, debiasing literature from different research streams such as economics, psychology, and behavioral and strategic decision making was systematically integrated into the field of supply management. Proposed scale items allow for empirical investigation as a next step in the development of the nascent field of behavioral supply management.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 40 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Lutz Kaufmann, Craig R. Carter and Christian Buhrmann

The nascent behavioral supply management (BSM) research stream has raised the level of attention given to deviations from the standard assumptions of the rational paradigm in…

2032

Abstract

Purpose

The nascent behavioral supply management (BSM) research stream has raised the level of attention given to deviations from the standard assumptions of the rational paradigm in economics. The adaptation of cognitive heuristics, which add vulnerability to judgment and decision making, creates a pressing need to identify and develop mitigation strategies to debias decision making in the supply chain management environment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate debiasing measures, corresponding contextual variables in the supplier selection process, and their implications for financial decision effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a large‐scale empirical survey among 306 buyers to investigate the relationships among individual and organizational contextual factors, debiasing measures in the supplier selection decision, and the financial effectiveness of the supplier selection decision.

Findings

It was found that organizational and individual contextual factors have differing effects on the use of debiasing approaches in the supplier selection decision. Further, the debiasing tactics can have a positive (in the case of supplier selection task decomposing) or a negative (in the case of an interactional challenging of the supplier selection) impact on the financial effectiveness of the supplier selection decision. These findings suggest that supply managers must better understand the contextual factors that influence the supplier selection decision, and carefully choose the correct debiasing tactics when selecting suppliers.

Originality/value

This paper relaxes the economic assumption of rational actors and addresses the need to identify and use debiasing tactics in supply chain management contexts. The research also complements the broader‐based behavioral decision‐making literature, which has often relied upon experimental methodologies that use undergraduate or MBA students, by employing a survey‐based approach with supply managers as key informants.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 42 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Gavin Meschnig and Lutz Kaufmann

A key driver of procurement effectiveness is the alignment of the procurement function with interlinked functions, such as R & D, engineering, production, and marketing. In…

1345

Abstract

Purpose

A key driver of procurement effectiveness is the alignment of the procurement function with interlinked functions, such as R & D, engineering, production, and marketing. In the strategic management literature, the degree of alignment of individual team members on strategic objectives is termed “consensus.” The purpose of this paper is to investigate antecedents of consensus on objectives in cross-functional sourcing teams, the relationship between the degree of consensus and supplier performance, and moderators of the consensus-performance relationship. To do so, it ties strategic management literature to SCM and supplier selection research. As a result of these investigations, this research holistically introduces the concept of consensus to the discipline.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes a sample of 88 sourcing teams (233 team members) from three manufacturing companies using regression analysis and moderated regressions.

Findings

Consensus on objectives for supplier selection among sourcing team members is positively related to the selection of higher performing suppliers. Sourcing team member experience is positively related to the level of consensus, and formalization of the selection process positively moderates the consensus-performance relationship. Team demographic diversity does not affect consensus among team members or supplier selection effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

This study investigates consensus on objectives as a state within the sourcing team; it does not analyze how decision-making processes unfold in situations of low- or high-initial consensus among sourcing team members.

Practical implications

This paper provides insights into the drivers and effects of consensus on objectives and formalization of supplier selection in cross-functional setups.

Originality/value

This research addresses a gap in the SCM literature by investigating the role of consensus on objectives and thereby contributes to a better understanding of cross-functional sourcing team setups and effectiveness. The study introduces a key construct from the strategic management literature to supply management research, and empirical evidence shows how consensus can improve supplier selection performance.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 45 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2015

Lutz Kaufmann and Julia Gaeckler

First, this study expands knowledge on the strategic decision process dimension decision-making speed by analyzing decision-making speed and two possible antecedents in a…

2436

Abstract

Purpose

First, this study expands knowledge on the strategic decision process dimension decision-making speed by analyzing decision-making speed and two possible antecedents in a purchasing context. Second, it takes an additional step toward clarifying the relationship between strategic and lateral integration. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the potential mediating effect of lateral purchasing integration on the relationship between strategic purchasing integration and purchasing decision-making speed.

Design/methodology/approach

This research analyzes survey data of 152 firms from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland using covariance-based structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of the structural equation model provide strong support for the hypothesized relationships. Strategic purchasing integration drives lateral purchasing integration, which in turn positively influences purchasing decision-making speed.

Research limitations/implications

This study focusses solely on internal types of integration. A logical next step would be to further enrich the model by including external dimensions, such as supplier or customer integration.

Practical implications

This study should help managers gain a better understanding of the relationship between strategic and lateral purchasing integration, highlighting their positive impact on decision-making speed. Decision-making speed is particularly important for companies operating in volatile markets and time-constrained business environments.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights into the theoretical and empirical connection between intra-organizational purchasing integration, unpacked as strategic purchasing integration and lateral purchasing integration, and purchasing decision-making speed. Furthermore, it offers insights into decision-making speed in a purchasing context.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 45 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 January 2012

Michael Maloni, Craig R. Carter and Lutz Kaufmann

The purpose of this study is to extend a series of studies dating back to 1967 that evaluates faculty publication productivity in refereed supply chain management and logistics…

1621

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to extend a series of studies dating back to 1967 that evaluates faculty publication productivity in refereed supply chain management and logistics journals.

Design/methodology/approach

Publication output and rankings of academic institutions are based on publication data from six supply chain management and logistics journals from 2008 through 2010. The results are compared to prior studies to identify trends and changes in the rankings. The authors also assess author collaboration influences as well as authorship diversity. Finally, the authors examine further changes to the core set of journals considered for future iterations of this study.

Findings

The results indicate that supply chain management and logistics authorship continues to be dynamic. Several schools entered the top 25 ranking for the first time and others substantially improved their rankings. While higher‐ranked schools engage in more collaboration within their own institutions, they practice less external and international collaboration. Additionally, the diversity of both individual authors and schools continues to expand, though evidence also suggests some level of emerging stability in sources of authorship.

Research limitations/implications

As limitations, the selected journal set may present bias against some authors and institutions, particularly those from outside North America and those choosing to publish in other journals in the field or in related fields.

Originality/value

This research stream enables authors and universities to judge their relative productivity of academic scholarship in the supply chain management and logistics field. Moreover, the longitudinal analysis provides insight into the evolving maturity of the field itself.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 42 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

1 – 10 of 111