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The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the viability of collaborative supply chain (SC) business models for small businesses.

Survey data was collected from 81 companies with 100 or fewer employees, 169 companies with 101‐500 employees, and 308 companies with more than 500 employees. To help contextualize the findings, eight in‐depth interviews with small firms were conducted.

Benchmarking the viability of collaborative SC business models using a contingency, resource‐based‐view assessment paradigm reveals a perplexing paradox. Managers at small firms suggest that the majority of the benefits of SCM are within their reach. They also note that the barriers to implementation do not intimidate them. However, they also report that they are not actively pursuing SCM as a strategic weapon. Our research shows that the best way to avoid the cost squeeze and death spiral encountered by small business in today's global SC environment is to create the collaborative capabilities promoted by SCM. That is, while large firms leverage size firms must leverage creative collaboration to insinuate themselves into competitive SC teams to drive long‐term growth. We recommend three alternative SCM strategies based on the small firm's growth strategy.

The small‐business literature on supply chain management (SCM) is relatively scant and provides conflicting views of SCM's viability. This research represents a unique multi‐method approach that shows that SCM is applicable to the world of small business.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development and competitive influence of a supply chain (SC) information‐sharing capability over time.

Survey data were collected in 1999/2000 and 2005/2006. Case study interviews conducted in the same time periods are used to contextualize the survey results.

The analysis shows that an overall increase in the level of investment in IT in conjunction with higher levels of willingness to share the information is needed to support SC competitiveness. Both connectivity and willingness are shown to contribute to performance improvements. Further, empirical evidence suggests that the greatest performance improvements occur when companies develop both dimensions of an information sharing capability.

The paper uses a multi‐method, longitudinal methodology to evaluate the evolution of technology and behavioral dimensions of a SC information‐sharing capability and to document their influence on firm operating and competitive performance.

To classify internet users into holiday shopper and non‐shopper segments, and to profile the demographic, psychographic, and computer use characteristics of each segment.

Self‐report data come from a national US sample of online internet users. Segments are customer revealed using traditional cluster analysis. Lifestyle measures are reduced to higher order measures using factor analysis. Profiles are analyzed via descriptive statistics, graphs, and radar charts.

Six important segments are identified in the data. Three of the segments characterize customers who resist online shopping, even though they engage in other online activities. Security fears and technological incompetence typically inhibit these users from engaging in electronic exchange. Some internet users simply choose not to shop online. Three of the segments describe active e‐shoppers who are driven by a unique desire to socialize, minimize inconvenience, and maximize value.

Data come from self‐report questionnaires administered and collected electronically through the internet. Focus is placed on holiday gift buying. Since, holiday shopping is very important to e‐retailers, results are managerially interesting, but might not be indicative of other shopping periods.

To be successful, e‐retailers must understand those things that motivate and inhibit customer online shopping. Marketing activities targeted at reticent e‐shoppers should focus on benefits, guarantee safeguards and facilitate technical literacy. Service, value, and online ambiance should be carefully tailored to meet the desires and expectations of each customer type.

The study is a replication and extension of earlier online studies which are summarized in the reviewed literature.

Simple transactions are evolving into complex service relationships that require the attention of multiple organizations. When integrated products fail, customers must determine which organization is responsible and capable of resolving the problem. If the initial firm contacted cannot resolve the problem, it is then passed on to another until resolution. The objective of this paper is to determine how customer satisfaction with one organization may be moderated by the subsequent performance of another organization following the service issue hand‐off.

Data otherwise unavailable from the market are collected using a unique, longitudinal internet‐based experiment, wherein customer satisfaction is monitored throughout a complex exchange experience. During the exchange, problem ownership transfers from one firm's service organization to that of another.

Results show three forms of damage resulting from a service hand‐off: a credibility loss; a dissatisfaction compounding effect; and a resolution delivery failure effect. When problem resolution requires the attention of a second service provider, customer perceptions of the initial service provider are influenced by the performance of the second provider.

A service provider can often avoid substantial damage to customer satisfaction by establishing, a priori, formal back‐end partnerships with other service providers.

Organizations typically do not monitor customer satisfaction once a service problem is abandoned or handed‐off to another organization. In this experimental study, customer satisfaction is carefully monitored as service exchange crosses organizational boundaries during a service experience simulated over the period of one week.

The main thrust behind strategic human resources (HR) includes strengthening the impact of HR on the organization. In other words, strategic HR attempts to place the HR department on equal footing with other functional areas of business. HR professionals who understand both operational indicators and their decisions on various financial metrics have greater focus and clarity when making decisions. HR professionals with such knowledge are also more likely to be viewed favorably by their counterparts in other departments and have a greater voice in the executive suite and boardroom.

Interviews with board of director(s).

There has been a significant shift in the role of HR over the past several decades. The HR department has evolved from a role focused primarily on dealing with administrative issues, litigation and unions, to a department that drives strategy and adds value throughout the company. To continue this transition, HR professionals should have a solid knowledge of critical financial information, including financial and operational metrics and ratios. By combining this information with a strategic mindset, HR professionals are better prepared to add value to the firm, and they participate more fully with other members of management in determining the strategic direction of a firm.

A competent, strategically minded HR professional who understands not only people-related issues but also financial issues can “elevate strategic discussions” in the executive suite and boardroom. Just as financial statements serve to direct attention to operational issues and to spur responsive management decisions among line managers, so too can financial statements direct the attention of HR professionals to line items specifically impacted by HR policies and processes. When HR professionals consider the impact of their decisions on the financial statements and financial metrics, they become key players in helping the firm achieve organizational goals.

Coordinated supply chain is concerned with managing dependencies between various members and joint efforts of all members to achieve mutually defined goals. The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the factors for a coordinated supply chain.

Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to prioritize the factors for a coordinated supply chain. By using AHP global desirability index of five strategic factors for coordinated supply chain their 23 sub‐factors have been calculated and compared.

In this study 23 factors affecting coordination in a supply chain are considered. These factors are grouped under five strategic factors such as top management commitment, mutual understanding, relationship and decision‐making, flow of information and organizational factors. It is observed that the global weightage of top management commitment is highest among strategic factors and agreed vision and goal of supply chain members among sub factors.

AHP has some limitations. A major limitation is that the rating scale used in the AHP analysis is conceptual and there are chances of bias while giving relative weightage to different factors.

Top management should strive for an agreed vision and a common goal among all members of the supply chain to have effective coordination.

This study prioritizes factors for a coordinated supply chain in the Indian context and the findings will be significant while formulating strategies.