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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of supply chain strategies that manufacturing companies can use to minimise or overcome natural resource scarcity, and ultimately improve resource efficiency and achieve competitive advantage. The relationship between resource efficiency and competitive advantage is also explored.

The proposed research model draws on resource dependence theory. Data were collected from 183 logistics, purchasing, sustainability and supply chain managers from various manufacturing companies and analysed by applying the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.

The results indicate that both buffering and bridging strategies improve resource efficiency; however, only bridging strategies seem to lead to firm’s competitive advantage in terms of ownership and accessibility to resources. The relationship between resource efficiency and competitive advantage is not supported.

Future research could confirm the robustness of these findings by using a larger sample size and taking into account other supply chain members.

This research provides guidance to managers faced with the growing risk of resource scarcity to achieve a resource efficient supply chain and an advantage over competitors.

Studies have explored the appropriate strategies for minimising dependencies caused by the scarcity of natural resources in the field of supply chain management; however, there is limited empirical work on investigating the impact of these strategies on resource efficiency and competitive advantage.

Developing agility and innovativeness as dynamic capabilities are important for firms to sustain their competitive advantage in today’s global economy. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a framework to investigate how the supply chain agility and innovativeness are achieved through IT integration and trust in members of supply chain and how these, in turn, can enhance firms’ competitive advantage.

This research employs a survey method and data are collected from senior managers working in the supply chain or IT area. The model and hypotheses are tested utilizing data from 204 usable Taiwan manufacturing firms via structural equations modeling methodology.

The study demonstrates that both IT integration and trust in supply chain members significantly enhance supply chain agility and innovativeness, which in turn positively affect firm’s competitive advantage. The results indicate that IT integration and trust are antecedents and major joint partnership resources for improving supply chain agility and innovativeness.

Data are collected from manufacturing industry in Taiwan and single respondent from each firm, the generalizability of current findings to other industries or countries should require additional investigation.

The study suggests that a firm should focus on IT integration and trust in supply chain members to achieve supply chain agility and innovativeness. To take advantage of supply chain agility and innovativeness, through maximizing firm’s competitive advantage, firms should continually adapt to the fast changing business environment and search for creative ways to satisfy new market needs.

Given the attention paid to supply chain agility and innovativeness in terms of importance to responding to business uncertainty and competitiveness, and more recently, as important capabilities in managing supply chain management, this paper investigates how IT integration and trust can contribute to supply chain agility and innovativeness. Provide evidence regarding the impact of IT integration and trust on agility of supply chains, innovativeness and competitive advantage.

The purpose of this paper is to present supply chain metrics and to propose a fuzzy-based performance evaluation method for lean supply chain.

To understand the overall performance of cost competitive supply chain the paper investigates the alignment of market strategy and position of the supply chain. Since lean is applicable in many supply chains, the authors propose a set of metrics to evaluate supply chain performance. Moreover, the paper uses a fuzzy model to evaluate the performance of cost competitive supply chains. Fuzzy is an appropriate model method when uncertainty is present. It also allows modelling of a significant number of performance metrics across multiple supply chain elements and processes. Competitive strategy can be achieved by using a different weight calculation for different supply chain situations.

Research provides optimal metrics for lean supply chains. The proposed method can measure the performance of lean supply chains using a fuzzy approach and competitive strategies.

The metrics which have been selected to measure the performance of lean supply chains is particularly applicable for high volume, low-price products.

By identifying optimal performance metrics and applying performance evaluation methods, managers can predict the overall supply chain performance under lean strategy. By identifying performance for each metric they can also categorize the existing performance and optimise them accordingly.

This study provides a performance evaluation method for supply chain managers to assess the effects of lean tools and competitive strategies.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of different forecasting methods (judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting) on firms' supply chains and competitive performance.

Working with three groups of manufacturing companies, we explore the consequences of judgmental, quantitative and mixed forecasting methods on firms' competitive performance in supply chains. The validity of constructs and path relationships was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Our findings indicate that supply chain efficiency influences both cost reduction and customer satisfaction. In addition, the three dimensions of supply chain performance are shown to be direct antecedents of competitive performance. Our empirical results reveal that although all studied forecasting methods meaningfully influence supply chain performance, the mixed method, compared to the other two methods, has greater capabilities to enhance supply chain performance.

This research provides originality and insight into supply chain practices through forecasting methods to improve competitive performance.

This paper aims to explore the state of strategic fit between “competitive strategy” (CS) and “supply chain strategy” (SCS) in the Indian manufacturing industry by investigating the mediating role of supply chain strategy between competitive strategy and performance of company/supply chain.

This aim is accomplished by using a survey questionnaire that was answered by 185 respondents from various sectors of Indian manufacturing industry. These sectors included automobile, electrical and electronics, process, machinery, textile, food, aviation and footwear sectors. The state of strategic fit is explored based on research framework of “matrix of strategic fit”.

The major findings revealed existence of a causal relationship between CS and SCS with CS as independent variable and SCS as dependent variable. It was also found that choice of CS and SCS affects business and supply chain performance. The other finding was establishment of the existence of strategic fit in Indian manufacturing industry, which was explained by analyzing the interaction effect between CS and SCS. It was also found that a major hurdle in implementing SCM practices in Indian manufacturing industry is “overcoming traditional practices”.

Indian manufacturing industry is growing by leaps and bounds, but to date there is no study that has explored the mediation effect of supply chain strategy between competitive strategy and performance in India. This paper provides a research framework to study and assess these dimensions of strategy on “matrix of strategic fit”.

This paper aims to develop frameworks to support implementation and competitive leveraging of distinct sustainable supply chain operations. This derives from conceptual definition of the dynamic capabilities required to support Hart’s (1995) natural-resource-based view resources in the supply chain.

This conceptual study uses qualitative content analysis to extract capabilities from review and analysis of literature related to natural-resource-based view (NRBV) and sustainable supply chain management. Intercoder reliability assessments support conceptual development of such capabilities into dynamic capability frameworks.

Specific interrelations between each NRBV resource and corresponding supply chain strategies are conceptualised. From this, capabilities are categorised to corresponding resources, dynamic capabilities activities and internal–external focus. This results in definition of 107 dynamic NRBV capabilities.

Contributions are threefold: distinct frameworks for competitive sustainable supply chain management is offered; the NRBV benefits from enhanced practical guidance via the definition of its dynamic capabilities, addressing the theory-practice gap; and understandings of dynamic capabilities and their role in both the NRBV sustainable supply chain management is advanced.

This paper offers four frameworks to allow firms to tailor sustainability strategies to suit their needs and guide competitive leveraging. Definition of capabilities offers practical guidance to operationalise NRBV resources.

This is the first holistic interpretation of NRBV capabilities and explicit application of dynamic capabilities. This forms the basis of a broader research agenda for the NRBV in sustainable supply chain management.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a special issue that looks at how enterprises could build competitive advantage through supply chain management.

The paper provides an overview of competitiveness within a supply chain framework, introduces the issue papers and summarizes their major features.

Nowadays competition is increasingly between supply chains rather than individual companies. Thus, one would expect supply chain management to be a key in maintaining enterprises competitiveness. Through conceptual models and empirical studies this special issue's papers demonstrate how designing and operating efficient supply chains, through the effective use of information technology, can provide enterprises with a competitive advantage.

The paper implies that enterprises can associate with a supply chain and develop a mechanism to fairly share surpluses. The papers in the special issue offer insight in to how an enterprise can position itself within a supply chain and how risks and profits can be shared equitably.

The paper introduces articles that report on practical implementation issues of supply chain principles.

The paper suggests a unified framework for the special issue papers.

This paper aims to conceptualize the role of service quality in the manufacturing supply chain, present a scale to measure the same, and a model that proposes that internal and external service quality initiatives lead to loyalty and satisfaction of supplier, which in turn are determinants of competitive advantage and organizational performance of the focal organization.

The research design for this paper includes a combination of literature review, exploratory interviews with scholars and practitioners, and a survey of 156 practitioners in three automobile‐manufacturing companies in North India. Structural equation modeling has been used for data analysis.

The paper has developed a scale to measure service quality in the supply chain, and presented a model and set of propositions related to service quality in the supply chain. The model proposes linkages of service quality with loyalty, satisfaction, competitive advantage and organizational performance. The author has empirically tested the model at supplier‐manufacturer dyad and found that the data fit the model.

Future researchers could validate this scale, and empirically test the proposed model. Insights derived from supplier‐manufacturer dyad may be transferred to other dyads of supply chain such as manufacturer‐distributor, distributor‐retailer, and manufacturer and its own employees.

This study would be of interest to manufacturing industry practitioners interested in internal and external service quality improvements. This study finds support for strengthening relationships between a focal organization and its suppliers. Service quality‐based business processes can help strengthen business relationships, develop synchronized linkages between supply chain members, and consequently gain competitive advantage.

There are few empirical studies that measure service quality in manufacturing industries or the supply chain. The role of internal and external service quality and their linkages with loyalty, satisfaction, competitive advantage and organizational performance has previously not been conceptualized.

A review of the literature reveals that previous research on capabilities has been limited to static capabilities and have largely been firm‐centric, which neglect today's evolving supply chain environment. To address this shortcoming, this paper aims to explore dynamic supply chain capabilities (DSCCS) as a path to achieving sustainable competitive advantage.

Logistics and supply chain literature is reviewed to provide a foundation for introducing a model of DSCCS driving competitive advantage. Propositions for future research are presented based upon the theoretical model.

The need to continuously renew boundary spanning supply chain capabilities may be facilitated by the presence of a supply chain orientation and a learning orientation found across the multiple partners.

Supply chain organizations exist in a continually evolving environment with the best‐performing firms often being characterized as agile and continually improving. The dynamic capabilities perspective provides a theoretical foundation that may be used to better understand and predict the success of supply chain firms. The work presented here is conceptual and empirical examination of the propositions should occur before any broad generalization can be drawn.

Long‐term organizational success may be facilitated by continuous renewal and creation of new static capabilities through the use of DSCCS.

The paper demonstrates that dynamic capabilities may be extended beyond the traditional single‐firm view to exist across the relationships developed by multiple organizations in a supply chain.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and explain the factors contributing to supply chain agility in service-oriented firms and therein to enhance competitive capabilities of the organization. The study has identified various variables from past studies that support firms in developing agile supply chain operations. Factors identified from prior studies are supply chain flexibility, supply chain visibility, supply chain responsiveness, supply chain speed and learning orientation, which were then empirically tested for further understanding.

Using purposive sampling, a sample of 217 valid responses was gathered through structured questionnaire from supply chain practitioners working in various service industries of Pakistan. Partial least square-structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.

The results of the study show that learning orientation and flexibility of the service firm highly complement the goal of achieving agility in their operations. Speed and visibility also have a major impact on developing agile supply chain. Moreover, supply chain agility has a significantly positive impact on competitive capabilities.

This research is about investigating the operational agility of services sector, which is a one-off study especially in the context of developing and competitive market. This research will provide important insights into the context of dynamic capabilities view for policymakers and decision-makers who aim to develop their competitive strategies based on their operational agility.