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Considering the size and intricate nature of defense supply chains (DSC), there exists a need for a conceptual understanding regarding the precise dynamics of collaboration among the various participants engaged in these chains. This paper seeks to address the gap by investigating the practices that enable or inhibit collaborations and the development of new competencies to effectively employ a flexible response to temporary or more sustained surges in demand. Ultimately, the study aims to develop a theoretical framework relevant to the practical implementation and scholarly examination of contemporary military supply chains.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 DSC professionals in 7 embedded cases within an enterprise framework. The resulting transcripts were analyzed using constructs and concepts from a supply chain logistics (SC/L) literature analysis and synthesis relevant to our research purpose. Finally, the results were validated by an industry focus group with 12 participants representing the government, military, industry, and academia.

This research produced empirical generalizations that provide in-depth and systematic exploratory insights into collaboration’s meaning and characteristics within the DSC context. This study culminates by introducing a conceptual model and definition of defense supply chain collaboration (DSCC) and concludes by proposing future research directions.

This study makes a novel and empirical contribution to the SC/L body of knowledge by investigating embedded cases through unique access to informants within an enterprise framework that focuses on the antecedent influencing factors of collaboration within the contextual domain of the DSC and positions a future research agenda.

This paper aims to explore the impact of fourth-party logistics (4PL) adoption on the agility, adaptability and alignment (AAA) capabilities within humanitarian supply chains (HSCs).

Semi-structured interviews with individuals from a large non-government organisation were combined with secondary data to assess the influence of 4PL adoption on AAA capabilities in HSCs.

The results indicate that HSCs exhibit some of the AAA antecedents but not all are fully realised. While 4PL positively affects the AAA capabilities of HSCs, its adoption faces challenges such as the funding environment, data security/confidentiality and alignment with humanitarian principles. The study suggests an AAA antecedent realignment, positioning alignment as a precursor to agility and adaptability. It also identifies three core antecedents in HSCs: flexibility, speed and environmental uncertainty.

The study shows the positive impact 4PL adoption can have on the AAA capabilities of HSCs. The findings have practical relevance for those wishing to optimise HSC performance through 4PL adoption, by identifying the inhibiting factors to its adoption as well as strategies to address them.

This research empirically explores 4PL’s impact on AAA capabilities in HSCs, highlighting the facilitating and hindering factors of 4PL adoption in this environment as well as endorsing a realignment of AAA antecedents. It also contributes to the growing research on SC operations in volatile settings.

The rise in industrialization, economic development and urbanization has altered the composition of atmospheric air. Air pollutants have significantly impacted Pakistan's urban areas, resulting in the lowest air quality index readings. To understand disinclined behavior such as using air purifiers and wearing masks, this study aims to explore the relationship between individual personality traits and mass media effects.

This study used a cross-sectional survey with a model based on previous theories. Data from 2,000 adults were self-administered and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

PLS-SEM confirmed six hypotheses, revealing mass media's direct and mediating roles in promoting critical psychological perceptions for protective behavior. The empirical results indicate that neuroticism, agreeableness and openness traits reinforce adherence behavior by intensifying threat perception.

This paper highlights significant implications for media campaign planners and provides more precise and comprehensive theoretical guidance. In the context of environmental challenges like smog, the findings illustrate how an understanding of personality traits can improve the efficacy of public health interventions through adherence to behaviors like mask-wearing and air purifier use. Addressing individual psychological characteristics when creating mass media campaigns to encourage public adherence to health protection measures related to environmental hazards.

Despite health campaigns and awareness, public compliance with measures like mask-wearing and air purifier use remains minimal. This study explores untapped mass media effects based on individual personality traits to understand this behavior.

This study aims to understand the role of technology adoption (TA) in improving the efficiency and environmental sustainability (ENS) of humanitarian supply chains through collaboration and supply chain agility. This study made an attempt to explore how technological resources can be used strategically to achieve operational efficiency and contribute to sustainable humanitarian logistics.

The data collected from 274 respondents involved in humanitarian logistics is analyzed using the confirmatory factor analysis and the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. These respondents include logistics managers, coordinators as well as other relevant personnel from different non-governmental organizations, international aid agencies and relief operations.

The results of this study show that TA plays a critical role in improving both collaboration and supply chain agility in humanitarian operations. It is evidenced that both collaboration and agility significantly moderate the relationship between TA and supply chain outcomes, respectively, improving the effectiveness and ENS of aid delivery. In particular, technology-facilitated collaboration and agility cut down operational costs, reduce the response time and minimize the environmental impact.

This study extends the application of dynamic capabilities view in humanitarian operations and supply chain and elaborates on how technological capability improves humanitarian supply chain performance. This study also highlights the mediation role of agility and collaboration to achieve aid delivery efficiency and ENS.

 Social assistance programs have been implemented in Madagascar to assist the most vulnerable and neediest poor in achieving a minimum standard of living during critical times. In the Grand South and Southeast Madagascar, where climate change, price fluctuations and sociopolitical instability threaten the population’s livelihood, the effectiveness of such aid-based programs is uncertain because of possible mistargeting. This study aims to assess the accuracy of the targeting methodology of four different types of social protection programs in Southern Madagascar.

The authors draw evidence from a national representative data set and use multiple techniques that integrate targeting performance and regression-based analyses.

Results show that cash transfers constitute the only program that effectively reaches the poorest 20% living in drought- and cyclone-affected regions. However, mistargeting is likely to occur in food, seed transfers, and the HIMO public works programs. Social inclusion information related to proximity to urban zones, religious affiliation, and number of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets are significantly associated to all program participation. Nevertheless, a serious under-coverage of the eligible poor is noted for Southern Madagascar.

This study is among the first to evaluate the targeting effectiveness of social programs in Madagascar. It introduces a novel approach to evaluating the poverty rate by utilizing a composite-based wealth score. The authors enhance the classic targeting assessment methodology by incorporating geospatial covariates, categorical, geographical and social network information into an econometric model. The study provides a comprehensive view of the main profile of beneficiaries reached by four social assistance programs in Southern Madagascar.