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The purpose of this study is to elaborate theory regarding the reasons why collaboration strategies fail. The relational view posits that supply chain integration can be a source of competitive advantage. Few firms, however, successfully co-create value to attain supernormal relational rents.

This study uses a quasi-longitudinal, multi-case interview methodology to explore the reasons why collaboration strategies fail to deliver intended results. The authors interviewed managers at 49 companies in Period 1 and managers at 57 companies in Period 2. In all, 15 companies participated in both rounds of interviews.

This study builds and describes a taxonomy of relational resistors. The authors then explore how sociological and structural resistors reinforce each other to undermine collaborative behavior. Specifically, the interplay among resistors: obscures the true sources of resistance; exacerbates a sense of vulnerability to non-collaborative behavior that reduces the willingness to invest in relational architecture; and inhibits the development of essential relational skills and organizational routines.

This research identifies and describes the behaviors and processes that impede successful supply chain alliances. By delving into the interplay among relational resistors, the research explains the detail and nuance of inter-firm rivalry and supply chain complexity. Ultimately, it is the re-enforcing nature of various resistors that make it so difficult for firms to realize relational rents.

The purpose of this paper is to address how companies mitigate existing forces to achieve the collaboration enabled supply chain (SC).

Seven key theories were used to provide insight into the theoretical framework for the creation of the collaboration‐enabled SC: contingency theory, the resource‐based view of the firm, the relational view of the firm, force field theory, constituency‐based theory, social dilemma theory, and resource‐advantage theory. An exploratory cross‐sectional survey was conducted at two different points in time – a six‐year period in between. The survey targeted three different functional areas – logistics, manufacturing, and sourcing – to compare and contrast functional perceptions of barriers and bridges to collaboration.

Companies are beginning to pursue greater collaboration, however, managers are often stymied in their pursuit of collaborative business models. The data suggest that the challenge is not the existence of a single barrier to collaboration, but one of accumulation. As the many resistors reinforce each other, the change needed to increase collaboration is avoided. To overcome these challenges, the findings suggest that a comprehensive and carefully executed collaboration strategy is needed to help a company profitably deliver high levels of customer satisfaction. Those companies that succeed achieve substantial, documentable benefits.

The findings reveal that developing a collaboration‐enabled business model is very difficult. Therefore, managers must carefully evaluate their companies' motivation and readiness to pursue a collaboration‐enabled SC, consider whether they can generate momentum for sustained change, and ascertain whether they can persist when benefits are slow to emerge.

This study is both longitudinal and cross‐functional and leads to a better understanding of how to manage, change, and create a collaborative decision‐making environment.

We present a model of reappropriation, the phenomenon whereby a stigmatized group revalues an externally imposed negative label by self-consciously referring to itself in terms of that label. The model specifies the causes and consequences of reappropriation as well as the essential conditions necessary for reappropriation to be effective. To place the concept of reappropriation in proper context, we begin by discussing the roots of stigma and the mediating role played by social categorization and social identity in the realization of stigma’s deleterious effects. We also discuss the strategies available to both individuals and groups by which stigmatized individuals can enhance their devalued social identities. We provide a discussion of two historical cases of reappropriation and some preliminary empirical evidence concerning the consequences of self-labeling and attempting to reappropriate a stigmatizing label. Finally we discuss the implications of the model for groups and teams, both within and outside of organizations.

To make strategists aware of decision biases and their potential impact on effective strategic decision‐making.

A review of five critical biases, their sources and impact. The article includes a self‐test. Findings – Suggestions on how the strategist can address biases in self and others as part of strategic leadership.

Conceptual review and self‐test.

Simple, easy to implement guidance on managing biases in self and others.

Raising strategists’ awareness of biases and their potential impact. Self‐test on decision biases. A route to the literature on the issues.

In this chapter, we develop a theoretical model of group splits, culture shifts, and creativity in diverse groups. This model explains how the strength of informational faultlines can elicit a culture shift from a desired to an actual culture of creativity in a team, which then might differentially influence team creativity and group performance. We further argue that subgroup support and team creative efficacy may enhance the interaction of informational faultlines with a desired culture of creativity to facilitate the shift toward an actual culture of creativity. We also discuss future research directions and practical implications for stimulating creative behaviors in organizations.

The cognitive composition process of attribute information plays a critical role in heuristic aspects of consumers’ multiattribute preferential decisions. This study examines the effects of attribute information order and attribute information amount on consumers’ multiattribute preferential decisions under the premise of consumers’ limited information processing capacity. An experiment with two separate designs is conducted for testing the different hypotheses. The results support the hypothesis that consumers’ multiattribute preferential decisions are influenced by the amount of attribute information received/processed. The attribute information order is found to affect not only the outcomes of consumer decisions but also the amount of attribute information processed. These findings further suggest that consumers may be more inclined to adopt strategies of a noncompensatory heuristic nature when making multiattribute preferential decisions.

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.

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.