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1 – 10 of 205Armaghan Chizaryfard, Yulia Lapko and Paolo Trucco
This study advocates the importance of taking an evolutionary perspective in the strategic configuration of closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) in the transition to a circular…
Abstract
Purpose
This study advocates the importance of taking an evolutionary perspective in the strategic configuration of closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) in the transition to a circular economy. Building on the supply chain management and industrial dynamics research domains, an evolutionary analytical framework was developed and applied in the empirical context of the ongoing industrial transition to e-mobility.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is designed as an in-depth exploratory case study to capture the multi-layer dynamic complexities and their interplay in CSLC development. The empirical investigation was based on two-year interactions between the authors and various departments in a leading European heavy vehicle manufacturer. The proposed evolutionary analytical framework was used for investigating the dynamics of four CLSC configurations through ten possible trajectories.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that the evolution of each CLSC configuration comes with multiple challenges and requirements and point out the necessity for the co-development of technologies, product design and production, and infrastructure through long-term relationships among key supply chain actors. However, this evolutionary journey is associated with multiple dilemmas caused by uncertainties in the market and technology developments. All these factors were properly captured and critically analyzed, along with their interactions, thanks to the constructs included in the proposed evolutionary analytical framework.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed evolutionary framework is applicable for examination of SC transformation in the context of market and technology development, and is particularly relevant for transitioning from linear SC to CLSC. The framework offers a single actor perspective, as it does not directly tackle dynamics and effects of actions taken by SC actors.
Practical implications
The developed framework can support SC managers in identifying, framing, and comparing alternative strategies for CLSC configuration in the transition process.
Originality/value
This study proposes the framework for understanding and guiding the evolutionary process of CLSC development. Its uniqueness lies in the integration of concepts from innovation and evolutionary theories coming from industrial dynamics and SCM literature streams.
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Onyeka John Chukwuka, Jun Ren, Jin Wang and Dimitrios Paraskevadakis
Unforeseen events can disrupt the operational process and negatively impact emergency resources optimization and its supply chain. A limited number of studies have addressed risk…
Abstract
Purpose
Unforeseen events can disrupt the operational process and negatively impact emergency resources optimization and its supply chain. A limited number of studies have addressed risk management issues in the context of emergency supply chains, and this existing research lacks inbuilt and practical techniques that can significantly affect the reliability of risk management outcomes. Therefore, this paper aims to identify and practically analyze the specific risk factors that can most likely disrupt the normal functioning of the emergency supply chain in disaster relief operations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper has used a three-step process to investigate and evaluate risk factors associated with the emergency supply chain. First, the study conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify the risk factors. Second, the research develops a questionnaire survey to validate and classify the identified risk factors. At the end of this step, the study develops a hierarchical structure. Finally, the research investigates the weighted priority of the validated risk factors using the fuzzy-analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) methodology. Experts were required to provide subjective judgments.
Findings
This paper identified and validated 28 specific risk factors prevalent in emergency supply chains. Based on their contextual meanings, the research classified these risk factors into two main categories: internal and external risk factors; four subcategories: demand, supply, infrastructural and environmental risk factors; and 11 risk types: forecast, inventory, procurement, supplier, quality, transportation, warehousing, systems, disruption, social and political risk factors. The most significant risk factors include war and terrorism, the absence of legislative rules that can influence and support disaster relief operations, the impact of cascading disasters, limited quality of relief supplies and sanctions and constraints that can hinder stakeholder collaboration. Therefore, emergency supply chain managers should adopt appropriate strategies to mitigate these risk factors.
Research limitations/implications
This study will contribute to the general knowledge of risk management in emergency supply chains. The identified risk factors and structural hierarchy taxonomic diagram will provide a comprehensive risk database for emergency supply chains.
Practical implications
The research findings will provide comprehensive and systemic support for respective practitioners and policymakers to obtain a firm understanding of the different risk categories and specific risk factors that can impede the effective functioning of the emergency supply chain during immediate disaster relief operations. Therefore, this will inform the need for the improvement of practices in critical aspects of the emergency supply chain through the selection of logistics and supply chain strategies that can ensure the robustness and resilience of the system.
Originality/value
This research uses empirical data to identify, categorize and validate risk factors in emergency supply chains. This study contributes to the theory of supply chain risk management. The study also adopts the fuzzy-AHP technique to evaluate and prioritize these risk factors to inform practitioners and policymakers of the most significant risk factors. Furthermore, this study serves as the first phase of managing risk in emergency supply chains since it motivates future studies to empirically identify, evaluate and select effective strategies that can eliminate or minimize the effects of these risk factors.
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Mithu Bhattacharya, Thiagarajan Ramakrishnan and Samuel Fosso Wamba
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence enterprise resource planning (ERP) effectiveness within the context of emergency service organizations. Drawing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence enterprise resource planning (ERP) effectiveness within the context of emergency service organizations. Drawing on information systems (IS) effectiveness, ERP implementation and job satisfaction literature, the authors posit that user involvement, top management involvement and training satisfaction are the antecedents to perceived job satisfaction, and perceived job satisfaction leads to ERP effectiveness in emergency service organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey methodology is used for collecting data for this research, and the PLS-SEM technique is used for analysis.
Findings
Results indicate users will be more satisfied with their training if their inputs are taken into account during their training and the top management is actively involved during the training process. Further, if the users perceive that they are adequately trained, they will be more satisfied with their jobs in using ERP, which will also lead to more effective ERP usage in emergency service operations.
Research limitations/implications
The focus of this study is on a single emergency service organization and thus may not be generalizable to other sectors. The authors extend ERP research to the context of emergency service organizations and thus add to the literature on ERP and emergency services. They conceptualize perceived job satisfaction to integrate roles, teamwork, supervisor and their perception regarding their potential to grow in the organization.
Practical implications
The managerial contribution of this research is to identify the motivational aspects and provide practical insights into the effective use of ERP systems for emergency service organizations. From a managerial perspective, the study provides a framework for both IS and emergency service providers/executives to understand and evaluate the factors that help them use ERP effectively in their firms.
Originality/value
This study extends the knowledge of ERP systems. While most of the ERP research focuses on implementation, the authors’ focus is on the effective use of ERP in emergency service organizations. They focus on identifying key factors that are important to using ERP effectively, specifically in emergency service organizations.
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Aline Rodrigues Fernandes and Nonhlanhla Dube
This study investigates paradox-responding strategies and enabling mechanisms in humanitarian temporary supply networks (TSNs). Given the high stakes involved in life-saving…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates paradox-responding strategies and enabling mechanisms in humanitarian temporary supply networks (TSNs). Given the high stakes involved in life-saving supply networks, understanding how diverse, often under-resourced, organisations jointly tackle paradoxical tensions under time pressure is crucial.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative single case study approach is adopted and a TSN deployed to meet shelter needs following the 2015 Nepal earthquake is selected as the case. The authors use diverse secondary data sources to establish how the TSN responded to paradoxical tensions.
Findings
Results show that paradox-responding in humanitarian TSNs is ongoing, dynamic and a collective effort. Most strategies entail tackling the paradoxical tensions at the same time, using the same TSN structure, but there are differences in the treatment of the paradoxical elements. Additionally, the authors find that the execution of the responding strategies is enabled by the appropriate types of network-level mechanisms which can vary in novelty, complexity, depth and reach.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides rich explanations of paradox-responding and develops insights into collective action within TSNs. However, further research is needed to extend and refine insights given the single-case setting design.
Practical implications
This study develops a framework of paradox-responding strategies and a corresponding mix of enabling mechanisms that can guide decision-makers in the humanitarian sector when deploying TSNs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates paradox-responding strategies in humanitarian TSNs in particular and enabling mechanisms in general.
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Steven Alexander Melnyk, William J. Ritchie, Eric Stark and Angela Heavey
Dominant quality standards are present in all industries. Implicit in their use is the assumption that once adopted, there is little or no reason to replace them. However, there…
Abstract
Purpose
Dominant quality standards are present in all industries. Implicit in their use is the assumption that once adopted, there is little or no reason to replace them. However, there is evidence that, under certain circumstances, such standards do get replaced. The reasons for this action are not well-understood, either as they pertain to the displacement decision or to the selection and adoption of the alternative standard. The purpose of this study is to identify and explore these two issues (displacement and replacement) by drawing on data from the American healthcare system. This study is viewed through the theoretical lens of legitimacy theory. In addition, the process is viewed from a temporal perspective. The resulting findings are used to better understand how this displacement process takes place and to identify directions for interesting and meaningful future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an explanatory study that draws on data gathered from quality managers in 89 hospitals that had adopted a new healthcare quality standard (of these, some fifty percent had displaced the dominant quality standard – the Joint Commission – with a different standard – DNV Healthcare.
Findings
The combined literature review and case study data provide insights into the displacement process. This is a process that evolves over time. Initially, the process is driven by the need to meet customer demands. However, over time, as the organizations try to integrate the guidelines contained within the standards into the organization, gaps in the quality standard emerge. It is these gaps that motivate the need to displace standards. The legitimacy perspective is highly effective at explaining this displacement process. In addition, the study uncovers some critical issues, namely the important role played by the individual auditors in the certification process and the importance of fit between the standard and the context in which it is deployed.
Research limitations/implications
The data for the propositions in this case study were derived from interviews and survey data from 89 healthcare organizations. It would be interesting to examine similar relationships with other quality standards and industries.
Practical implications
Our findings provide new insights related to motivations to decouple from a dominant quality standard. Results provide a cautionary tale for standards that hold a dominant market share such that perceived legitimacy of such standards is not as stable as originally thought.
Originality/value
This study illuminates the fragile nature of the stability of dominant standards and emphasizes the linkages between legitimacy concerns and divestiture of such standards.
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Digitalization and marketing technologies have made it possible to overcome some barriers to pricing – a multidisciplinary field between marketing, finance and IT – and have set…
Abstract
Digitalization and marketing technologies have made it possible to overcome some barriers to pricing – a multidisciplinary field between marketing, finance and IT – and have set the stage for a paradigm shift in the pricing profession. Value creation, the pricing process, and price communication have been transformed by innovative business models and advanced algorithmic and human–machine solutions. This chapter synthesizes the literature to date and provides a comprehensive framework for an all-encompassing 360° pricing approach that broadens the understanding of pricing in the context of digital business across all steps of the price management process. Starting from product attributes and motivational beliefs in consumers' value assessment and adoption of (technological or digital) products or services, new business models and pricing models emerge in the digital economy, human–machine solutions for price implementation and repricing are increasingly applied, and price search and communication take place through a variety of digital communication channels. Each stage of this framework discusses concrete examples, highlighting the freemium strategy, the subscription model, price tracking and repricing tools, and digital price information channels such as e-commerce, marketplace, or price comparison platforms. The implications for price management in a digital, technology-driven landscape are discussed from the executive level to the analyst level.
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Ka Wing Chan, Felix Septianto, Junbum Kwon and Revathi Sridhar Kamal
This paper aims to theorize and investigate the use of effective color features in artificial intelligence (AI) influencers, an emerging marketing trend in the social media…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to theorize and investigate the use of effective color features in artificial intelligence (AI) influencers, an emerging marketing trend in the social media context.
Design/methodology/approach
By analyzing 6,132 pictures posted by ten AI influencers on Instagram, this paper examines the effect of warm colors in AI influencers’ social media posts on consumer responses, and how other color features may moderate the effect of warm color. In addition, two experimental studies reveal the underlying process driving the effect of warm color.
Findings
Warmer color generated more favorable consumer responses, with brightness significantly moderating the relationship between warm color and favorable consumer responses. Moreover, the results of the experiments establish that perceived warmth and emotional trust mediate the causal effect of warm colors on consumer responses.
Research limitations/implications
There is still little understanding about consumer perceptions of AI influencers and their acceptance of AI influencers’ product recommendations. As such, this research offers theoretical understanding of the color features influencing the effectiveness of recommendations by AI influencers.
Practical implications
Brands have started deploying AI influencers as their brand ambassadors to make product recommendations, representing a new wave of advertising on social media. The findings will thus benefit marketers in developing effective product recommendations using AI influencers.
Originality/value
The present research provides a novel understanding of how visual features, such as color can influence the effectiveness of AI influencers.
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Steven Alexander Melnyk, Matthias Thürer, Constantin Blome, Tobias Schoenherr and Stefan Gold
This study focuses on (re-)introducing computer simulation as a part of the research paradigm. Simulation is a widely applied research method in supply chain and operations…
Abstract
Purpose
This study focuses on (re-)introducing computer simulation as a part of the research paradigm. Simulation is a widely applied research method in supply chain and operations management. However, leading journals, such as the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, have often been reluctant to accept simulation studies. This study provides guidelines on how to conduct simulation research that advances theory, is relevant, and matters.
Design/methodology/approach
This study pooled the viewpoints of the editorial team of the International Journal of Operations and Production Management and authors of simulation studies. The authors debated their views and outlined why simulation is important and what a compelling simulation should look like.
Findings
There is an increasing importance of considering uncertainty, an increasing interest in dynamic phenomena, such as the transient response(s) to disruptions, and an increasing need to consider complementary outcomes, such as sustainability, which many researchers believe can be tackled by big data and modern analytical tools. But building, elaborating, and testing theory by purposeful experimentation is the strength of computer simulation. The authors therefore argue that simulation should play an important role in supply chain and operations management research, but for this, it also has to evolve away from simply generating and analyzing data. Four types of simulation research with much promise are outlined: empirical grounded simulation, simulation that establishes causality, simulation that supplements machine learning, artificial intelligence and analytics and simulation for sensitive environments.
Originality/value
This study identifies reasons why simulation is important for understanding and responding to today's business and societal challenges, it provides some guidance on how to design good simulation studies in this context and it links simulation to empirical research and theory going beyond multimethod studies.
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Sasidharan Raman Nair, Mohd Rushidi bin Mohd Amin, Vinesh Maran Sivakumaran and Shishi Kumar Piaralal
In 2020, the logistics market in Malaysia was valued at USD 37.60 billion, and it is projected to grow to more than USD 55.0 billion by 2026 at a compound annual growth rate…
Abstract
In 2020, the logistics market in Malaysia was valued at USD 37.60 billion, and it is projected to grow to more than USD 55.0 billion by 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 4%. However, more information is needed about the impact of green logistic practice determinants by the local SMEs on the market share. This study serves as a focal point by examining the factors involved by offering a conceptual framework of determinants and their potential outcomes. This study contributes by demonstrating a conceptual, theoretical framework derived from the synthesis of two theory such as the Resource-Based View theory and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. At the same time, it offers a holistic approach with an in-depth understanding of the Technological and Organizational factors of SMEs. The relationship between the implementation of green practices and organizational performance is also explored.
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Farwa Taqi, Syeda Hina Batool and Alia Arshad
This study aims to explore differences in the usability of the Google Drive application based on demographic characteristics, computer skills and use frequency of Google Drive…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore differences in the usability of the Google Drive application based on demographic characteristics, computer skills and use frequency of Google Drive among public library users of Lahore.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative approach and survey-based research method to achieve the study's objectives. The cloud usability model (user perspective) has been used as a theoretical lens to guide the study objectives. It comprises five dimensions of usability – capable, personal, reliable, valuable and secure.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that the usability of Google Drive varied statistically significantly on the basis of depending on the respondents gender, age, academic qualification, computer skills and Google Drive use frequency.
Practical implications
It is a valuable study since it and adds knowledge to existing literature and has implications for practice.
Originality/value
The findings might be helpful for cloud support teams including Google Drive as they can notice the demographic and other differences among users' perceived usability of Google Drive and can enhance certain features of usability which leads attributes to increase its usage among users.
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