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To determine how to best deploy the Triple-A supply chain (SC) capabilities (AAA-agility, adaptability and alignment) to improve competitive advantage (CA) by identifying the Triple-A SC model with the highest CA predictive capability.

Assessment of in-sample and out-of-sample predictive capacity of Triple-A-CA models (considering AAA as individual constructs) to find which has the highest CA predictive capacity. BIC, BIC-Akaike weights and PLSpredict are used in a multi-country, multi-informant, multi-sector 304 plant sample.

Greater direct relationship model (DRM) in-sample and out-of-sample CA predictive capacity suggests DRM's greater likelihood of achieving a higher CA predictive capacity than mediated relationship model (MRM). So, DRM can be considered a benchmark for research/practice and the Triple-A SC capabilities as independent levers of performance/CA.

DRM emerges as a reference for analysing how to trigger the three Triple-A SC levers for better performance/CA predictive capacity. Therefore, MRM proposals should be compared to DRM to determine whether their performance is significantly better considering the study's aim.

Results with our sample justify how managers can suitably deploy the Triple-A SC capabilities to improve CA by implementing AAA as independent levers. Single capability deployment does not require levels to be reached in others.

First research considering Triple-A SC capability deployment to better improve performance/CA focusing on model's predictive capability (essential for decision-making), further highlighting the lack of theory and contrasted models for Lee's Triple-A framework.

This paper analyzes whether the Triple-A supply chain (SC)–competitive advantage (CA) relationship is influenced by the country context and considers the case of emerging vs developed countries. Any differences in the importance of the three Triple-A SC dimensions (agility, adaptability and alignment) and a potential synergy effect among them when pursuing CA are also analyzed.

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method is applied to an international multiple informant sample of 304 manufacturing plants in nine developed and five emerging countries.

A significant positive relationship is found between the Triple-A SC and CA in the full sample and in the two separate samples of emerging and developed countries, which is more intense in the emerging countries. For the same samples, it is also concluded that (1) there are no significant differences in the importance of SC adaptability (SC-Ad), SC agility (SC-Ag) and SC alignment (SC-Al) as levers in the Triple-A SC–CA relationship and (2) a synergy effect among the Triple-A SC dimensions when pursuing CA is not supported.

The present study brings new evidence to the previous research on Triple-A SC and its relationship with CA in different country contexts. For managers, this work (1) shows that Triple A should be considered in the design of global SCs irrespective of the country context and (2) offers a first approach for determining the Triple-A SC levers that must be taken into consideration when pursuing a CA.

This paper contributes to Triple-A SC theory development. It is the first research study that analyzes the effect of the country context on the Triple-A SC–CA relationship and the importance of each of the Triple-A SC dimensions and their possible synergy effect when pursuing CA using a multiinformant international sample taken from different country contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to establish definitions and dimensions of Triple-A supply chain (SC) variables based on a literature review and to validate a Triple-A SC measurement model using a worldwide multiple informant sample.

Following a literature review, Triple-A SC variables (agility, alignment and adaptability) are conceptualized and a list of possible items is created for their measurement. An international 309 plant sample is used to validate the convergent and criterion validities of the composites proposed to measure Triple-A SC.

Contributions to the literature: clarification of Triple-A SC variable concepts; identification of key dimensions of Triple-A SC variables; development of a validated Triple-A SC measurement scale for future empirical research and industrial applications.

A rigorously validated instrument is needed to measure Triple-A SC variables and enable researchers to credibly test theories regarding causal links between capabilities, practices and performance.

Proposal of a scale for use by managers of different functions to analyze Triple-A SC deployment in the company.

The only Triple-A SC scale used in the previous literature has serious limitations: scales were not taken from an extended literature review; data were collected from single respondents in a single country. This is the first validated Triple-A SC measurement model to overcome these limitations.

Production/operations management (POM) is today a key element for the competitivity of companies, and the demand by Spanish companies for university graduates qualified in this area is significant. Therefore, in this discipline, the correct education and training of future business managers is an evident need to be addressed; however, little is known about the current situation of POM teaching in Spanish universities. Hence, to obtain reliable and useful data, a comprehensive empirical study of the total population of university teachers of this discipline in Spain has been undertaken. The present paper concentrates first on the analysis of the characteristics of the POM faculty in Spanish universities, then considers the teaching and assessment methods and the didactic material employed in the teaching of this discipline. In both cases, a critical analysis has been made of the various problems observed, and alternative solutions have been proposed. The analysis of the content of POM programs is the subject of another article published in this journal.

The study aims to investigate cultural aspects in supply chains, analysing the effect that local customs may have in the quality of buyer–supplier relationships. Building on the premisses of social exchange theory (SET), it concentrates on the impacts that suppliers’ use of local practices and informal networks may have in buyers’ attitudes and perceptions. The issues addressed and the empirical evidence provided represent initial, yet important steps in the fulfilment of the ‘cultural void’ within supply chain social sustainability (SCCS) literature.

Through a role-playing experiment applied to a total sample of 468 participants, the effects of Chinese guanxi, Russian blat, South Korean yongo and Brazilian jeitinho on buyers’ satisfaction, buyers’ commitment, trust and solution severity are measured by their use to access informal networks as solutions to both common (i.e. documentation irregularities) and extraordinary (i.e. modern slavery) supply chain problems.

Results show that, while the activation of informal networks may impact buyers’ perceptions, the use of some local practices by suppliers (i.e. Chinese guanxi and Brazilian jeitinho) cause greater variations in buyers’ attitudes and perceptions than others (i.e. South Korean yongo and Russian blat), with ethical offences (i.e. modern slavery) and higher levels of buyers’ dependency acting as catalysts of these processes.

The investigation of cultural practices typical of economically peripheral countries contributes to the understanding of new facets of buyer–supplier relationships, with the investigation of non-Northwestern practices being particularly important in this regard.

This research proposes ideal interaction patterns for structural dimensions (buyer and supplier representatives involved in the interaction and buyer and supplier critical capabilities) for transport service outsourcing. The purpose of this paper is to establish whether those ideal interaction patterns are determinants of success of the interaction. In this paper, the latter is measured against the corresponding process success and outcome success.

This paper proposes a conceptual model based on the prior literature and adapted to this specific case of transport services. The proposed model is approached using the partial least squares simultaneous equation models. For this, the result of a survey to senior management at European machinery, electronics and automotive sector manufacturing plants has been used.

When companies possess the proposed ideal patterns for the structural dimensions, this brings with it positive effects on both the process success and the outcome success obtained by the outsourcing plant. Therefore, buyer-supplier relationships have been recognized to play a key role in the outcomes of this interaction and that the design and management of interfaces between companies and their logistics providers are critical.

Managers can use the present research findings to produce an appropriate interaction design that includes the representatives and capabilities required to make transport service outsourcing a success.

This paper contributes to the literature on transport research by specifically establishing ideal interaction patterns for the structural dimensions that buyer and supplier’s companies need to consider for achieving successful transport services outsourcing. Besides, the present research proposes a multidimensional measure of outcome success that combines major strategic, operational and financial outputs. Finally, this research represents the first survey-based empirical evidence on the topic, having used a sample of 93 plants belonging to many different companies in five European countries.

The purpose of this paper is to, first, explore the role of interpersonal relationships between buying and supplying firms in the management of supply chain disruptions (SCDs). Interpersonal connections are proposed as “social lubricants” that can advance the knowledge about conventional interorganizational antecedents of firm resilience. Differentiating between high- and low-complexity manufacturing industries, the study then looks into how managers from these industry clusters can leverage the efficacy of these relationships through the appropriate use of interorganizational governance mechanisms.

Structural equation modeling is conducted with data collected from 229 manufacturing firms in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Industry clusters are formed via a Q-sort exercise.

Results support the assumption of a socially embedded, interpersonal dimension in buyer-supplier relationships that impact organizational-level resilience. It is suggested that investments in interpersonal skills and interpersonal complementarity are significant antecedents of both relational and re-deployable firm resilience. Surprisingly, no support was found for a positive impact of interpersonal information sharing on firm resilience, challenging findings from previous studies on an interorganizational level. Interorganizational governance and industry affiliation each have moderating effects on the performance of the resilience efficacy of interpersonal relationship antecedents, suggesting the existence of an important managerial lever.

Integrating the supply chain and behavioral science literature, this study is the first to investigate the interplay of interpersonal and organizational antecedents and their efficacy in the management of SCDs.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a computer‐assisted learning experience in operations management (OM) higher education that entailed the development of interactive learning software, its evaluation in an experimental environment and the formal analysis of the teaching method's influence on student perceptions.

The software design follows the constructivist focus based on widely‐accepted educational technology principles. Objective tests of knowledge and subjective appraisal of the learning process were used in the experiment to compare two educational scenarios (computer‐assisted learning and on‐site class). Students' perceptions of the software's technical and teaching features are also analyzed.

The study shows that the teaching method can significantly affect students' perceptions of the learning process. The findings also confirm the pedagogical effectiveness of the software that was designed and that information communication technologies (ICT)‐based methods are an alternative to traditional methods used in OM education.

The experiment involved strict control over various potential threats to validity. From a statistical point‐of‐view, the conclusions can only be generalized in the population analyzed. Nevertheless, the features of the software and the student profile allow the main conclusions to be generalized to other OM environments.

The use and evaluation of interactive software in OM educational environments are reflected on, with emphasis on the influence that the teaching methodology has on students' attitudes to the learning process. It is of interest for researchers interested in improving teaching through the use of ICT.

There are very few studies on interactive self‐learning software for OM and its effects on student perceptions. This paper is a new contribution to this field.

Using the matching/difference perspective, the purpose of this paper is to examine the interaction fit between a set of managerial practices from manufacturing strategy (MS) and another set from technology management (TM) and the link of this fit to operational performance.

The paper applies multiple statistical methods to a database of an international sample of plants in the auto supplier sector to explore (deviation score analysis/multiple linear regression) and confirm (correlation and variance subgroup analysis) whether a matching model presents organisational disequilibrium, where states of fit are related to effectively higher performance than states of misfit.

Results from regression show that there were no states of misfit between the levels of both manufacturing practice sets/areas. This means that there are no significant differences in performance that may be tested for matching interaction. However, subgroup analysis provides greater detail on why there might not be any misfits (i.e. state of fit), by illustrating that when grouping by plant type (high/world class performer, HP, and standard performer, SP), the slight lack of significant difference in the correlation between MS and TM was in favour of HP. The implementation levels of MS‐TM found were not significantly different, showing for HP slightly higher levels for both practices (+&+) than for SP, with slightly lower values in both cases (− & −). Therefore, it seems that both groups might perform equally well, due not to interaction but to the presence of a state of MS‐TM fit alone. A state of fit such as this, known as selection or congruency, would be the reason for there being no significant matching interaction originally.

Most of the interaction fit bibliography is from the accounting perspective. Therefore, the impact of the matching interaction fit between MS and TM (as well as its impact on performance) has not been well documented theoretically, and much less, empirically, in production and operations management.