Search results

Describes the role of an executive education programme in fostering change in traditionally passive business functions. The objective is to move the function from its traditional stance to that of a strategically‐oriented contributor to the competitive advantage of the firm. To be successful, the programme content and process must be grounded in detailed knowledge of the function, provide an understanding of the role of the function in the overall organization, foster acceptance of the need for change, and aid in the development of strategies to achieve the required new role. The authors use purchasing as the case study to illustrate the framework.

Outsourcing, or contract manufacturing, is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to in‐house production. It has wide implications for the firm. Since logistics is evolving to include inbound material movements, it stands to play a central role in this trend. Outsourcing arrangements require inventory, timing, storage, transportation and other decisions pertaining to the facets of flow control. Outsourcing, why it is used, and why logistics plays a logical role in it, are examined, some key managerial issues and concerns that outsourcing presents to the firm and to logistics are provided.

A framework for comparing supply chain logistics and the strategic orientation of the firm is explored. Seventeen attributes of supply chain logistics management are investigated along with five stages of strategic evolution of firms. Specific findings note management challenges when it is either below or beyond the strategic level of the firm. In addition, this research highlights how supply chain logistics managers can prioritize training, development, and purchasing activities.

Purchasing organizations are exposed to risk in their interactions with suppliers, whether it is recognized and managed, addressed in a cursory manner, or altogether ignored. In order to understand the supply risk that exists, purchasing organizations can proactively assess the probability and impact of supply risk in advance, or reactively discover risk after a detrimental event occurs. The purpose of this study is to explore, analyze, and derive common themes on supply risk assessment techniques. Findings from this research indicate that purchasing organizations can assess supply risk with techniques that focus on addressing supplier quality issues, improving supplier processes, and reducing the likelihood of supply disruptions. From an agency theory perspective, these risk assessment techniques facilitate the obtaining of information by purchasing organizations to verify supplier behaviors, promoting goal congruence between buying and selling firms, and reducing outcome uncertainty associated with inbound supply.

Intends to provide insights from observaions of field practices and initiatives from researchers in supply chain logistics seeking contexts and inspiration for future research.

Describes supply chain logistics practices and initiatives perceived positions and impacts (2003‐2004), based on interviews with protagonists of 19 major practices/initiatives in the field.

The 19 are divided into three groups: new, wide adoption, and traditional. New refers to strategic, high revenue/growth, wide adoption refers to the normal maturing process, whilst traditional refers to commodity, as in business impact. As companies progress in their initiatives from new to wide adoption to traditional, finds that resarch opportunities develop differently.

Adds value to the original editorial (IJPDLM, Vol. 34 No. 1, 2004), which noted five general categories of research.

Risks and uncertainties are ever more noted and factored into decision making today, and those stemming from supply chains are prominent in the competitiveness and viability of companies and organizations. The idea that every supply chain is made up of five internal chain/network constructs is presented, and these are physical, financial, informational, relational, and innovational. Further, four categorizations of relevant product/supply costs are presented as are four types of supply risks.

The majority of studies on supply chain management (SCM) emphasize the importance of cooperative relationships for improving the integration of business processes into a supply chain. It seems accepted that SCM will be a source of competitive advantage if, and only if, firms that participate in it formalize a strategic partnership between each other beforehand. This article questions whether this really is the case, given that the corporate cultures currently in place are largely founded on a tradition of adversarial relationships, the creation of large groups and the development of vertical concentrations. SCM could, in contrast, in such a case be the catalyst for powerful future strategic partnerships that could gently break arm’s‐length competition.

Presents a series of articles on each of the following topics: digital strategy in the next millennium (Digital strategy – a model for the millennium; Searching for the next competitive edge; The technology link; Value web management opportunities; clash of the Titans: communications companies battle for new ground; and a guide through the maze); retailing and distribution in the digital era (The business case for electronic commerce; superdistribution spells major changes; VF Corp. sews up software operation; IBM seeks to harness digital revolution; Egghead’s bold move to a Web‐based strategy; achieving successful Internet banking; and enterprising uses for IT); and the changing shape of the aviation industry (boom times ahead for air cargo; United Airlines flies high through employee ownership; Asian practices to West at Cathay Pacific; and Ryannair strips to the bone).

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

The i-AM Tablet is an evolving gadget in a world of fast-paced technological change. Facing a new partnership with a major customer, the market for the i-AM is about to explode! This case explores the innovative concept of Supply Chain Resilience as the CEO of i-AM, Inc, develops a strategic plan for expansion. This case is based on theory and practices evolved at the Dow Chemical Company.