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The study focuses on (1) the success of three strategies employed during the pandemic – two “persevering” strategies, curbside pickup and return window extension and one innovative strategy, virtual try-on technology and (2) whether the strategies are likely to be successful in the post-pandemic world.

The authors utilize a panel dataset containing 17 department store chains in the US The panel includes weekly sales by the retailers at the city level from 2018 to 2021, encompassing both a pre-COVID-19 period and a period during the pandemic. A two-way fixed effects model, including retailer-city fixed effects and year-week fixed effects, is used to estimate department store sales.

The authors find that the two persevering strategies offset the negative impact of government-imposed containment and health measures on sales performance. On the other hand, the innovative strategy is more effective with a low level of containment and health measures, leading to our observation that virtual try-on may be more sustainable than the other two strategies in a post-pandemic environment.

This paper makes the following contributions: First, the authors contribute to the literature on strategies that may be used to respond to crises. Second, the authors contribute to the retail management literature, assessing the impact of the three retail strategies on department store sales. Finally, the authors compare the impact on sales of the two persevering strategies to the innovative strategy and conclude that a mix of these types of strategies may be most effective at generating short-term sales during a crisis and longer-term sales post crisis.

Drawing on the resource-based view and resource complementarity theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate two research questions: To what extent are logistics information system (IS) resources associated with improved operational performance? And to what extent are these relationships contingent on organizational factors?

A conceptual model with a nested structure is presented to link logistics IS resources and organizational factors with operational performance. The findings are validated using a cross-sectional sample of secondary data from domestic logistics firms in China.

This paper extends existing operational-level measures for logistics IS resources into a three-tier tactical-level typology: inside-out resources (operation-focused IS, decision-focused IS and IS development capability); outside-in resources (relation-focused IS and market-focused IS); and spanning resources (IS integration capability and IS management capability). Though logistics IS resources, in general, are positively related to operational performance, inside-out IS resources have the most significant impact. Organizational factors, such as firm size, firm age and firm ownership, may enhance or suppress the effects of logistics IS resources on performance.

The findings are valuable to both logistics firms and buyer firms in an emerging market, as logistics IS resources may affect costs and quality of logistics service. The tactical-level typology allows logistics firms to better plan for and manage emerging IS resources in a competitive environment.

This paper extends prior work regarding the complementary effects of logistics IS resources and organizational factors on operational performance. Logistics firms should carefully manage the three types of tactical-level IS resources according to their organizational environment to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Based on cost of quality (CoQ) research, this study aims to highlight the importance of incorporating the costs to customers in contributing to service quality when examining how customers respond to possible service failures [quality assurance behavior (QAB)]. Consequently, this study also aims to show how the CoQ framework can be a useful tool to the service industry in determining enhancements in quality and related expenditures.

Using the airline industry as a case example, this study empirically tests the impact of predicted service quality and its associated costs on an individual’s QAB (wait time spent at the departing airport) through revealed preferences. The study uses survey data from more than 4,000 passengers matched with travel-specific quality information archived by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

This study finds that customers are willing to increase their level of QAB when informed of an increased probability of service failure. This study also finds that the level of QAB varies depending on anticipated customer costs of avoiding or responding to service failures.

Findings of this study emphasize the need for shared responsibility between service providers and their customers in making decisions on the provision of service quality, as helping customers adjust the appropriate level of QAB may result in greater efficiency and higher quality of service.

This study conceptualizes and empirically tests causal relationships between expected quality and customer efforts (QAB), thus contributing to operations literature examining CoQ in a service setting. This study argues that it is critical to consider shared responsibilities between co-producers (service providers and customers) in service operations studies.

A survey of 372 logistics managers in different industries revealed multiple outsourcing linkages among logistics activities. These results are consistent with previous findings that suggest that firms can improve customer service and reduce costs by outsourcing multiple logistics functions. The results are also consistent with previous research on the role that improved coordination of information and material flows have in the achievement of economies of scale and economies of scope. Future research developments in the field of logistics outsourcing are also proposed.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of global sourcing and exports on US domestic manufacturing inventories and quantify the additional inventory costs associated with global operations.

A panel data set of 19 US manufacturing sectors is constructed over the period 2002‐2005. Data are collected from the US economic census and other government statistics. Fixed and random effects models in both linear and LOG terms are estimated and the estimated coefficients used to calculate the cost to US manufacturing industries of additional inventories attributed to global operations.

Imports and exports have a positive, significant impact on raw materials inventory and finished goods inventory, respectively, in terms of days of supply. Based on estimations using 2005 data, a 10 percentage point increase in the import and export ratios for all US manufacturers is estimated to be accompanied by $3.03 billion additional costs for raw materials inventory and $5.33 billion for finished goods inventory, respectively.

This study is among the first to quantify the impact of global sourcing and exports on US domestic inventories using secondary data. To macroeconomic policy makers and industry managers, the results may serve as a benchmark to how domestic inventories are affected by global outsourcing and exports, and as a reminder that the benefits of global activities may be overestimated if inventory costs are not explicitly taken into consideration.

This study aims to examine publications of supply chain management (SCM) researchers from across the world and maps the leadership role of authors and institutions based on how prolific they are in publishing and on network measures of centrality while accounting for the quality of the outlets that they publish in. It aims to inform stakeholders on who the leading SCM scholars are, their primary areas of SCM research, their publication profiles and the nature of their networks. It also identifies and informs on the leading SCM research institutions of the world and where leadership in specific areas of SCM research is emerging from.

Based on SCM papers appearing in a set of seven leading journals over the 15-year period of 2001-2015, publication scores and social network analysis measures of total degree centrality and Bonacich power centrality are used to identify the highest ranked agents in SCM research overall, as well as in some specific areas of SCM research. Social network analysis is also used to examine the nature and scope of the networks of the ranked agents and where leadership in SCM research is emerging from.

Authors and institutions from the USA and UK are found to dominate much of the rankings in SCM research both by publication score and social network analysis measures of centrality. In examining the networks of the very top authors and institutions of the world, their networks are found to be more inward-looking (country-centric) than outward-looking (globally dispersed). Further, researchers in Europe and Asia alike are found to exhibit significant continental inclinations in their network formations with researchers in Europe displaying greater propensity to collaborate with their European-based counterparts and researchers in Asia with their Asian-based counterparts. Also, from among the journals, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal is found to exhibit a far more expansive global reach than any of the other journals.

The journal set used in this study, though representative of high-quality SCM research outlets, is not exhaustive of all potential outlets that publish SCM research. Further, the measure of quality that this study assigns to the various publications is based solely on a publication score that accounts for the quality of the journals, as rated by Association of Business Schools that the papers appear in and nothing else.

By informing the community of stakeholders of SCM research about the top-ranked SCM authors, institutions and countries of the world, the nature of their networks, as well as what the primary areas of SCM research of the leading authors in the world are, this research provides stakeholders, including managers, researchers and students, information that is helpful to them not only because of the insights it provides but also for the gauging of potential for embedding themselves in specific networks, engaging in collaborative research with the leading agents or pursuing educational opportunities with them.

This research is the first of its kind to identify and rank the top SCM authors and institutions from across the world using a representative set of seven leading SCM and primary OM journals based on publication scores and social network measures of centrality. The research is also the first of its kind to identify and rank the top authors and institutions within specific areas of SCM research and to identify future research opportunities relating to aspects of collaboration and networking in research endeavors.

Third-party logistics (3PL) companies have experienced an explosion of volume during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Special tiers have been introduced to provide differentiated levels of service to the customers. However, such changes in an organization reveal and intensify tensions known as paradoxes. The purpose of this research is to identify what paradoxes emerged or have become more salient specifically due to COVID-19 in 3PLs' ground operations and how they are dealt with by ground operation managers.

This is a qualitative study conducted in two phases. Phase one utilizes a questionnaire approach to identify the paradoxes within the 3PLs operating in the USA. Phase two, conducted six months after phase one, follows an in-depth one-on-one interview approach. NVivo 12 is employed to analyze the interview data.

The results show that new paradoxes did in fact emerge due to the COVID-19 and are mostly related to the performing paradox category. Findings from in-depth interviews show that the 3PL managers focus on keeping safety as priority to manage COVID-19 related paradoxes, along with modifying operational plans, improving communication, investing in training, optimizing hub network, introducing modified/new methods and adapting modified human resource policies.

This paper is among the first known to identify paradoxes within the 3PL operations during the COVID-19 and provides insights into how these paradoxes are dealt with at mid-management level. Findings of this study provide foundations for the development of a theoretical framework on handling paradoxes within 3PLs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between the dimensions of sustainable competitive advantages in the Indian low cost airlines.

This study used structural equation modelling methods to identify the factors that significantly affect the sustainable competitive advantages enjoyed by Indian low-cost carriers (LCCs). Specifically, this study is based on the data from 208 airline experts that populate multiple structural equation models.

Results indicate that indigenous efficiency, the LCCs perceptions of threat, dexterity, strategic persuasion and the LCC adopting an enabling role positively affect LCCs’ competitive advantages. These five factors were all correlated with each other. The results also show that relative to an LCC’s dexterity, indigenous efficiency is a stronger predictor of an LCC’s competitive advantages.

This study provides low-cost airlines with valuable information for designing effective strategies for obtaining competitive advantages in the LCC sector. To conclude the paper, the authors offer practical recommendations for managers and suggest some avenues for future research in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if religious food laws can provide answers to current issues with the food systems.

This paper provides a discussion of the dietary and food system principles from a Judaism, Christianity and Islamic perspective for the design of a more sustainable and healthy food system.

The commercialisation of the natural resources, industrial food production approach and consumerism is endangering the food security, health and environment. Current industry practices are not sustainable and do not comply with Jewish, Christian and Islamic scriptures. Kosher, Christian and halal food laws share common principles in prohibition of certain animals (like pig), prohibition of blood, role of fasting and animal welfare. As a change in the diet is the solution, there is a key role for the food industry to comply and for religious leaders to radically reduce meat consumption and food waste of its followers.

This viewpoint paper shows that religious food laws provide answers to current problems with the industrialised food production approach and consumerism.

New food industry directives should convert meat-based to plant-based ingredients and additives; replace porcine by bovine sources; and emphasise on animal welfare to better serve the Jewish, Christian and Muslim consumer. Religious logos (kosher and halal) should incorporate nutrient profiling through a traffic light system to promote healthy food choice.

Religious food laws are important for a big part of the world population (Jews, Christians and Muslims), which share many common principles. This study contributes to a better understanding of the commonalities and differences in these religious food laws.