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This study aims to explore how multinational lead buyers can play an active role in ensuring worker voices in garment supplier factories where workers have limited space to raise their voices, and how buyers’ involvement increases the possibilities of worker voices mitigating barriers to social dialogues and enhancing mutual interests of buyers and workers in garment factories.

Using a qualitative research approach and multiple embedded case study method, this study considered buyer−supplier dyads as the unit of analysis, i.e. two multinational lead buyers and their four corresponding suppliers in the garment industry of Bangladesh. Focus group discussion and key informant in-depth interviews were techniques applied to collect factory-level data, and within and cross-case analysis techniques were applied to develop an overall understanding.

The results of this study reveal that the opportunities for workers to voice their concerns through social dialogue in garment supplier factories are limited due to various obstacles. Similarly, the role of multinational lead buyers in addressing these issues is found to be less than ideal. This study also shows that buyers can take short-term and long-term initiatives to ensure social dialogues. Moreover, this study presents how social dialogues can meet the expectations of multinational buyers and their garment suppliers.

While this study focuses exclusively on the garment industry, similar scenarios also exist across a multitude of other industries. Thus, future research could extend this study’s scope to various sectors, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the general state of worker voices in Bangladesh. This study stands to make significant contributions to literature in the fields of global value chains, human relations and international business. It will pose critical perspectives on how upstream value chain suppliers can fortify worker rights through social dialogue, and elucidate the means and motives for lead buyers to play a more active role in this endeavour.

This study is distinct in its approach, integrating buyer−supplier roles to pave the way for enhanced worker voice opportunities through social dialogue in garment supplier factories.

This paper aims to explore the cybersecurity challenges the electric power industry faces due to its increased reliance on digital supply chains (DSCs), focusing on the procurement phase.

This study uses qualitative methods, with 17 semi-structured interviews conducted among industry participants to delve deep into the challenges and potential solutions. The Gioia methodology was applied to analyse the interview data. The ecosystem and procurement theory is used to understand the interconnectedness and vulnerabilities within the electric power industry’s DSC.

Three aggregated dimensions were identified: cybersecurity, risk management and supplier tensions. Key findings suggest the importance of precise cybersecurity requirements, continuous monitoring, engagement with all supply chain actors and adaptability to emerging threats.

This paper presents a framework to systematically address and mitigate cybersecurity risks in the DSC. Combining theoretical foundations with reasonable measures can significantly enhance cybersecurity resilience. By implementing these guidelines, organisations can foster collaboration across the supply chain, maintain regulatory compliance and continually adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

The paper is based on unique interview data from actors in the electric power industry. It presents a new framework for managing cybersecurity in DSCs, underpinned by the theoretical lenses of ecosystems and procurement.

This study examines the impact of inter-organisational justice (i.e. distributive, procedural and interactional) in the buyer–supplier relationship on supply risk and, in turn, on a firm’s marketing and financial performance.

A structured survey was administered both online and in-person to Jordan-based manufacturing companies. The 137 responses received were analysed using partial least structural equation modelling.

The study found that while establishing both procedural and interactional justice in the relationship has a negative impact on supply risk, promoting distributive justice, surprisingly, has no impact. Moreover, supply risk was found to be detrimental to the firm’s marketing and financial performance.

This study considers only the direct role of inter-organisational justice in reducing supply risk. Future research could enhance our understanding of this role by exploring the underlying mechanisms and conditions that could govern it.

Managers can alleviate supply risk by ensuring procedural and interactional justice in the relationship through involving suppliers in the decision-making processes, consistently adhering to established procedures and communicating transparent and ample information.

Addressing supply risk can help in maintaining community resilience and economic stability.

The study highlights inter-organisational justice as a new approach to mitigating supply risk. Moreover, by examining how supply risk can affect a firm’s marketing performance, it also highlights a new implication of supply risk. Furthermore, by exclusively examining the impact of supply risk on a firm’s financial performance, the study provides a more nuanced interpretation of the effect of supply risk and how it can be reduced.

The study aims to understand the influence of supplier development (SD) activities on supplier satisfaction through the lens of social capital theory (SCT) and to understand the mediating role of the buyer–supplier relationship (BSR) in improving supplier satisfaction (SS).

The research is based on survey of 110 key informants belonging to 50 medium to small supplier companies in the Indian automotive sector. We employed the PLS variance-based modelling technique for the data analysis.

The investigation resulted in a comprehensive framework for SD activities influencing SS. Further findings recognize a positive influence of SD activities such as payment terms and BSR, which are components of structural social capital on the SS. SD activities such as quality management and delivery, which are indicators of relational capital, affect SS through the mediation of BSR.

The study confirms the role of BSR in SS. The deliberations can help the managers of buyer and supplier firms and researchers to classify and strategize SD activities to improve performance and BSR to become preferred customers through SS.

This study aims to establish a robust evaluation framework for suppliers within the automotive supply chain, specifically in the stamping sector. The primary objectives are to elucidate the performance criteria of suppliers, identify indicators and scales for measuring these criteria and find the importance of the criteria.

The evaluation framework comprises a criteria hierarchy and indicators developed based on the evaluation criteria of major automotive manufacturers. Specific indicators and measurement scales are recommended for assessing suppliers. Importance weights for the criteria are assigned based on the input of nine experts using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Finally, four sheet metal stamping tooling (SMST) suppliers are evaluated by four specialists using the proposed evaluation framework.

The study introduces a novel classification of criteria, encompassing financial and commercial perspectives, delivery capability, supplier facility and cultural approaches and business process necessities. The findings underscore the significance of financial and commercial stability in the selection of SMST suppliers, emphasizing their role in mitigating risks associated with disruptions, bankruptcies and unforeseen events. Additionally, several SMST evaluation factors identified in this study contribute to the development of resilience capabilities, highlighting the crucial importance of their inclusion and assessment in the proposed evaluation framework.

This research presents a comprehensive model for evaluating SMST suppliers, which tackles the multidisciplinary challenges within the automotive supply chain. Given the inadequacy or nonexistence of current SMTS selection models, this study bridges the gap by exploring potential and necessary criteria, alongside 116 specific indicators and measurement scales.

This article aims to map the expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers in terms of implementing improvement activities. The article poses two research questions: RQ1: What kind of improvement of activities do the surveyed producers expect from their suppliers? RQ2: Do factors such as size, capital or implemented systems influence different assessments of the analyzed requirements toward suppliers?

The Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) technique was used to collect data. The sample consists of 150 producers (employing over 50 people) who were suppliers for enterprises from the automotive, electromechanical and chemical sectors operating in the Polish business-to-business (B2B) market. We analyzed 11 improvement activities, while their correlation structure was examined by exploratory factor analysis.

We have identified three latent factors – risk reduction, product innovation and increasing efficiency – which summarize the main expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers. Expectations for these factors are independent of the implemented management system, although the analysis showed higher expectations for product innovation in organizations with the implementation of Kaizen.

The article fills the research gap in the literature. The research results presented in the literature so far have focused on the expectations of enterprises towards suppliers in terms of meeting the criteria for their initial and periodic assessment. The research gap in the article is the result of empirical research presenting the expectations of manufacturers towards suppliers in terms of improving their processes. Based on the findings of the presented study, development trends and implications for managers responsible for purchasing processes and relationships with suppliers can be determined.

This paper aims to address the imperative of establishing adaptive sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) within the context of export food supply chains (EFSC) in Jordan, with potential global applicability. The research introduces a new conceptual framework validated through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), prioritizing critical factors based on five expert opinions. The practical and managerial outcomes emphasize achieving sustainable supply chain performance through quality-driven sustainability (QDS), encapsulated in a practical framework (SSCQM). Employing the concept of QDS, this study aims to develop a novel decision framework for Sustainable Supply Chain Quality Management (SSCQM).

Conducted as an empirical qualitative study in Jordan, the research employs a systematic literature review to identify research gaps and establish the initial conceptual framework. A pilot case is subsequently conducted to refine the framework, followed by Case Studies of four Triads, elucidating network relationships between suppliers, manufacturers and customers. A total of 32 semi-structured interviews, complemented by observations, tours and document analysis, individually explored each case during the exploratory stage. Cross-analysis of the four cases at the explanatory stage provides empirical insights, and data triangulation, literature review and validation using NVivo enhance the robustness of the findings.

The amalgamation of the three perspectives, when treated individually, results in the integrated category of QDS influencing sustainability (SUST) performance, evident in economic, environmental and social dimensions. Various sustainable initiatives have emerged through the relationships within the Triad, comprising a company, supplier and customer in the supply chain and its broader environment, including society, aiming for enhanced sustainable development and SUST performance. Recognizing the urgency of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the Middle East, where global supply chains are susceptible to disruptions leading to food shortages and insecurity, this research investigates the state of EFSC in the export food industry in Jordan. The novel decision (SSCQM) framework equips managers and policymakers with knowledge and practices applicable to focal actors in Triads within their EFSCs, particularly in developing countries, thereby contributing to enhancing the export food industry’s sustainability.

This research provides empirical and contextual justifications for the supply chain-quality model (SSCQM) that advocates for business organizations how a desirable, sizeable and significant outcome/shock can be triggered via embedding quality elements in an international supply chain specifically in Jordan. The research also offers significant implications for practising supply chain experts in terms of how they can effectively utilize the supply chain quality to align other players in the supply chain, revenue potential, customer retainability and employee retention to achieve superior organizational performance. The research selectively encompasses three key perspectives of supply chain networks (SCN), total quality management (TQM) and SUST to elucidate the essence of SCM.

This research contributes towards filling the gap as a lack of empirical research.

Although climate change-related risks affect all stakeholders along the supply chain, the potential impact on small and micro-sized suppliers is incredibly excessive. The corresponding toll of these climate risk threats on the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers can adversely affect their participation in sustainability efforts, ultimately impacting the firm's performance. This often-overlooked dynamic forms the core of our research. We probe into two pivotal aspects: how industry dynamism and climate risk affect the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers and how, in turn, dictate involvement and, consequently, supply chain sustainability performance. This is further nuanced by the moderating role of the abusive behavior of buyers.

Our study is built on resource dependency theory and the supporting empirical evidence is fortified by a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. This study comprises three phases. In the first phase, our experiment examines the effect of industry dynamism and climate risk exposure on sustainable supply chain management performance. Hypotheses H1a and H1b are tested in the first phase. The second phase involves using a survey and structural equation modeling to test the comprehensiveness of the model. Here, the relationship between industry dynamism, climate risk exposure, mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized supplier firms, supplier involvement and sustainable supply chain management (H2–H7) is tested in the second phase. In the third phase, we adopt a qualitative approach to verify and provide descriptive explanations of phase two findings.

Our findings underscore the significance of small and micro-sized suppliers in sustainability, offering invaluable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical implementation. Our study highlights that buyers must allocate sufficient resources to support small and micro-sized supplier firms and collaborate closely to address climate change and its impacts.

The key takeaway from this study is that buyer firms should consider SDG 3, which focuses on the good health and well-being of their employees and the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers in their upstream supply chain. This approach enhances sustainability performance in supply chains.

This is one of the first studies that shows that industry dynamism and climate risk exposure can negatively impact small and micro-sized suppliers in the presence of a contextual element, i.e. abusive behavior of buyers, and ultimately, it negatively impacts sustainable supply chain performance dimensions.

This exploratory study illustrated an integrated academic library supply chain (IALSC) model to design the strategic planning management tool of the academic library. The supply chain (SC) model has been widely used in manufacturing industries and has also been applied in many service industries with the same objectives. However, very few studies for academic libraries, particularly the implementation of the integrated SC model, are being executed, although it has been proven that SC management in practice can enhance stakeholder satisfaction, increase revenues and decrease total costs. The academic library also needs to be successful in providing quality products, services and information to fulfil the library users’ needs within the library budget. This research aims to develop a verified model of the integrated SC for the academic library.

This research used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to achieve its objectives. The proposed conceptual SC model, named as IALSC, for the academic library has been developed using the system thinking method; eventually, it has been validated through the fuzzy Delphi method, an expert judgement technique.

The research findings could contribute to academic library management in planning and formulating a roadmap for the library to increase its quality services for all stakeholders.

The conceptual model would have a high potential to be proposed as the strategic decision-making tool for an academic library, i.e. the flow of funds through the operations of the library, the library stakeholders’ satisfaction measurement, the decision process currently made by the library management team on the purchase of new library resources, the library resource suppliers, etc.

This paper examines the role of purchasing in facilitating early supplier involvement in new product development (NPD) in contexts of technological uncertainty (TU). Taking a purchasing perspective, it develops a moderate model to explain the effects of supplier involvement on NPD performance and whether and how knowledge orchestration capability (KOC) and TU affect these relationships. Additionally, KOC drivers are defined.

A total of 317 usable questionnaires from Chinese high-technology firms were collected. Moderated multiple regression (MMR) was used to test all hypotheses. Resource orchestration theory (ROT) was the adopted theoretical lens.

Two forms of supplier involvement (as knowledge source and co-creator) were found to distinctly affect NPD performance and have potential substitutive relationships. Purchasing KOC positively moderates the relationships between forms of supplier involvement on NPD performance. TU strengthens the moderating role of purchasing KOC. Furthermore, purchasing status and supply complexity are important antecedents for purchasing KOC.

These findings serve as a blueprint for involving purchasing in technologically uncertain NPD projects and improve supplier NPD integration. Additionally, management should recognize the purchasing function's role and empower it to identify ideas, knowledge and solutions within supply networks.

This research contributes to the ROT by examining the role of purchasing KOC on supplier involvement in NPD performance, especially under TU. Moreover, it demonstrates significant and positive relations between purchasing department status and external supply complexity on its KOC.