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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 November 2023

Zaina Nakabuye, Jamiah Mayanja, Sarah Bimbona and Micheal Wassermann

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

1086

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design was adopted for this study. The paper formulates hypotheses from the literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 231 SMEs in Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and AMOS.

Findings

The findings of this study showed technology orientation has a positive and significant relationship with the performance of Ugandan SMEs and that supply chain agility moderates technology orientation and export performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study discusses the findings, advances limitations and managerial implications. It also suggests future research avenues. It proposes some recommendations to help Ugandan SMEs to form flexible supply chains, use the latest technology and create strong relationship ties with their partners in the supply chain.

Practical implications

The study suggests that managers of Ugandan SMEs should use the latest technology in production, marketing, logistics and supply chain management which will enable them to respond quickly to customer tastes and preferences leading to higher levels of export performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on strategic management showing the reliability of scales used and the confirmatory of the factor structure. This study shows that in strategic management technology, orientation is critical in increasing export performance. This study has extended the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theories.

Details

Modern Supply Chain Research and Applications, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3871

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 April 2023

Soomin Park, Michael J. Braunscheidel and Nallan C. Suresh

The study presents a conceptual model of a firm's supply chain agility (FSCA) as a formative construct formed by sensing and responding capabilities. Both construct validity and…

Abstract

Purpose

The study presents a conceptual model of a firm's supply chain agility (FSCA) as a formative construct formed by sensing and responding capabilities. Both construct validity and predictive validity of the model are tested by investigating nuanced effects of FSCA on business performance. The study aims to empirically validate the sensing-responding theoretical framework of Overby et al. (2006) and extend the emergent stream on sensing-responding frameworks for supply chain agility.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey research is employed. Data are analysed using partial least squares technique and mediation tests by Hayes PROCESS macro.

Findings

FSCA is established as a revised construct formed by the distinct capabilities of sensing and responding. The efficacy of utilizing FSCA as a formative 2nd order construct was established. In addition, FSCA is shown to affect business performance through mediations of cost efficiency and customer effectiveness, establishing its predictive validity.

Originality/value

This study contributes significantly to the literature on supply chain agility in terms of both theory and practice for cultivating supply chain agility. Drawing on resource-based view and resource-advantage theories, as reformulation of supply chain agility as a formative construct of sensing and responding capabilities, this research opens up new lines of inquiry on agility.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 June 2023

Haidi Zhou, Qiang Wang, Lixu Li, Thompson S.H. Teo and Shuili Yang

Leveraging the benefits of supply chain digitalization is a big challenge for many firms. To address this issue, this study aims to use information processing theory to explore…

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Abstract

Purpose

Leveraging the benefits of supply chain digitalization is a big challenge for many firms. To address this issue, this study aims to use information processing theory to explore the mechanisms between supply chain digitalization and supply chain performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on survey data from 223 Chinese companies, the authors tested the moderated mediation model using the Process program in SPSS.

Findings

The empirical results reveal that supply chain traceability and supply chain agility partially mediate the supply chain digitalization–supply chain performance relationship. More interestingly, the above significant mediation effects show differences across industries. In particular, manufacturing firms rely more on supply chain traceability, whereas supply chain agility contributes more to service firms. Lastly, supply chain dynamism is a significant moderator that enhances the mediation effect of supply chain traceability in the supply chain digitalization–supply chain performance relationship.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights into the growing literature on supply chain digitalization by proposing a new moderated mediation model that demonstrates the relative importance of different mediators. The findings also help managers boost their supply chain performance in the digital era.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 April 2023

Michael Wang and Bin (Bill) Wang

COVID-19 has caused critical supply chain problems, especially in sustainable supply chain management, but very few empirical studies have been explored how to improve the firm…

Abstract

Purpose

COVID-19 has caused critical supply chain problems, especially in sustainable supply chain management, but very few empirical studies have been explored how to improve the firm sustainability through supply chain endeavours such as supply chain agility to manage the impacts of COVID-19. This paper aims to develop a model to incorporate supply chain agility and supply chain relationships that link firm sustainability to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an online survey and collected 203 valid responses from businesses in the United Arab Emirates, and employed an exploratory factor analysis, mediated regression analysis and structural equation modelling methodology to test the models and hypotheses.

Findings

The authors find that the adoption of supply chain agility can improve supply chain relationships and positively impact sustainability. Meanwhile, supply chain relationships partially mediate the relationship between supply chain agility and sustainability. In addition, sustainability mitigates the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains.

Originality/value

The results provide fruitful insights and implications for the challenges and uncertainties caused by the pandemic post COVID-19 and provide several directions for further research.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2022

Theodore P. Stank, Anne E. Dohmen, Lance W. Saunders, Jason R.W. Merrick and Thomas J. Goldsby

The purpose of this research is to extend existing knowledge of supply chain agility by identifying the interrelationships among key elements of agility that may impact customer…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to extend existing knowledge of supply chain agility by identifying the interrelationships among key elements of agility that may impact customer performance improvement when conditions of demand and supply vary from the core assumptions used to design supply chain networks.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employs the principles of middle range theorizing (Merton, 1968) to incorporate observations from field interviews and data collected from executives, managers, and analysts from six global manufacturing firms across a range of industries to form research propositions about the nature of relationships among cognitive agility dimensions, antecedent impediments to cognitive agility, and the relationships between cognitive and physical agility to improve performance that can later be subjected to deductive testing.

Findings

The supply chain designs used by the participating firms to deliver value for core products were not sufficiently agile to meet desired customer performance levels when certain supply or demand conditions varied significantly from the norm. In collaboration with partner firms, the findings suggest that improving cognitive abilities to see, think and act by deploying information-based tactical initiatives in planning, inventory positioning, and supplier lead time performance monitoring enable improved physical agility that enable a firm to respond to changes swiftly and flexibly in the demand and supply environment. Importantly, the findings also suggest that the dimensions of cognitive agility are correlated and are formative elements of the latent construct of cognitive agility, which is antecedent to physical agility.

Research limitations/implications

These findings are limited in scope to the six companies that participated in this research. Future explorations should generalize to a broader population of firms and conditions. The results do provide evidence of the relationships between the dimensions of agility that are both a contribution and should guide future research on the subject.

Practical implications

From a managerial standpoint, the research findings provide insight into how firms might manage agility to improve performance when demand and supply conditions vary from those for which the core supply chain was originally designed. The findings suggest that improving the ability to capture, process, and disseminate information, i.e. cognitive agility dimensions of alertness, accessibility, and decisiveness, facilitates improved information-based initiatives in planning, inventory positioning, and supplier lead time performance monitoring, which in turn enables improved physical initiatives to swiftly and flexibly respond to changes in the demand and supply environment. Such improvements ultimately result in heightened customer service and inventory performance.

Originality/value

Previous research is mute regarding the interrelationships among the identified dimensions of supply chain agility, specifically those considered to be “cognitive” elements and those that involve physical actions. The finding suggesting that the dimensions of cognitive agility are correlated and are formative elements of the latent construct of cognitive agility provides an important theoretical insight that contributes to enhanced understanding of the nature of supply chain agility to foster future quantitative explorations to better understand the phenomena.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 52 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Zhen Zhu and Xinlin Tang

With emerging markets representing great growth opportunities and serving as indispensable components in the global supply chain, it is unclear how well modern supply chain

Abstract

Purpose

With emerging markets representing great growth opportunities and serving as indispensable components in the global supply chain, it is unclear how well modern supply chain management theories developed in advanced markets apply to emerging markets. This study integrates the institution-based view with supply chain management literature to examine how integration capabilities can be leveraged to achieve supply chain agility in emerging markets and how the efficacy of integration capabilities is shaped by internal and external institutional contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines how firms in emerging markets can leverage their platform integration and knowledge integration capabilities with channel distributors to improve the supply chain agility and how such relationships are shaped by both the internal (proxy by ownership structure) and external (proxy by regional openness) institutional contexts in which firms operate. Survey and archival data collected from 207 firms operating in China, one of the largest emerging markets, were used to test the proposed research model.

Findings

The results reveal that platform integration and knowledge integration are two driving forces for supply chain agility in the emerging markets. Moreover, the results indicate that state-owned firms are able to achieve higher supply chain agility from their investments in knowledge integration with channel distributors than non-state-owned firms. While firms in regions with a high level of openness enjoy higher supply chain agility from knowledge integration, firms in regions with a low level of openness can catch up by investing in platform integration with their channel distributors.

Originality/value

The authors extend the extant study on supply chain integration (SCI) research to examine how operational and strategic integration with channel distributors can help the focal firm achieve supply chain agility in emerging markets. The study results also enrich the existing studies in emerging markets by revealing the importance of the institutional context in which firms operate on B2B channel management.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2023

Rashed Thani Aldhaheri and Syed Zamberi Ahmad

This study examines the factors affecting organisations' agility and competitive capability in public and private sectors. Drawn from the literature on supply chain agility (SC…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the factors affecting organisations' agility and competitive capability in public and private sectors. Drawn from the literature on supply chain agility (SC agility), the factors of supply chain speed, visibility, flexibility, innovation and leadership are tested for further understanding.

Design/methodology/approach

Through purposive sampling, a sample of 261 responses was collected using a structured questionnaire. The participants were identified as supply chain practitioners from different industries of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data were analysed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Firms can improve the agility of their supply chains by developing strong supply chain leadership and flexibility, increasing the speed and visibility of the supply chain, and through innovation in supply chain operations. Additionally, competitive capabilities can also be enhanced through SC agility.

Originality/value

This study explores organisations' agility and competitive capability in public and private sectors of the UAE. The findings offer numerous practical insights into the UAE's business context and will help firms gain better competitive advantages through agile supply chain operations.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2023

Chunguang Bai, Kannan Govindan and Baofeng Huo

Supply chain agility (SCA) is the primary strategy for reducing impacts and quick recovery when supply chains experience a disruption risk, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Supply chain agility (SCA) is the primary strategy for reducing impacts and quick recovery when supply chains experience a disruption risk, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will investigate how SCA can be achieved through supply chain information sharing (SCIS) under the different dependence relationships (DR) with suppliers or customers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on information process and resource dependency theories, this study constructs and empirically tests a proposed model of the relationships amongst the three dimensions of SCIS and the two areas of SCA and the contingency effects of two types of DR on those relationships. Using a dataset collected from 400 manufacturers in China, the authors tested this theoretical model using multi-group and structural path analysis.

Findings

The results of the structural path and multi-group analyses show that (1) all dimensions of SCIS are positively correlated with both areas of SCA and (2) dependence on the supplier and dependence on the customer have completely different impacts on the relationship between SCIS and SCA.

Originality/value

This study can improve the understanding of the multidimensional concepts of SCIS and SCA and relationships between them under two different DR conditions in the Chinese manufacturing setting. It contributes to IS and the SCA literature and provides theoretically driven and empirical explanations for the diverse dynamics between the dependence on the supplier and customer.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 November 2018

Srikanta Routroy, Aayush Bhardwaj, Satyendra Kumar Sharma and Bijay Kumar Rout

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the agility performance level of manufacturing supply chains using Taguchi loss functions (TLFs) and design of experiment (DoE).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the agility performance level of manufacturing supply chains using Taguchi loss functions (TLFs) and design of experiment (DoE).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodology is used for capturing the various agility losses using appropriate TLFs and the aggregated agility loss is calculated at different situations using DoE. The aggregated agility loss is analysed for comparing manufacturing supply chain agility performance.

Findings

The proposed methodology was applied to three Indian auto component supply chains, i.e. X, Y and Z. In total, 27 experiments were carried out using DoE and obtained results show that agility performance level is the highest for X followed by Z, whereas agility performance level is the least for Y.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed methodology is generic in nature and can be applied to a specific environment for comparing performance of different supply chains. The user has to identify the relevant agility enablers and capture the appropriate TLFs for the specific environment in which agility performance level has to be calculated and compared.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology provides an effective approach for evaluating agility performance. It can be used by the supply chain manger to assess the supply chain agility performance level of own company with its competitors. These comparisons will help the manufacturing company to find the areas where it should focus.

Originality/value

Many studies and researches related to implementation and evaluation of agile manufacturing are reported in the literature but very few studies are available for evaluating the supply chain agility performance. This study will definitely provide a guideline for measuring and comparing manufacturing supply chain agility performance in general and Indian automotive supply chain in specific.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2020

Mohamed Dawood Shamout

Practitioners and researchers have reached a consensus that supply chain analytics is a strong determinant for desirable organizational outcomes such as supply chain performance…

Abstract

Purpose

Practitioners and researchers have reached a consensus that supply chain analytics is a strong determinant for desirable organizational outcomes such as supply chain performance and agility. The purpose of this paper is to examine a configural combination (i.e. causal recipes) subsuming supply chain data analytics, firmsize, age and annual sales to predict supply chain agility based on knowledge-based theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data (n = 215) were obtained from firms operating in the United Arab Emirates. Consequently, fuzzy sets qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) technique was applied to the data to establish causal recipes that are necessary and sufficient to achieve high scores of supply chain agility.

Findings

Results from fsQCA support the major tenets of complexity theory that several configural combinations (i.e. supply chain data analytics, firm size, firm age and annual sales) are sufficient and necessary conditions for achieving higher scores of supply chain agility.

Originality/value

This study is first of its kind in understanding the association between supply chain data analytics and agility with fsQCA technique. This research also offers a headway for supply chain managers in identifying configural combinations of antecedents manifesting high scores for supply chain agility. Implications for theory and practice are illustrated as well as future research course.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 28 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

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