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Supply Chain Management (supply + chain_management)
Kinds of Supply Chain Management Terms modified by Supply Chain Management Selected AbstractsSPECIAL TOPIC FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: INTRODUCTION AND REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLE OF PURCHASING MANAGEMENT,JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2009DANIEL R. KRAUSE This paper introduces a special topic forum on "Sustainable Supply Chain Management." Before introducing the papers included in the forum, the authors provide thoughts on the direction and future of sustainability research, particularly in the context of purchasing and supply chain management. The underlying premise that structures our discussion is straightforward: a company is no more sustainable than its supply chain. As such the purchasing function becomes central in a company's sustainability effort. In doing so, we reflect on the relationship between purchasing management and sustainable development by drawing from Kraljic's seminal article on how "Purchasing Must Become Supply Management." [source] THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: PROGRESS TO DATE AND CONTINUED EXCELLENCE MOVING FORWARDJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009CRAIG R. CARTER Co-Editor-in-Chief No abstract is available for this article. [source] OUTSOURCING: TRANSACTION COST ECONOMICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT,JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2008OLIVER E. WILLIAMSON This article examines outsourcing from the transaction cost economics (TCE) perspective. The transaction is made the basic unit of analysis and the procurement decision, as between make and buy, is made (principally) with reference to a transaction cost economizing purpose. As sketched herein, the ease of contracting varies with the attributes of the transaction, with special emphasis on whether preserving continuity between a particular buyer,seller pair is the source of added value. The basic regularity is this: as bilateral dependency builds up, the efficient governance of contractual relations progressively moves from simple market exchange to hybrid contracting (with credibility supports) to hierarchy. This last corresponds to the "make" decision, which, as viewed from the TCE perspective, is viewed as the organization form of last resort. The article successively describes the lens of contract approach to economic organization, the operationalization of TCE, different styles of outsourcing, qualifications to the foregoing and the main lessons of TCE for the supply chain literature. [source] GROUNDING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN RESOURCE-ADVANTAGE THEORY,JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008SHELBY D. HUNT A key issue for strategic supply chain management research is whether purchasing can be a source of long-term competitive advantage. Recent resource-based works in strategic management suggest that purchasing cannot be a source of long-term competitive advantage. In contrast, recent works in supply chain management suggest that purchasing can be such a source. This article explains why works in strategic management and supply chain management come to such radically different conclusions on purchasing strategy. Specifically, this article points out that the negative conclusion concerning purchasing strategy is derived from theories of competition based on the neoclassical, equilibrium economics research tradition. Therefore, the positive case for strategic purchasing needs to be grounded in a research tradition that provides a clean break from the neoclassical, equilibrium economics research tradition. The authors discuss the characteristics of what has come to be labeled "the resource-advantage research tradition" and offer it as an appropriate grounding for purchasing strategy, in particular, and supply chain management, in general. [source] E-BUSINESS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: AN OVERVIEW AND FRAMEWORK,PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002M. ERIC JOHNSON The web is having a significant impact on how firms interact with each other and their customers. Past stumbling blocks for supply chain integration such as high transaction costs between partners, poor information availability, and the challenges of managing complex interfaces between functional organizations are all dissolving on the web. In this paper, we examine how the web is changing supply chain management. We present a survey of emerging research on the impact of e-business on supply chain management including descriptive frameworks, analytical models, empirical analysis, and case studies. We classify the work into three major categories: e-commerce, e-procurement, and e-col-laboration. [source] A FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT,PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2000M. Eric Johnson The rise of global markets and increasingly virtual companies has focused management attention on competition between supply chains. Many schools of management and engineering are adopting integrated curricula that prepare students to design and manage the resulting complex global web of material and information flows. In this paper, we examine the curricula used by many top engineering and graduate business schools for courses in supply chain management. We present a framework for supply chain management and highlight supporting material and pedagogy. We also classify popular supply chain case studies within our framework and provide useful References to recent business press treatment of these issues. [source] SPECIAL TOPIC FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: INTRODUCTION AND REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLE OF PURCHASING MANAGEMENT,JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2009DANIEL R. KRAUSE This paper introduces a special topic forum on "Sustainable Supply Chain Management." Before introducing the papers included in the forum, the authors provide thoughts on the direction and future of sustainability research, particularly in the context of purchasing and supply chain management. The underlying premise that structures our discussion is straightforward: a company is no more sustainable than its supply chain. As such the purchasing function becomes central in a company's sustainability effort. In doing so, we reflect on the relationship between purchasing management and sustainable development by drawing from Kraljic's seminal article on how "Purchasing Must Become Supply Management." [source] A Social Network Analysis of the Journal of Supply Chain Management: Knowledge Generation, Knowledge Diffusion and Thought LeadershipJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2007Craig R. Carter SUMMARY The authors conduct a citation analysis of the Journal of Supply Chain Management over its first 40 years of publication, with the objectives of better understanding the sources that supply management scholars have drawn upon to generate research appearing in the Journal. Social network analysis is introduced and used to better understand how research that has been published in the Journal has been diffused across universities, and to identify university thought leaders. The authors provide future research directions based on additional, potential applications of social network analysis. [source] Thirty-Rve Years of The Journal of Supply Chain Management: Where Have We Been and Where are We Going?JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Craig R. Carter SUMMARY The Journal of Supply Chain Management is the premier journal in the purchasing and supply discipline. This article chronicles the history of the Journal, including a review of the subject categories of articles during certain time periods, types of research performed, types of research design employed, types of data analysis applied, and individual and institutional contributions. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Journal's past and a set of prescriptions for its future. [source] Inter-Firm Linkages and Profitability in the Automobile Industry: The Implications for Supply Chain ManagementJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2001Harri Ramcharran SUMMARY The current studies on supply chain management are limited in their analysis of the linkages between firms in related industries. This study estimates the degree of linkages between automotive parts suppliers and automobile manufacturers. Significant linkages are demonstrated by the high correlation coefficients of the P/E ratio of auto parts suppliers and auto manufacturers and by the results of regression analysis. Demand uncertainty in the automobile manufacturing industry, resulting from business cycles and unexpected labor disputes, is one of the major risks facing auto parts suppliers. Risk assessment, utilizing information on linkages, is important for demand management and developing profit-maximizing strategies. [source] Industry responses to EU WEEE and ROHS Directives: perspectives from ChinaCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2006Jieqiong Yu Abstract The electrical and electronics (EE) industry has come under increasing pressure to adopt extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies through the introduction of the European Union's Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (ROHS). Based on the findings of 50 questionnaires and in-depth interviews with China's EE manufacturers, this paper investigates the perception of and readiness of companies for implementation of WEEE and ROHS in China. It identifies key difficulties encountered by manufacturers in fulfilling the requirements and evaluates the effectiveness of these two directives in promoting environmental reform. The findings indicate that the extent of companies' responses largely depends on their market structure and client requirements. Supply chain management, raw material testing and cost implications appear to be key challenges in addressing issues surrounding the directives. There is little evidence to suggest that these directives have effectively driven China's EE manufacturers towards systematic eco-design. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Supply Chain Strategy, Product Characteristics, and Performance Impact: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturers,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2009Yinan Qi ABSTRACT Supply chain management has become one of the most popular approaches to enhance the global competitiveness of business corporations today. Firms must have clear strategic thinking in order to effectively organize such complicated activities, resources, communications, and processes. An emerging body of literature offers a framework that identifies three kinds of supply chain strategies: lean strategy, agile strategy, and lean/agile strategy based on in-depth case studies. Extant research also suggests that supply chain strategies must be matched with product characteristics in order for firms to achieve better performance. This article investigates supply chain strategies and empirically tests the supply chain strategy model that posits lean, agile, and lean/agile approaches using data collected from 604 manufacturing firms in China. Cluster analyses of the data indicate that Chinese firms are adopting a variation of lean, agile, and lean/agile supply chain strategies identified in the western literature. However, the data reveal that some firms have a traditional strategy that does not emphasize either lean or agile principles. These firms perform worse than firms that have a strategy focused on lean, agile, or lean/agile supply chain. The strategies are examined with respect to product characteristics and financial and operational performance. The article makes significant contributions to the supply chain management literature by examining the supply chain strategies used by Chinese firms. In addition, this work empirically tests the applicability of supply chain strategy models that have not been rigorously tested empirically or in the fast-growing Chinese economy. [source] Design for usability on supply chain management systems implementationHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 5 2009Chao-Hsien Lin Supply chain management (SCM) systems implementation has become a fashion due to advances in information technology and pressures of market competition. Unfortunately, successful implementation was rare. In this article, the concept of usability was extended in an explorative case study to crystallize design for usability (DFU) principles in a large-scale SCM systems implementation project at a leading semiconductor manufacturing company in Taiwan. Proposed was a holistic usability framework to guide the analysis of DFU as well as the compilation of an evidence database composed of design documentation, post hoc evaluation, semistructured interviews, and participant observation. This research revealed a set of usability needs and coping strategies found throughout a series of systems design and redesign processes at the case company. As a result, an emergent usability framework in the form of ICOM (Input, Control, Output, and Mechanism) dimensions was proposed to guide the implementation of SCM systems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Megapixels, Millimetres and Microsieverts: Packaging Digital Photogrammetry for Emerging Industrial MarketsTHE PHOTOGRAMMETRIC RECORD, Issue 95 2000D. P. Chapman As the performance of megapixel digital imaging systems continues to improve, the rapid growth of high-end consumer markets drives prices ever lower. When such cameras are married with emerging, desktop "photogrammetric" software packages, the close range photogrammetric community is faced with many new challenges and opportunities. The dramatic changes in the technological arena are matched by a rapidly changing business environment in which concepts such as "Partnering" and "Supply chain management" have become key themes. As organizations of all sizes seek to thrive within this new business landscape, there appears to be a willingness to think more flexibly about the client-supplier relationship and the sharing of risks and rewards. This, in turn, has encouraged the development of highly customized measurement solutions across a wide range of market sectors. In each of these solutions the emphasis is not on a generic photogrammetric product, but on a highly tailored system tightly coupled to existing workflows, and focused on the specific needs of the client. Such systems pose particular challenges to their designers, since they are frequently operated by users with relatively little photogrammetric background and yet must always meet the challenging requirement of producing an output which is "fit for purpose". Thus this paper hopes to show how novel megapixel imaging systems can be configured to deliver flexible measurement systems capable of millimetric level accuracy within the challenging engineering environments typical of the nuclear and process industries (hence the microsievert component of the title). [source] Mobile Construction Supply Chain Management Using PDA and Bar CodesCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2005H. Ping Tserng However, extending the construction project control system to job sites is not considered efficient because using notebooks in a harsh environment like a construction site is not particularly a conventional practice. Meanwhile, paper-based documents of the site processes are ineffective and cannot get the quick response from the office and project control center. Integrating promising information technologies such as personal digital assistants (PDA), bar code scanning, and data entry mechanisms, can be extremely useful in improving the effectiveness and convenience of information flow in construction supply chain control systems. Bar code scanning is appropriate for several construction applications, providing cost savings through increased speed and accuracy of data entry. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of a bar-code-enabled PDA application, called the mobile construction supply chain management (M-ConSCM) System, that responds efficiently and enhances the information flow between offices and sites in a construction supply chain environment. The advantage of the M-ConSCM system lies not only in improving the efficiency of work for on-site engineers, but also providing the Kanban-like visual control system for project participants to control the whole project. Moreover, this article presents a generic system architecture and its implementation. [source] Sustainable supply chain management and inter-organizational resources: a literature reviewCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2010Stefan Gold Abstract On the basis of a content analysis, this paper explores the role of sustainable supply chain management as a catalyst of generating valuable inter-organizational resources and thus possible sustained inter-firm competitive advantage through collaboration on environmental and social issues. Drawing on the resource-based view and its extension, the relational view, this paper highlights that partner-focused supply management capabilities evolve to corporate core competences as competition shifts from an inter-firm to an inter-supply-chain level. The ,collaborative paradigm' in supply chain management regards strategic collaboration as a crucial source of competitive advantage. Collaboration is even more essential when supply chains aim at ensuring simultaneously economic, environmental and social performance on a product's total life-cycle basis. Inter-firm resources and capabilities emerging from supply-chain-wide collaboration are prone to become sources of sustained inter-firm competitive advantage, since they are socially complex, causally ambiguous and historically grown and hence particularly difficult to imitate by competitors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The role of organizational size in the adoption of green supply chain management practices in ChinaCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2008Qinghua Zhu Abstract Economic globalization, increasing resource scarcity and environmental degradation have caused green supply chain management (GSCM) to become an important competitive approach for organizations involved in international trade. Using survey data collected from over 200 China-based organizations, we compare the implementation levels of five GSCM practices among small-, medium- and large-sized organizations in China. We find that medium- and large-sized organizations are more advanced than their smaller-sized counterparts on most aspects, but not necessarily all, of these GSCM practices. Future research includes possible studies on GSCM practices and promotion, especially targeting small manufacturing organizations. In addition, the influence of globalization and foreign direct investment, especially after China's entry into the WTO, could be more carefully examined. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Environmental supply chain management, ISO 14001 and RoHS.CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2008How are small companies in the electronics sector managing? Abstract This study explores the use of environmental management systems for initiating and controlling environmental improvements in the context of supply chain cooperation. It examines how environmental requirements are reaching smaller companies in the electronics supply chain, especially in the light of recent legal changes such as enforcement of the RoHS Directive. It is based on qualitative interviews with environmental and purchasing managers of 21 small and medium-sized companies. The results point out a lack of significant drivers for these companies to implement proactive measures when dealing with environmental issues, owing to limited customer pressure. RoHS and legal compliance are the only environmental customer criteria to be met, while ISO 14001 works as an optional supplier selection criterion. In consequence, companies are not focusing on environmental work within their supply chains, and the potential of influencing the environmental profile of suppliers by shaping their ISO 14001 is not used. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Inter-organizational use of EMSs in supply chain management: some experiences from Poland and SwedenCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2008Dagmara Nawrocka Abstract The paper investigates the possibility of using environmental management systems (EMSs) as a tool for the environmental management of supply chains. Based on interviews with environmental managers of selected companies, the paper highlights the importance of taking a long-term perspective in terms of both the cooperation with suppliers and developing the supply chain perspective for EMSs. The role of cultural influence from foreign partner companies in building the proactive environmental focus and stimulating the spread of EMSs is underlined here. In addition, the paper looks at the development, use and control of supply chain environmental requirements and their possible integration into the buyer's and supplier's EMSs. Finally, important shortcomings of EMSs, such as the lack of enforcement forbearance and the credibility of ISO 14001 certification, are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Decision Sciences Research in China: A Critical Review and Research Agenda,Foundations and Overview,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2006Xiande Zhao ABSTRACT This article focuses on decision sciences research in China, providing an overview of current research and developing a foundation for future China-based research. China provides a unique research opportunity for decision sciences researchers, owing to its recent history, rapid economic development, and strong national culture. We examine recent economic reforms and their impact on the development of research questions in the decision sciences, as well as discuss characteristics of the diverse regions in China and their potential as sites for various types of research. We provide a brief overview of recent China-based research on decision sciences issues relating to national culture, supply chain management, quality management, production planning and control, operations strategy, and new product development and discuss some of the unique methodological challenges inherent in China-based research. We conclude by looking forward to emerging research opportunities in China. [source] Branch-and-Price Methods for Prescribing Profitable Upgrades of High-Technology Products with Stochastic Demands*DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 1 2004Purushothaman Damodaran ABSTRACT This paper develops a model that can be used as a decision support aid, helping manufacturers make profitable decisions in upgrading the features of a family of high-technology products over its life cycle. The model integrates various organizations in the enterprise: product design, marketing, manufacturing, production planning, and supply chain management. Customer demand is assumed random and this uncertainty is addressed using scenario analysis. A branch-and-price (B&P) solution approach is devised to optimize the stochastic problem effectively. Sets of random instances are generated to evaluate the effectiveness of our solution approach in comparison with that of commercial software on the basis of run time. Computational results indicate that our approach outperforms commercial software on all of our test problems and is capable of solving practical problems in reasonable run time. We present several examples to demonstrate how managers can use our models to answer "what if" questions. [source] Global Standards, Local Realities: Private Agrifood Governance and the Restructuring of the Kenyan Horticulture IndustryECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2010Stefan Ouma abstract Over the past decade, private food safety and quality standards have become focal points in the supply chain management of large retailers, reshaping governance patterns in global agrifood chains. In this article, I analyze the relationship between private collective standards and the governance of agrifood markets, using the EUREPGAP/GLOBALGAP standard as a vantage point. I discuss the impact of this standard on the organization of supply chains of fresh vegetables in the Kenyan horticulture industry, focusing on the supply chain relationships and practices among exporters and smallholder farmers. In so doing, I seek to highlight the often-contested nature of the implementation of standards in social fields that are marked by different and distributed principles of evaluating quality, production processes, and legitimate actions in the marketplace. I also reconstruct the challenges and opportunities that exporters and farmers are facing with regard to the implementation of and compliance with standards. Finally, I elaborate on the scope for action that producers and policymakers have under these structures to retain sectoral competitiveness in a global economy of qualities. [source] Agriculture Under the Public Eye: Who Cares for WhatEUROCHOICES, Issue 2 2004Cees Veerman Summary Agriculture Under the Public Eye: Who Cares for What? The new CAP is becoming geared towards a more sustainable agriculture that takes account of the needs of future generations. Achieving sustainability, however, means meeting three challenges-, (a) profit - strengthening the viability and competitiveness of the agricultural sector; (b) planet - the ecological challenge of promoting good environmental practices; and (c) people-the social challenge to improve the living conditions and economic opportunities in rural areas. In the food chain we see responses to consumer concerns about food safety, quality and welfare issues through the development and implementation of mandatory and voluntary quality control and assurance schemes. And the consolidation and internationalisation of the food retailing and the manufacturing industry is expected to continue. An important duality has emerged. On the one side, we find a state system of regulation, on the other a system of self-regulation, largely driven by the major forces in supply chain management, the food retailers in particular. A simple and effective regulatory environment for the agri-food complex is essential if we are to achieve our competitiveness goals. One of the priorities for discussion by politicians, therefore, should be whether current and expected policy and industry developments should lead to a review of the balance between markets and government, ,who cares for what?' l'agriculture aux yeux des politiques publiques qui doit faire quoi? La nouvelle PAC est maintenant bien orientée vers une agriculture plus durable, en mesure de tenir compte des besoins des générations futures. Une véritable durabilityé suppose cependant que soient relevés trois défis: a) le profit - renforcer la viabilityé et la compétitivité du secteur agricole; b) la planète - le défiécologique de promouvoir des pratiques favorables à l'environnement; c) les gens - le défi social d'améliorer les conditions de vie et les opportunités économiques dans les zones rurales. Du côté des filières alimentaires, la réponse à trouver aux inquiétudes des consommateurs vis à vis de la qualityé sanitaire et organoleptique des produits devrait pouvoir venir de l'élaboration de contrôles de qualityé et de systèmes d'assurances, à appliquer sur la base du volontariat ou à rendre obligatoires. En même temps, il faut s'attendre à la continuation du mouvement vers l'affermissement du rôle des industries alimentaires et du commerce de détail, ainsi qu'à leur internationalisation. Un système dual vient d'émerger: d'un côté, un système de réglementations étatiques, de l'autre, une autodiscipline, pilotée par les plus solides des maillons de la filière, en particulier les grandes surfaces. Un environnement réglementaire à la fois simple et efficace est essentiel pour atteindre l'objectif de compétitivité du complexe agroalimentaire, II en résulte que, pour les pouvoirs publics, une des grandes questions à discuter est de savoir dans quelle mesure l' évolution des conditions politiques et celle du développement industriel imposent une révision de l'équilibre actuel entre les marchés et les autorités gouvernementales; en d'autres termes, qui doit faire quoi ? Landwirtschaft in der öffentlichen Meinung; Wer ist wofür zuständig? Die neue GAP wird gerade auf eine nachhaltigere Landwirtschaft hin ausgerichtet, welche die Bedürfnisse der kommenden Generationen berücksichtigt. Nachhaltigkeit kann jedoch nur erzielt werden, wenn den folgenden drei Herausforderungen Rechnung getragen wird: (a) Ökonomie , Stärkung der Leistungs- und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit des Landwirtschaftssektors; (b) Ökologie , Förderung umweltgerechter Verfahrensweisen; und (c) Soziales - Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen und der wirtschaftlichen Lage im ländlichen Raum. Im Bereich der Nahrungsmittelkette wird den Bedenken der Verbraucher hinsichtlich der Nahrun gsmittelsicherheit, der Qualität und der Wohlfahrt durch die Entwicklung und Implementierung von obligatorischen und freiwilligen Qualitätskontrollen und Sicherheitsprogrammen Rechnung getragen. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass sich die Konsolidierung und Lnternationalisierung im Bereich des Lebensmitteleinzel-handels und der weiterverarbeitenden Industrie fortsetzen wird. Es ist eine bedeutsame Dualität entstanden. Auf der einen Seite erfolgt eine Regulierung seitens des Staates, auf der anderen Seite erfolgt eine Selbstregulierung durch die Vermarktungskette, insbesondere durch den Lebensmitteleinzelhandel. Eine sowohl einfache als auch wirksame Regulierung der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft ist von grundlegender Bedeutung für das Erreichen unserer Wettbewerbsziele. Daher sollte in der Politik mit Priorität diskutiert werden, ob die gegenwärtige und zukünftige Politik und auch die industrielle Entwicklung zu einem neuen Gleichgewicht zwischen Markt und Staatseingriffen führen sollte: Wer ist wofür zuständig? [source] Transportation and the Geographical and Functional Integration of Global Production NetworksGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2006JEAN-PAUL RODRIGUE ABSTRACT The growing interest in the relationships between transportation and globalization has spurred many inquires in the nature of production, consumption and distribution, especially within transport geography. It is widely acknowledged that improvements in transport and distribution have contributed to significant changes in the geographies of production (and vice versa). In a context of intense global competition and diminishing profit margins, logistics and the formation of global production networks offer additional opportunities to improve the efficiency of production through distribution strategies. The spatial and functional fragmentation of manufacturing and attempts at reducing inventories have led to smaller, more frequent and synchronized shipments, transforming the logistics industry, but placing intense pressures on transport systems to support these flows. The benefits derived from global production networks thus cannot be achieved without improvements in logistics and supply chain management. This article seeks to assess the conditions driving the global forms of production, distribution, and transport mainly by looking at the levels of geographical and functional integration of global production networks in view of the high level of fragmentation observed within them. However, there are still many uncertainties and delays in distribution, which can only be compensated by a better organization of freight distribution systems supporting global production networks. [source] Supporting long-term workforce planning with a dynamic aging chain model: A case study from the service industryHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010Andreas Größler Abstract This study demonstrates how a dynamic, aging chain model can support strategic decisions in workforce planning. More specifically, we used a system dynamics model (a modeling and simulation technique originating from supply chain management) to improve the recruiting and training process in a large German service provider in the wider field of logistics. The key findings are that the aging chain of service operators within the company is affected by a variety of delays in, for example, recruiting, training, and promoting employees, and that the structure of the planning process generates cyclic phases of workforce surplus and shortage. The discussion is based on an in-depth case study conducted in the service industry in 2008. Implications are that planning processes must be fine-tuned to account for delays in the aging chain. The dynamic model provides a tool to gain insight into the problem and to improve the actual human resource planning process. The value of the paper lies in the idea of applying a well-known and quantitative method from supply chain management to a human resource management issue. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] An exploratory study of governance in the intra-firm human resources supply chainHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010Elaine Farndale Abstract The human resource management (HRM) literature has paid insufficient attention to supply chain management (SCM) when exploring the architecture of human resources (HR). Drawing on an SCM perspective, this study develops our understanding of (1) the intra-firm HR supply chain, and (2) how this HR supply chain influences corporate governance processes within large organizations. We argue that the HR function, represented as an internal professional service supply chain, needs appropriate governance principles as it operates through multiple delivery channels and with a wide variety of HRM practices. Exploratory findings from a qualitative empirical study of seven large organizations investigating governance and risk management in the HR supply chain are presented. These in-depth interviews uncover how formal governance is relatively easy for these organizations to achieve, supported by outcome-focused monitoring tools, but informal governance mechanisms can fail due to insufficient attention. Although standardized approaches to HR delivery can maximize the opportunity for HR governance, little evidence was found that the organizations were considering the related governance implications explicitly. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] CEOs with a functional background in operations: Reviewing their performance and prevalence in the top postHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010Burak Koyuncu Abstract With this study, we update research by Ocasio and Kim (1999) by testing whether the trends that favored the prevalence of CEOs with an operations background in the 1980s and early 1990s continued between 1992 and 2005. Given that supply chain management became a top business priority during this period, we expect a greater prevalence of CEOs with an operations background. This is because, traditionally, executives belonging to the operations function have assumed responsibility for supply chain management issues. Our results, based on a sample of 437 CEOs who lead large-sized U.S. firms in eight industries, provide partial support for the hypothesis that CEOs with a functional background in operations attain higher post-succession performance than CEOs with other functional backgrounds. In addition, we find that the likelihood that newly appointed CEOs have a background in operations is greater in succession events that have taken place more recently and in situations that occurred in the face of poor firm financial performance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] User involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systemsINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Ola Henfridsson Abstract Information systems (IS) research on user involvement has primarily theorized relationships between developers, managers and users in systems development. However, so far, marginal attention has been paid to differences in user involvement practices between information systems. This paper explores user involvement in developing mobile and temporarily interconnected systems (MTIS). We refer to MTIS as heterogeneous systems that rely on network technologies for increasing the ubiquity of information services for users on the move. Such systems are becoming increasingly important in leveraging, e.g. car infotainment, supply chain management and wireless e-commerce. With particular emphasis on the nature of MTIS and its implications for user involvement, the paper analyses the systems development process of an action research project. The findings suggest that user involvement practices need to be adapted to accommodate features of this class of systems. Being an early attempt to trace the implications of technology features such as use context switches and temporary system relationships, the paper contributes to the development of an updated theory of the user role in an era of increased system complexity and stakeholder ambiguity. [source] From preparedness to partnerships: case study research on humanitarian logisticsINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2009Rolando M. Tomasini Abstract Disasters are on the rise, more complex, and donor support is increasingly unpredictable. In response to this trend humanitarian agencies are looking for more efficient and effective solutions. This paper discusses the evolution of supply chain management in disaster relief and the role of new players like the private sector. It is based on research conducted by the Humanitarian Research Group at INSEAD. [source] A General Dynamic Capability: Does it Propagate Business and Social Competencies in the Retail Food Industry?*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 1 2006Alfred A. Marcus abstract Given that firms have both business and social goals, an important unanswered question is whether a general dynamic capability breeds competencies in both these areas. In studies of the US retail food industry, we find that while a general dynamic capability affects firms' competence in supply chain management (a business competency), it does not affect their competence in environmental management (a social competency). Firm mission and the extent to which firms obtain technical assistance are found to affect the acquisition of this latter competency. These findings offer insights into the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and provide lessons for corporate social responsibility. They reveal more precisely what a general dynamic capability yields and how far its reach extends, suggesting that the factors that drive competitive advantage are not the same as those that drive social responsibility. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||