Dong Mai Tran, Vinh Van Thai, Nguyen Phong Nguyen, Shams Rahman, Lien Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Thao Kim Nguyen and Thanh-Thuy Nguyen
The new era of supply chain management is characterised by key change drivers, e.g. Industry 4.0, and post-COVID-19 VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity…
Abstract
Purpose
The new era of supply chain management is characterised by key change drivers, e.g. Industry 4.0, and post-COVID-19 VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) business environment, in addition to the rising requirements for sustainability, responsiveness and customer centrism. An important and topical question in this context is what supply chain managerial competence logistics managers need to possess in order to enhance their individual performance in the new era. This question is addressed in this paper, which also explores the nexus of supply chain managerial competence expectation and possession upon which human resource development strategies are proposed accordingly.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey research design is adopted to empirically examine logistics managers’ supply chain managerial competence in the new era, and the forward-backward translation process was strictly followed. Data were collected through a survey conducted with owners or managers of Vietnamese firms whose business is in the logistics and related business areas, and 269 valid responses were used for analysis.
Findings
Results indicated that the proposed profile of four groups (foundation, core, specialist and technology-IT) and 38 competencies are valid and important to the individual performance of logistics managers in the context of Vietnam, which supports the tenet that logistics managers in the new era need to have a well-rounded profile of competencies, including those derived from contemporary change drivers. It was also found that the foundation competency group is perceived as more important than others, which is context specific given the current logistics development in Vietnam. Besides, it was also revealed that respondents in this research currently possess those competencies at a level which is lower than their perceived importance. An Importance-Possession (IPM) Matrix of Competency Development was mapped accordingly.
Research limitations/implications
The generalisation of this study would require further empirical examination from similar studies in other contexts, i.e. in other manufacturing and service sectors as well as in other developing and developed countries where logistics development is at different stages.
Practical implications
This research provides insights into the current competency profile of logistics managers in Vietnam, which can assist senior management with human resources development in their firms. Specifically, it is essential that Vietnamese logistics firms focus on providing education and training opportunities, both internally and externally, to enhance the level of possession of all competencies whose gaps between perceived importance and possession are the largest across the groups, especially those in the Maintaining Sustainably and Growing quadrants of the IPM.
Originality/value
Firstly, this research introduces an improvised framework of logistics managers’ supply chain managerial competence adopting the contingency approach, contributing to expanding the body of knowledge on how the competency profile of logistics managers should be developed. Secondly, the IPM matrix of competencies introduced in this research can be used as both the conceptual and managerial tool to classify and prioritise competencies for various purposes, e.g. education, training and policy implementation based on the nexus of supply chain competence expectation and possession.
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Shiva Sadat Mostafavi and Alexis Mavrommatis
This paper aims to offer an integrated framework for branded apps (BAs) that highlights research gaps and points to areas for future research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer an integrated framework for branded apps (BAs) that highlights research gaps and points to areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a systematic literature review approach, the authors analyzed more than 100 articles published between 2009 and the present. This research used databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, EBSCO and Elsevier’s Science Direct, with a particular focus on articles listed in the 2021 ABS index. The reviewed papers were coded and organized into four categories in terms of themes and concepts: antecedents, mechanisms, outcomes and moderators.
Findings
The study identified four types of antecedents (app benefits, personal traits, brand benefits and others) that influence outcomes via cognitive, affective and a mix of both mechanisms, which is termed multipaths. The authors classified outcomes into five areas (financial gains; app benefits; brand benefits; customer benefits; and others). Moderators were grouped into four types (customer individuality; app features; brand characteristics; and others). The authors concluded by recommending promising directions for future research. Specifically, the authors suggested an inverted U-shaped relationship between escapism and customer responses to BAs.
Originality/value
This paper focused exclusively on BAs, differentiating them from other mobile apps. The authors integrated nearly 100+ studies conducted over two decades. This integrated model serves as a guiding tool for understanding the past, present and future of BAs.
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Maicom Sergio Brandao, Moacir Godinho Filho, Gilberto Miller Devós Ganga and Jorge Renato Verschoore
This study aims to unravel the complex coopetitive interactions in supply chains. It delves into the paradoxical relationship between cooperative and competitive interactions…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to unravel the complex coopetitive interactions in supply chains. It delves into the paradoxical relationship between cooperative and competitive interactions among supply chain entities, offering a comprehensive exploration of coopetition’s manifestations and management across various supply chain types.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a three-phase methodology, beginning with a scoping review to establish a theoretical framework, followed by a systematic literature review yielding 130 papers and concluding with correspondence analysis using similarity indexes. This approach facilitates a deep dive into the diverse aspects of coopetition, including its drivers, practices, outcomes and associated risks.
Findings
The research identifies three distinct types of coopetition in supply chains: technology-based, socially based and channel-based. These models are underscored by specific drivers and outcomes, with technology-based coopetition focusing on market competitiveness and operational capacity, socially based on trust and power dynamics and channel based on product characteristics. The study introduces five propositions for further investigation and provides a comprehensive typology of coopetition within supply chains.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s findings are limited by the scope of the existing literature and the chosen academic databases. Future research should empirically validate the proposed coopetition configurations and propositions, exploring their applicability in other, less studied supply chains.
Practical implications
The study offers practitioners a valuable typology and framework to understand and manage coopetition in their respective supply chains. This typology serves as a decision-making tool for identifying suitable coopetition strategies and maximizing their benefits while mitigating associated risks.
Originality/value
This study stands out for its unique approach to categorizing coopetition in supply chains, offering a novel typology that goes beyond the manufacturer’s perspective. It fills a significant gap in the literature by providing a broad view of coopetition, considering various supply chain types and their respective coopetitive dynamics.
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Ai Su, Xiaotong Cai, Xue-Song Liu, Xiang-Nan Tao, Lei Chen and Rui Wang
The development of an effective corporate vision is a necessary issue for corporate performance, and it is a key issue for corporate sustainable development as well. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The development of an effective corporate vision is a necessary issue for corporate performance, and it is a key issue for corporate sustainable development as well. The recognition of questions like “what is the role of corporate vision in corporate performance” is directly related to the attitude and practice of entrepreneurs and managers toward the development of corporate vision as well as the effectiveness of the corporate vision itself. To better answer the questions concerning the role of corporate vision development and effectively guide the practice of corporations, the authors study the pathways and mechanisms by which corporate visions operate to assist businesses in achieving high performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The article completes the construction of indicators to measure each dimension of the corporate vision in line with social cognitive theory and analyzes the relationship between corporate vision and corporate performance by combining qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) research methods. The article provides insights into the logic of constructing and adjusting corporate visions from a process perspective.
Findings
The mechanisms by which corporate visions can be articulated, accepted and transformed within the organization are also the means by which corporate visions can improve corporate performance. In a dynamic environment, the corporate vision setting and acceptance process integrates the requirements of various stakeholders, leading to the adjustment and acceptance of the corporate vision. As a result, the vision has continuous validity in a changing environment. Both start-ups and non-start-ups can benefit from the guidance provided by a strong corporate vision in overcoming a variety of issues and obstacles to produce strong business performance.
Originality/value
This is the first study that shows the relationship between corporate vision and corporate performance from a process perspective. The authors are interested in understanding which characteristics for building a corporate vision are more accepted by organizational members and, in turn, create high corporate performance. The authors also explore the conditions for corporate vision acceptance. This research has positive implications for shedding some light on the mechanisms by which corporate visions improve corporate performance.