Raja Usman Khalid, Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq Jajja, Philip Beske-Janssen and Daiane Mülling Neutzling
Stefan Seuring, Marcus Brandenburg, Philipp C. Sauer, Daphna-Sophie Schünemann, Ronakeh Warasthe, Sadaf Aman, Chen Qian, Kristina Petljak, Daiane Mülling Neutzling, Anna Land and Raja Usman Khalid
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged supply chains (SCs) around the globe unprecedentedly. This study aims to gain insights on the impacts of the pandemic on SCs and their…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged supply chains (SCs) around the globe unprecedentedly. This study aims to gain insights on the impacts of the pandemic on SCs and their management under consideration of different regional contexts on a global scale.
Design/methodology/approach
A Delphi study collects the expertise of global SC academics on the SC vulnerabilities and the measures for responding to disruptions, improving resilience, and restoring operations. Data from three polls are systematically analyzed by content, frequency, and cluster analysis.
Findings
The study identifies and ranks ten major issues related to SC vulnerabilities and management strategies for specific SC processes and geographical regions. Detected differences among the considered geographical regions point towards particular challenges and call for specific measures to integrate regional contingencies into SC management. In a regional comparison, China and Iran as well as Africa clearly stand out, but also Europe/North America, India/Pakistan, and Brazil show geographical particularities.
Research limitations/implications
The responses are collected against the COVID-19 pandemic, while the findings show differences among the regions thereby arguing for taking regional contingencies into account in managing SCs.
Practical implications
SC resilience is a core aim, which was emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings provide insights and challenges that managers would have to meet in the different regions covered.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to existing knowledge on SC risks and SC resilience in context to extreme situations. Given that events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, will become more frequent in the future due to climate change and geopolitical tensions, insights into how to manage SCs under extreme conditions and into regional differences are crucial.
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Khulood Mahdaly and Iman Adeinat
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that affect the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in Saudi Arabia’s logistics services industry. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that affect the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in Saudi Arabia’s logistics services industry. The specific focus is the influence of key variables in multiple domains: technology (complexity and compatibility); organization (top management support, firm size, quality of human capital and integration of supply chain strategy); and environment (information intensity, competitive pressure, trading partner pressure and regulatory pressure).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained by distributing a survey instrument to a target sample of 459 Saudi logistics company employees whose positions meant they were well placed to explain the operations and technologies used in their organizations. In total, 459 useable responses were received, which also constituted the final sample for the analysis. The survey was validated using confirmatory factor analysis, and the study hypothesis was tested using binary logistic regression.
Findings
Of the firms represented in the data collected, 70% had not adopted RFID technology. Cost issues, technical issues and lack of industry standards were identified as the main factors hindering the decision to adopt RFID. The results of the binary logistic regression show that top management support, quality of human capital, firm size and trading partner pressure are the variables that most influence whether or not a firm adopts RFID technology.
Practical implications
According to the analysis, it is imperative that the industry adopt RFID given that this technology can provide strategic and operational advantages. Based on the findings, small and medium enterprises in the logistics services industry require governmental support in terms of providing funding, training and a supportive regulatory environment. Support of this nature would encourage logistics services companies to adopt new technology and move toward applying the global standards developed in the industry to date. Finally, in order to execute a clear and complete strategy across the supply chain, companies must collaborate with trading partners in implementing RFID.
Originality/value
The body of research on emerging markets does not include any empirical studies focused on the adoption of new technologies and innovation in the supply chain. Although researchers discuss applications of technologies in operational and supply chain processes across multiple industries, most of the published research on RFID technology focuses on European and North American contexts. This study is, therefore, much needed for its fundamental contribution to identifying and understanding the factors that affect RFID adoption decisions in emerging markets.
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Lara Schilling and Stefan Seuring
While the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on logistics and supply chain management (SCM) is recently much discussed, this is hardly linked to emerging…
Abstract
Purpose
While the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on logistics and supply chain management (SCM) is recently much discussed, this is hardly linked to emerging economies and base of the pyramid (BoP) settings. The paper aims as offering a framework linking different conceptual elements to each other for explaining how ICT enables sustainable value creation in emerging economy supply chains (SCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper builds on conceptual reasoning linking constructs from the different fields to each other.
Findings
Using conceptual reasoning linking constructs, six elements are identified: (1) SC flows, (2) BoP challenges and (3) ICT services as starting points, and environmental conditions driving sustainable value creation. The application of ICT within BoP SC operations drives the process of sustainable value creation by enabling new ways of (4) electronic business (e-business) transactions and (5) SSCM behaviors. This leads to (6) sustainable value for businesses using ICT applications and their respective stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
Empirical testing by collecting field data in emerging economy contexts would be demanded to address the limitation of building on conceptual reasonings.
Practical implications
The framework provides various SC-related measures driving e-business value creation for managers of businesses, charity organizations and policymakers in emerging communities.
Social implications
Understanding the use of smartphones and other mobile devices for businesses and their supply chains in emerging markets would have wide ranging social implication addressed in the sustainable value creation of the framework offered.
Originality/value
The conceptual framework brings different elements together offering insights into ICT applications in BoP SCs. Linking SCM, ICT and BoP to each other is a novel contribution having wider implications for the future development of emerging economies.
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Abstract
Purpose
The importance of international dry port integration in the supply chain has received a great deal of attention and been widely discussed in the literature. This study empirically examines the relationship among dry port logistics supply chain integration (DPLSCI), its operational performance (OP) and dry port competitiveness (DPC) in the context of China.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed a structured questionnaire based on the supply chain integration (SCI) theory and resource-based view, and collected data from the dry port operation enterprises and their stakeholders in central and western China. A structural equation model (SEM) is used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results demonstrate that DPLSCI has a positive effect on logistics cost performance (LCP) and service quality performance (SQP), which further improves DPC. Meanwhile, OP (LCP and SQP) is a full mediator between DPLSCI and DPC.
Practical implications
This paper provides guidelines for dry port operators and their stakeholders to integrate supply chain resources and develop the OP for improving the overall competitiveness of an international dry port. The government could also invest in physical infrastructure and system platform to strengthen the OP of a dry port and further enhance its competitiveness.
Originality/value
The authors emphasise that the international dry port is a proactive and integrated system in providing a supply chain logistics service. This study fills up a research gap in the extant literature on theoretically proposing and empirically testing a new theoretical model. It also contributes to dry port stakeholders by providing useful guidelines to enhance OP and dry port competitiveness.