Emilia Vann Yaroson, Liz Breen, Jiachen Hou and Julie Sowter
This study aims to explore the effect of power-based behaviours on pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) resilience.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the effect of power-based behaviours on pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a mixed-method approach to explore the role of power-based behaviours in PSC resilience. Qualitative interviews from 23 key PSC stakeholders, followed by thematic analysis, revealed the underlying perceptions regarding PSC resilience. Quantitative propositions were then developed based on the themes adopted from PSC resilience literature and the qualitative findings. These were tested via a survey questionnaire administered to 106 key stakeholders across the various levels in the PSC. Structural equation modelling with partial least squares was used to analyse the data.
Findings
The data analysed identified proactive and reactive strategies as resilience strategies in the PSC. However, power-based behaviours represented by quota systems, information and price control influenced these resilience strategies. From a complex adaptive system (CAS) perspective, the authors found that when power-based behaviours were exhibited, the interactions between PSC actors were mixed. There was a negative influence on reactive strategies and a positive influence on proactive strategies. The analysis also showed that PSC complexities measured by stringent regulations, long lead times and complex production moderated the effect of power-based behaviour on reactive strategies. Thus, the negative impact of power-based behaviours on reactive strategies stemmed from PSC complexities.
Research limitations/implications
This research particularly reveals the role of power-based behaviours in building PSC resilience. By evaluating the nexus from a CAS perspective, the analysis considered power-based behaviours and the moderating role of PSC complexities in developing resilience strategies. This study considers the interactions of PSC actors. This study shows that power asymmetry is a relational concept that inhibits the efficacy of reactive strategies. This study thus advocates the importance of power in achieving a more resilient PSC from a holistic perspective by highlighting the importance of the decision-making process among supply chain (SC) partners. The findings are particularly relevant if PSC resilience is viewed as a CAS. All the interactions and decision-making processes affect outcomes because of their inherent complexities. Although this study focused on the PSC, its implications could be extended to other SCs.
Practical implications
The authors identified that power-based behaviours influenced resilience strategies. It was detrimental to reactive strategies because of the complexities of the PSC but beneficial to proactive strategies through resource-sharing. PSC actors are therefore encouraged to pursue proactive strategies as this may aid in mitigating the impact of disruptions. However, power-based behaviours bred partner dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction may occur even within strategic alliances indicating that power could be detrimental to proactive strategies. Therefore, it is pertinent to identify conditions that lead to dissatisfaction when pursuing strategic partnerships. This study provides insight into actual behaviours influencing resilience and quantifies their effects on the PSC. These insights will be valuable for all SC partners wanting to improve their resilience strategies.
Originality/value
Previous PSC management and resilience studies have not examined the role of power in building resilience in the PSC. This paper thus provides a unique contribution by identifying the role of power in PSC resilience, offers empirical evidence and a novel theoretical perspective for future practice and research in building PSC resilience strategies.
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Emilia Vann Yaroson, Liz Breen, Jiachen Hou and Julie Sowter
Medicine shortages have a detrimental impact on stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC). Existing studies suggest that building resilience strategies can mitigate…
Abstract
Purpose
Medicine shortages have a detrimental impact on stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC). Existing studies suggest that building resilience strategies can mitigate the effects of these shortages. As such, this research aims to examine whether resilience strategies can reduce the impact of medicine shortages in the United Kingdom's (UK) PSC.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed-methods approach that involved qualitative and quantitative research enquiry was employed in this study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 23 key UK PSC actors at the qualitative stage. During the quantitative phase, 106 respondents completed the survey questionnaires. The data were analysed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results revealed that reactive and proactive elements of resilience strategies helped tackle medicine shortages. Reactive strategies increased relational issues such as behavioural uncertainty, whilst proactive strategies mitigated them.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that PSC managers and decision-makers can benefit from adopting structural flexibility and proactive strategies, which are cost-effective measures to tackle medicine shortages. Also engaging in strategic alliances as a proactive strategy mitigates relational issues that may arise in a complex supply chain (SC).
Originality/value
This study is the first to provide empirical evidence of the impact of resilience strategies in mitigating medicine shortages in the UK's PSC.
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Emilia Vann Yaroson, Liz Breen, Jiachen Hou and Julie Sowter
The purpose of this study was to advance the knowledge of pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) resilience using complex adaptive system theory (CAS).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to advance the knowledge of pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) resilience using complex adaptive system theory (CAS).
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory research design, which adopted a qualitative approach was used to achieve the study’s research objective. Qualitative data were gathered through 23 semi-structured interviews with key supply chain actors across the PSC in the UK.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that CAS, as a theory, provides a systemic approach to understanding PSC resilience by taking into consideration the various elements (environment, PSC characteristics, vulnerabilities and resilience strategies) that make up the entire system. It also provides explanations for key findings, such as the impact of power, conflict and complexity in the PSC, which are influenced by the interactions between supply chain actors and as such increase its susceptibility to the negative impact of disruption. Furthermore, the antecedents for building resilience strategies were the outcome of the decision-making process referred to as co-evolution from a CAS perspective.
Originality/value
Based on the data collected, the study was able to reflect on the relationships, interactions and interfaces between actors in the PSC using the CAS theory, which supports the proposition that resilience strategies can be adopted by supply chain actors to enhance this service supply chain. This is a novel empirical study of resilience across multiple levels of the PSC and as such adds valuable new knowledge about the phenomenon and the use of CAS theory as a vehicle for exploration and knowledge construction in other supply chains.
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The purpose of this research is to develop a distributed system with an innovative supplier selection approach within a mass customization (MC) environment. The aim is to help…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to develop a distributed system with an innovative supplier selection approach within a mass customization (MC) environment. The aim is to help manufacturers to identify appropriate suppliers for the components, materials and services required within the procedure of product design and manufacture.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify the barriers for the supplier selection issues, current researches regarding the issues of supplier selection and MC have been reviewed. Based on the findings, the new supplier selection approach has been developed.
Findings
Within the global manufacturing environment, conventional way of appraising suppliers cannot enhance manufacturers' competitiveness advantage over their rivals. It is inevitable for manufacturers to identify appropriate competitive priorities for each of their potential market segments when designing products. Selecting appropriate suppliers is a fundamental issue to fulfill manufacturers' development strategy. The approach will enhance supplier selection efficiency and flexibility under the MC environment, enabling manufactures to avoid or minimize risks when external conditions change.
Research limitations/implications
The case study is limited to selecting suppliers of two components for an ink cartridge, however, the general approach is applicable to other type of products.
Practical implications
The whole concept of this selection system is to provide a supplier selection approach for MC environment by utilizing the web‐based technologies to deliver a means which enables geographically dispersed functions making supplier selection more efficiently. Manufacturers can utilize this approach to evaluate and to find most appropriate suppliers based on various situations.
Originality/value
The supplier selection approach focuses on the general supplier selection issues incorporating with product market position and development directions issues for MC, which provides a more dynamic and robust method to select and evaluate potential suppliers according to a range of conditions.
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Jiachen Guo, Heng Jiang, Zhirong Zhong, Hongfu Zuo and Huan Zhang
Electrostatic monitoring technology is a useful tool for monitoring and detecting component faults and degradation, which is necessary for engine health management. This paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Electrostatic monitoring technology is a useful tool for monitoring and detecting component faults and degradation, which is necessary for engine health management. This paper aims to carry out online monitoring experiments of turbo-shaft engine to contribute to the practical application of electrostatic sensor in aero-engine.
Design/methodology/approach
Combined with the time and frequency domain methods of signal processing, the authors analyze the electrostatic signal from the short timescale and the long timescale.
Findings
The short timescale analysis verifies that electrostatic sensor is sensitive to the additional increased charged particles caused by abnormal conditions, which makes this technology to monitor typical failures in aero-engine gas path. The long scale analysis verifies the electrostatic sensor has the ability to monitor the degradation of the engine gas path performance, and water washing has a great impact on the electrostatic signal. The spectrum of the electrostatic signal contains not only the motion information of the charged particles but also the rotating speed information of the free turbine.
Practical implications
The findings in this article prove the effectiveness of electrostatic monitoring and contribute to the application of this technology to aero-engine.
Originality/value
The research in this paper would be the foundation to achieve the application of the technology in aero-engine.
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Zhirong Zhong, Heng Jiang, Jiachen Guo and Hongfu Zuo
The aero-engine array electrostatic monitoring technology (AEMT) can provide more and more accurate information about the direct product of the fault, and it is a novel condition…
Abstract
Purpose
The aero-engine array electrostatic monitoring technology (AEMT) can provide more and more accurate information about the direct product of the fault, and it is a novel condition monitoring technology that is expected to solve the problem of high false alarm rate of traditional electrostatic monitoring technology. However, aliasing of the array electrostatic signals often occurs, which will greatly affect the accuracy of the information identified by using the electrostatic sensor array. The purpose of this paper is to propose special solutions to the above problems.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a method for de-aliasing of array electrostatic signals based on compressive sensing principle is proposed by taking advantage of the sparsity of the distribution of multiple pulse signals that originally constitute aliased signals in the time domain.
Findings
The proposed method is verified by finite element simulation experiments. The simulation experiments show that the proposed method can recover the original pulse signal with an accuracy of 96.0%; when the number of pulse signals does not exceed 5, the proposed method can recover the pulse peak with an average absolute error of less than 5.5%; and the recovered aliased signal time-domain waveform is very similar to the original aliased signal time-domain waveform, indicating that the proposed method is accurate.
Originality/value
The proposed method is one of the key technologies of AEMT.