Beatriz Minguela-Rata, Juan Manuel Maqueira, Araceli Rojo and José Moyano-Fuentes
This study aims to examine the full mediating role of supply chain flexibility (SCF) between lean production (LP) and business performance (BP) found in the previous literature…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the full mediating role of supply chain flexibility (SCF) between lean production (LP) and business performance (BP) found in the previous literature. This effect negates the direct LP-BP effect (the so-called “total eclipse effect”). The authors analyze the individual contributions that the different SCF dimensions (sourcing flexibility; operating system flexibility, distribution flexibility and information system [IS] flexibility) make to the “total eclipse effect” between LP and BP produced by SCF. The relational resources-based view and resource orchestration theory are used to support the theoretical framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Covariance-based structural equations modeling (CB-SEM) is used to test the SCF LP-BP total eclipse hypothesis and four additional mediation hypotheses, one for each of the SCF dimensions. Data obtained via a questionnaire given to 260 companies are analyzed with CB-SEM, and SPSS Process is used to evaluate the mediation effect.
Findings
Research results indicate that only one of the dimensions (operating system flexibility) has a full mediation effect between LP and BP and is, therefore, the main contributor to the eclipse effect. Two other dimensions (sourcing flexibility and distribution flexibility) have partial mediation effects, so they also contribute to developing the eclipse effect, although to a lesser extent. Finally, IS flexibility is neither a full nor a partial mediation factor and does not contribute to the eclipse effect.
Originality/value
These findings have some important implications. For academia, they generate new knowledge of the role that each of the SCF dimensions or components plays in the LP-BP relationship. For company management, the findings offer supply chain managers specific information on the individual effects that the different types of SCF flexibility have between LP and BP. This will allow companies to target their efforts to develop certain types of flexibility in LP contexts depending on the outcomes that senior managers want to achieve with their SCs.
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Miguel Núñez-Merino, Juan Manuel Maqueira-Marín, José Moyano-Fuentes and Carlos Alberto Castaño-Moraga
The purpose of this paper is to explore and disseminate knowledge about quantum-inspired computing technology's potential to solve complex challenges faced by the operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and disseminate knowledge about quantum-inspired computing technology's potential to solve complex challenges faced by the operational agility capability in Industry 4.0 manufacturing and logistics operations.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-case study approach is used to determine the impact of quantum-inspired computing technology in manufacturing and logistics processes from the supplier perspective. A literature review provides the basis for a framework to identify a set of flexibility and agility operational capabilities enabled by Industry 4.0 Information and Digital Technologies. The use cases are analyzed in depth, first individually and then jointly.
Findings
Study results suggest that quantum-inspired computing technology has the potential to harness and boost companies' operational flexibility to enhance operational agility in manufacturing and logistics operations management, particularly in the Industry 4.0 context. An exploratory model is proposed to explain the relationships between quantum-inspired computing technology and the deployment of operational agility capabilities.
Originality/value
This is study explores the use of quantum-inspired computing technology in Industry 4.0 operations management and contributes to understanding its potential to enable operational agility capability in manufacturing and logistics operations.
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Noelia Garcia-Buendia, José Moyano-Fuentes and Juan Manuel Maqueira
The purpose of this study is to examine how a focal firm’s supply relationships influence lean supply chain management (LSCM) implementation and its impact on operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how a focal firm’s supply relationships influence lean supply chain management (LSCM) implementation and its impact on operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study of 285 Spanish focal firms has explored the relationships between supply uncertainty, strategic supplier performance, LSCM implementation and operational performance. A structural equation model was used to test four hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that supply uncertainty and strategic supplier performance significantly impact the decision to implement LSCM. The findings highlight the importance of strategic supplier performance for driving LSCM adoption. However, this study also suggests that LSCM implementation should be carefully considered in situations characterized by high supply uncertainty.
Practical implications
This study suggests that enhancing LSCM implementation and improving performance from key suppliers are crucial factors in achieving favorable operational performance in focal firms. Practitioners receive guidance on aligning their supply relationships, considering contextual factors and leveraging strategic supplier performance to drive effective LSCM implementation.
Originality/value
This study offers novel insights by examining the antecedents to LSCM implementation from a contingency and relational perspective specifically focused on the context of supply relationships. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on supply chain management by shedding light on the interplay between supply uncertainty, strategic supplier performance, LSCM implementation and operational performance.
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Luciano Novais, Juan Manuel Maqueira Marín and José Moyano-Fuentes
With support from the dynamic capabilities theory, this paper examines the role of Cloud Computing technology use in logistics (Cloud-Supported Logistics) and its effect on…
Abstract
Purpose
With support from the dynamic capabilities theory, this paper examines the role of Cloud Computing technology use in logistics (Cloud-Supported Logistics) and its effect on business results in Lean manufacturing management (Lean Production implementation) and Supply Chain Integration contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the survey method, a random sample of 260 companies in intermediate positions in their supply chains was gathered from a population of 1,717 Spanish companies and used to test five hypotheses. The data were collected by telephone survey using a computerised system with a response rate of 15.6% (260 valid questionnaires). Structural equation modelling was used to test the five proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The findings indicate that Cloud-Supported Logistics use plays an important role in achieving better business results in Lean Production environments. Lean Production has been found to have both a direct effect and an even more powerful indirect effect on performance through the Cloud-Supported Logistics and Supply Chain Integration that these technologies produce. Supply Chain Integration is also found to have a mediating effect in the Cloud-Supported Logistics–performance relationship.
Originality/value
This study is valuable for academics and practitioners as it provides evidence of the relevant role played by Cloud-Supported Logistics in Lean Production implementation contexts. Cloud-Supported Logistics and Lean Production are strategically and operationally linked and their joint use results in Supply Chain Integration and better business performance.
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Diéssica Oliveira-Dias, Juan Manuel Maqueira-Marín, José Moyano-Fuentes and Guilherme Tortorella
This paper investigates the relationship between technological uncertainty and the use of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, and its impact on the implementation of agile and lean…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the relationship between technological uncertainty and the use of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, and its impact on the implementation of agile and lean supply chain strategies. It also examines the effect of both of these supply chain strategies on focal firm operational performance in terms of efficiency in manufacturing processes and delivery performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were gathered from 256 focal manufacturing companies in Spain using a structured questionnaire. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) is used to test the conceptual model.
Findings
Underpinned by the Contingency Theory and the Resource Orchestration Theory, the results indicate that technology uncertainty has a strong association with I4.0 technology use. Furthermore, the use of I4.0 technologies facilitates the implementation of the lean supply chain strategy and the agile supply chain strategy. Focal firm operational performance was also observed to be affected by the two strategies in different ways.
Originality/value
This study extends the literature on operations management by studying the fit between the external environment and strategy by incorporating an in-between element: the use of I4.0 technologies. This research provides a unique empirical analysis of the role of technology uncertainty and integration between I4.0 technologies and supply chain strategies.
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Diessica de Oliveira-Dias, Juan Manuel Maqueira Marín and José Moyano-Fuentes
The significant changes that supply chains (SCs) are undergoing and the emergence of disruptive technologies have led to a growing effort to integrate novel and mature…
Abstract
Purpose
The significant changes that supply chains (SCs) are undergoing and the emergence of disruptive technologies have led to a growing effort to integrate novel and mature technologies into existing SC strategies. Thus, this study investigates the relationships between mature information technologies (ITs), emerging IT and the lean supply chain (LSC) and agile supply chain (ASC) strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study based on structural equation modeling of survey data from 256 Spanish focal companies has been conducted to test six hypotheses.
Findings
Drawing on resource orchestration, our results point to mature IT use being an enabler of both LSC and ASC strategy implementation. The results also show an LSC mediating effect on the relationship between mature IT and ASC when SCs follow both strategies. Also, the implementation of emerging IT requires a process of consolidation over time to be genuinely useful as a facilitating mechanism for developing both the lean and agile strategies along the SC. In this sense, a suitable mix needs to be orchestrated between emerging and mature IT.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the relevance of the mature IT and emerging IT in the context of two SC strategies (lean/agile) and provides practical and theoretical implications.
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Juan Manuel Maqueira Marín, Diessica De Oliveira-Dias, Nima Jafari Navimipour, Bhaskar Gardas and Mehmet Unal
This study aims to provide an overview of what characterizes the current state of research in the field of cloud computing use in human resource management (HRM) with the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide an overview of what characterizes the current state of research in the field of cloud computing use in human resource management (HRM) with the identification, analysis and classification of the existing literature and lines of research addressed and to provide guidance for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
The systematic literature review (SLR) technique has been used to identify, select, analyze and evaluate the existing publications on cloud computing and HRM. A total of 35 papers published up to December 2020 have been obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) scientific database. The research design has allowed us to determine what characterizes the current state of research on the use of cloud computing in HRM and obtain a novel classification of the literature that identifies four lines of research and the contributions in each line and has allowed us to define the future research agenda.
Findings
The four groups into which the papers on the cloud computing-HRM relationship have been classified are: (1) studies focused on the development of cloud platforms for HRM that highlight technical aspects, (2) papers that focus on the concept of human resource elasticity, (3) papers on the adoption and/or implantation of cloud platforms for HRM and (4) studies that highlight the effects or implications of cloud platforms for HRM. This paper proposes some new opportunities for future research and presents some helpful implications from the theoretical and management perspectives.
Research limitations/implications
This study uses only scientific articles in the WoS database with a Journal Citation Report (JCR) or SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) impact.
Originality/value
This paper provides an overview of the knowledge on cloud computing and HRM research and offers recommendations for future research.
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Noelia Garcia-Buendia, José Moyano-Fuentes, Juan Manuel Maqueira and Lucía Avella
This study aims to analyze the lean supply chain management (LSCM) strategy's role as a mechanism to address technology uncertainty and provide organizations with competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the lean supply chain management (LSCM) strategy's role as a mechanism to address technology uncertainty and provide organizations with competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was conducted of 276 Spanish focal firms in industrial sectors that occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain to investigate the influence of technology uncertainty on LSCM implementation and the latter's effect on operational performance and competitiveness. A covariance-based structural equation model (CB-SEM) was used to test three hypotheses.
Findings
Technological uncertainty encourages progress in the implementation of lean throughout the supply chain and so is a mechanism that not only brings stability to the focal company but also improves its performance and puts it in a better competitive position.
Practical implications
Managers are suggested to consider the strategic integration with supply chain partners and the establishment of long-term relationships based on trust and commitment advocated by LSCM to enhance organizations' capabilities and effectively and flexibly respond to technological changes.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the effects of environmental uncertainty on the supply chain. The past literature has focused on the behavior of individual firms to deal with uncertainty, but this work shifts the level of analysis to the supply chain. Therefore, the strategic change to deal with what is happening in the environment is now switched to the supply chain level.
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Juan Manuel Maqueira, Luciano Romualdo Novais and Sebastian Bruque
This paper aims to analyze the mediating role of Supply Chain Flexibility on the interrelationships binding Lean Production implementation, Mass Personalization and business…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the mediating role of Supply Chain Flexibility on the interrelationships binding Lean Production implementation, Mass Personalization and business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A random sample of 260 companies obtained from a population of 1,717 Spanish companies that occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain has been used to test the proposed hypothetical framework. Telephone surveys using a computerized system have been used to collect data, obtaining a response rate of 15.6 and a structural equation model has been designed to test the six proposed hypotheses.
Findings
Companies initially implement Lean Production to optimize Mass Personalization processes and improve business performance. However, in the presence of Supply Chain Flexibility, Lean Production implementation no longer has a direct impact on Mass Personalization and business performance, but it does have an indirect impact through the flexibility it achieves (shown as a total mediating path). Therefore, companies should implement Lean Production to achieve flexibility and thus optimize the Mass Personalization processes and obtain better performance.
Originality/value
Academics and business managers may have supporting evidence on the role played by the total mediating effect of Supply Chain Flexibility on the relationship between Lean Production, Mass Personalization and business performance. A better knowledge of these management resources and their relationship could affect the way researchers and practitioners approach them, becoming more aware of the important role of the supply chain in competitiveness.
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María Isabel Roldán Bravo, Juan Manuel Maqueira-Marin and José Moyano-Fuentes
The purpose of this paper is twofold: firstly, to provide a measurement instrument for supply chain 4.0 ambidexterity by applying the theoretical perspective of ambidexterity to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: firstly, to provide a measurement instrument for supply chain 4.0 ambidexterity by applying the theoretical perspective of ambidexterity to advance Industry 4.0; secondly, to empirically analyse how supply chain 4.0 ambidexterity and lean supply chain management contribute to enhancing the focal firm’s operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical results are obtained through analysis of survey data from a sample of 209 Spanish focal firms in industrial sectors in an intermediate position in the supply chain. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the three proposed hypotheses.
Findings
Drawing on resource orchestration theory and the relational resource-based view, this study empirically demonstrates the full mediating role of lean supply chain management in the relationship between supply chain 4.0 ambidexterity and the focal firm’s operational performance.
Originality/value
Although recent research has highlighted the pertinence of applying inter-organisational ambidexterity to foster Industry 4.0 (Hofmann et al., 2019), to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to apply this theoretical framework to explain the transition to supply chain 4.0. In addition, to date, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study exists that has developed a measurement scale and used this concept in an empirical analysis to advance theory development.