Andrea Stefano Patrucco, Liliana Rivera, Christopher Mejía-Argueta and Yossi Sheffi
In line with the knowledge-based view of organizations, this paper aims to analyze how supply chain (SC) employees contribute to the creation of competitive advantage through…
Abstract
Purpose
In line with the knowledge-based view of organizations, this paper aims to analyze how supply chain (SC) employees contribute to the creation of competitive advantage through knowledge acquisition and utilization activities. The authors consider SC employees' skills and competencies, their external network of relationships, their job satisfaction and company investments in training and test how they relate to SC-level outcomes (i.e. SC growth).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors design a research model including the aforementioned variables, and the authors apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to survey data collected from 246 SC professionals in Latin America. The authors also use multi-group analysis to evaluate how the relationships between these variables change with different levels of company investment in training.
Findings
The results show that a broad professional network of relationships contributes to increasing the skills and competencies of SC professionals, which, in turn, impact job satisfaction and SC performance. This reinforces the value of investing in skilled human talent, who can contribute to knowledge acquisition, utilization, and, ultimately, to SC competitiveness. Companies that invest more in training to develop their SC employees benefit from stronger SC outcomes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to broadening the understanding of the impact of human resource management (HRM) on supply chain management (SCM). One of the added original foci of this research is the emphasis on developing countries where these HRM-to-SCM performance relationships have not been studied before.
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Liliana Rivera, David Gligor and Yossi Sheffi
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the benefits of logistics clustering, with the intent to explain their growth and popularity among private agents and policy makers during…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the benefits of logistics clustering, with the intent to explain their growth and popularity among private agents and policy makers during the last decade.
Design/methodology/approach
Because of limited knowledge about the benefits of logistics clustering a main objective of this paper is theory building. The authors employed a grounded theory approach and conducted 135 open and semi structured interviews with logistics executives, government officials, academics, and chambers of commerce representatives.
Findings
Study results revealed that, the agglomeration of logistics firms provides several key benefits to companies. Specifically, it was found that logistics clustering facilitates collaboration-related benefits, offering of value added services, career mobility for the logistics workforce within the cluster, and promotes job growth at multiple levels within the cluster. The authors offer a rich description of these benefits and the mechanisms that facilitate these outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
This paper uses a qualitative approach. Further research using a quantitative approach to measure the magnitude of the impacts and benefits of logistics clusters would be desirable.
Originality/value
This paper identifies the benefits associated with logistics clustering and thus provides justification for public authorities and private agents to invest in this phenomenon.
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Do business owners hold capitalist beliefs – relative to non-business owners? Using Latinobarómetro survey in Latin America, we find that business owners tend to see the market…
Abstract
Do business owners hold capitalist beliefs – relative to non-business owners? Using Latinobarómetro survey in Latin America, we find that business owners tend to see the market economy as the only system by which a country can become developed. They also tend to give a lower rank to Fidel Castro, and tend to believe that sole private investment in sectors like hospitals and pensions are good for the country to develop as soon as possible. But, business owners do not see foreign capital as good in industries such as mining, electronics, household appliances, automobile, telecommunication services, and infrastructure. They also do not see foreign investment as beneficial for economic development of the country. In addition, they are less willing to adopt some new technologies.
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This paper aims to address the limitations in designing educational approaches that apply critical approaches to data literacy, given the obscure nature of digital platforms…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to address the limitations in designing educational approaches that apply critical approaches to data literacy, given the obscure nature of digital platforms, which leave youth unable to develop discourses that challenge dominant narratives about the role of data in their lives. The purpose of this study is to propose and evaluate a critical data literacy approach that empowers youth to engage with data from a sociocultural perspective using a speculative participatory research approach that affords opportunities to develop alternative discourses.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a multiple-case study that involves five alternative schools in Uruguay which implemented the Nayah-Irú curriculum over ten weeks leading to the development of six distinct research projects about the materialization of data in youth lives. The curriculum incorporates an alternate reality game (ARG) to engage youth in critical data literacy, based on the principles of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) epistemology and Speculative Civic Literacies.
Findings
The findings of this study highlight the integration of speculative storytelling and real-life experiences in developing alternative discourses about datafication. The analysis revealed instances of discursive closure among the youth, but through the curriculum's speculative fiction elements, such as the narrative of Nayah-Irú, emotional connections were formed, leading to increased engagement, critical inquiry, and problem framing.
Research limitations/implications
The study conducted on the Nayah-Irú curriculum shows its effectiveness in engaging youth and educators in critical data literacy by affording opportunities for youth to engage in the analysis of their personal data literacies in an alternative world. Bringing speculative approaches to data literacy can open new avenues for exploring data literacy with youth in ways that center their voices and help them overcome different forms of discursive closure.
Originality/value
This study offers new insights into critical data literacy education blending youth participatory action research epistemologies with a speculative literacies framework to support youth in developing alternative discourses regarding the role of data in their lives.
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The purpose of this study was to review the information on the scientific efforts and achievements in sustainable industrial textile applications of natural colourants. Then the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to review the information on the scientific efforts and achievements in sustainable industrial textile applications of natural colourants. Then the paper suggests the ways of improving the industrial textile applications of plant-based colourants.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature on the chemistry, sources and extraction of plant-based natural colourants was reviewed. The reviewed information was analysed and synthesised to provide techniques for selecting sustainable extraction methods, possible sustainable textile applications of natural colourants and the challenges which hinder industrial textile applications of plant-based natural colourants. The ways of overcoming the challenges of the industrial textile applications of plant natural colourants were suggested. Lastly, the current situation of industrial application of natural dyes in textiles is presented.
Findings
Despite the scientific achievement to overcome the challenges of natural colourants for textiles, the global industrial application of natural colourants is still low. Inadequate knowledge of the dyers results into poor performance of the natural dyed textile. The natural dyed textiles are expensive due to the scarcity of raw materials for manufacturing of natural colourants. The selection of suitable extraction, application methods and type of substrate should consider the chemistry of the particular colourant. The society should be educated about the benefits of natural dyed textiles. Cultivation of colourant-bearing plants should be promoted to meet the industrial material demand.
Originality/value
The paper provides a synthesized collection of information about the source, chemistry, extraction, textile application and challenges of plant-based natural colourants. The reviewed information was analysed and synthesised to provide techniques for selecting sustainable extraction methods, possible sustainable textile applications of natural colourants and the challenges which hinder industrial textile applications of plant-based natural colourants. The ways of overcoming the challenges of the industrial textile applications of plant natural colourants were suggested.
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Gaoyan Lyu, Lihua Chen and Baofeng Huo
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different logistics resources and resource patterns, such as logistics infrastructure, logistics location, logistics knowledge and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different logistics resources and resource patterns, such as logistics infrastructure, logistics location, logistics knowledge and logistics information, affect logistics capabilities and operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on data collected from 273 companies in China, this study examines impacts of individual logistics resource dimensions on resource integration capability, customer service capability and operational performance through contingency approach. Furthermore, three logistics resource patterns are identified and linked with resource integration capability and operational performance through configuration approach.
Findings
Contingency results show that different logistics resources have different impacts on resource integration capability and operational performance. Configuration results reveal that companies’ capabilities and operational performance vary for different logistics resource patterns: the high-uniform pattern has a better resource integration capability and operational performance than other patterns, while all logistics resource patterns have similar customer service capability levels.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should examine other resource capabilities and performance indicators of companies and extend this study to other countries and regions.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the logistics resource literature through empirically investigating relationships among logistics resources, resource integration capability and operational performance using contingency approach, and through identifying different logistics resource patterns based on configuration approach. The findings extend the logistics resource literature, particularly on research of logistics parks in China.