Araceli Rojo-Gallego-Burin, Francisco Javier Llorens-Montes, Maria N. Perez-Arostegui and Mark Stevenson
To analyze the effect of an ambidextrous supply chain strategy (ASCS) – i.e. the combination of exploration and exploitation practices – on each of the four dimensions of supply…
Abstract
Purpose
To analyze the effect of an ambidextrous supply chain strategy (ASCS) – i.e. the combination of exploration and exploitation practices – on each of the four dimensions of supply chain flexibility (SCF): information system, operating system, sourcing and distribution flexibility. Further, to evaluate the influence of implementing the ISO 9001 standard on the relationship between ASCS and SCF, and whether this certification directly affects the level of SCF. We ground our model in Resource Orchestration theory.
Design/methodology/approach
To perform this study, the authors used data collected from a sample of 145 non-ISO-certified firms and 157 ISO-certified firms.
Findings
ASCS does not affect all four dimensions of SCF in the same way. Rather, its effect is contingent on the presence of the ISO 9001 certification. An ASCS is shown to have a positive effect on information system flexibility irrespective of the presence of ISO 9001 certification whereas for the other three dimensions of SCF, the effect of ASCS is dependent on ISO 9001 implementation. Meanwhile, ISO 9001 implementation itself does not affect the level of SCF.
Practical implications
Managers can use the findings to configure their supply chain strategy based on the specific dimension(s) of SCF they seek to develop by implementing ASCS. Further, the results inform managers about the incentives for implementing ISO 9001.
Originality/value
Although prior studies have shown that an ambidextrous strategy enables firms and organizational units to adapt to the environment, there have been few prior studies on ambidexterity in a supply chain context. Further, although the extant literature has suggested that the ISO 9001 may facilitate ambidexterity, this link has remained largely theoretical. In fact, there is very little prior evidence on how the practice of ISO 9001 affects the supply chain.
Details
Keywords
María N. Perez‐Arostegui, Jose Benitez‐Amado and Javier Tamayo‐Torres
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of information technology (IT) competence – composed of IT infrastructure, IT technical and managerial knowledge and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of information technology (IT) competence – composed of IT infrastructure, IT technical and managerial knowledge and the integration of IT strategy with firm strategy – on quality performance. Since, according to the resource‐based view, IT alone is not able to sustain a competitive advantage, the moderating effect of leadership practice on this relationship must be analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
A proposed research model is tested using survey data from a sample of 230 leading Spanish firms. Multiple regression analysis was performed with SPSS package.
Findings
The main findings show that: the existence of an IT competence will have a partial impact on improvement in quality performance; IT technical knowledge in itself does not influence the determination of improvement in quality performance – rather, one needs complementarity with leadership; and the impact of IT dimensions on quality performance will be greater in the presence of leadership practice.
Practical implications
Managers must be aware that the impact of IT on competitive advantage need not be direct; it can have influence through complementarity with other organizational capabilities.
Originality/value
The paper reinforces the need to explore in greater depth the relationship between IT and quality management. This appears to be one of the first papers to simultaneously explore relationships between IT, leadership and quality performance. The paper provides insights on the processes by which IT resources interact with other organizational resources, a topic that has received little attention to date.
Details
Keywords
Vanesa Barrales‐Molina, Jose Benitez‐Amado and María N. Perez‐Arostegui
The aim of this paper is to study empirically the influence of managerial perceptions of the environment on dynamic capabilities (DC) generation. It seeks to identify three…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to study empirically the influence of managerial perceptions of the environment on dynamic capabilities (DC) generation. It seeks to identify three dimensions of competitive environment (dynamism, complexity, and munificence) and then use the theoretical model developed by Zollo and Winter to explain DC creation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use data collected from 200 Spanish firms through a questionnaire to perform multiple and simple regression analyses that examine the relationship between managerial perceptions and DC generation.
Findings
It is found that managerial perception of munificence in the environment is related positively and significantly to the processes of DC creation; only when managers perceive the environment as highly dynamic and complex do they promote processes for developing DC.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that managerial cognition plays an important role in DC processes. Thus, managers should evaluate their mental models and value systems to determine whether they provide an accurate understanding of the environment.
Originality/value
The understanding of DC must be developed though empirical papers, as unresolved theoretical inconsistencies create many challenges in this area. The proliferation of theoretical papers has produced a disconnected body of research.
Details
Keywords
Araceli Rojo, Javier Llorens-Montes and Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui
The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether supply chain (SC) ambidexterity improves supply chain flexibility (SCF) and its impact on SC competence and firm performance. A new…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether supply chain (SC) ambidexterity improves supply chain flexibility (SCF) and its impact on SC competence and firm performance. A new measurement instrument for SCF is proposed that takes into account the demands of the environment: SCF fit.
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical model is developed to examine the relationships proposed. The hypotheses are tested with data from 302 manufacturing firms using a structural equations model methodology.
Findings
The results show that SC ambidexterity helps to achieve the optimal level of SCF and that supply chain management (SCM) is important to firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
This paper makes three contributions to the SCM literature: first, it develops the conceptual definition of SC ambidexterity and studies its effects at the SC level; second, it develops a new instrument to measure SCF known as SCF fit; third, it studies both the impact of SCF fit on SC competence and the importance of SC in firm performance.
Practical implications
This paper develops a measurement instrument that permits managers to diagnose the level of SCF and the correspondence/gap between current and optimal levels and to establish comparisons between different SC. It also indicates the importance of SCM for firm performance and the need to consider the SC as a whole.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to analyze ambidexterity in an organizational network like the SC. It shows that exploitation practices do not jeopardize SCF as long as they are accompanied by exploration practices. That is, high levels of exploration and exploitation are compatible in the SC and lead to the optimal level of SCF.
Details
Keywords
Araceli Rojo, Mark Stevenson, Francisco Javier Lloréns Montes and Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e. operational absorptive capacity (OAC) and organisational learning (OL), are necessary competences for firms to develop such a responsive supply chain strategy as flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypothesised relationships are tested with survey data from 302 Spanish manufacturing firms using structural equations modelling.
Findings
Environmental dynamism is positively associated with both OAC and OL, and both dynamic capabilities enable SCF. The authors also find that the relationship between environmental dynamism and SCF is partially mediated by both dynamic capabilities.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to the literature, for example, by determining when it is advantageous to develop SCF, by specifying what capabilities a firm needs to develop to align SCF with the environment, and by opening the black box that is the relationship between the environment and SCF.
Practical implications
Managers should develop SCF via OAC and OL when they detect a high degree of environmental dynamism. Knowing when this is necessary relies on a good understanding of the environment. OAC is found to be a stronger enabler of SCF than OL. The findings provide managers with an insight into why some firms are able to develop more effective responses to dynamic environments than others.
Originality/value
This study is one of only a limited number of studies that adopt a dynamic capabilities approach to supply chain management. Prior literature has shown that dynamic capabilities can aid in developing strategic, structural, and operational flexibility. The authors extend this literature by showing that OAC and OL have an effect on SCF.
Details
Keywords
Jose Benitez‐Amado, Francisco Javier Llorens‐Montes and Maria Nieves Perez‐Arostegui
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships among two types of information technology (IT) resources (technological IT and managerial IT resources), the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships among two types of information technology (IT) resources (technological IT and managerial IT resources), the intrapreneurship culture and firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is consistent with the perspective on IT‐enabled organizational capabilities. A proposed research model and hypotheses are tested using cross‐sectional survey data from a sample of 203 leading Spanish firms.
Findings
Data analysis shows that intrapreneurship culture is a valuable key capability that predicts firm market performance; both technological IT and managerial IT resources have a positive effect on the development of an intrapreneurship culture in the firm, and investment in both technological IT and managerial IT resources influences firm performance positively by means of the capability of intrapreneurship culture.
Research limitations/implications
Among other limitations, the paper uses data provided by only one key informant per firm, and the results can be generalized to only 25 business sectors among Spanish firms.
Practical implications
The research findings have important implications for practising managers. First, our results suggest that the deployment of technological IT and managerial IT resources increases firms' ability to develop an innovation‐supportive culture. Second, intrapreneurship culture is an important intermediate organizational capability through which the benefits of both technological IT and managerial IT resources are converted into performance effects at the corporate level.
Originality/value
First, this paper reveals how firms can develop an intrapreneurship culture. Specifically, the findings of the paper show the key role of IT‐based resources in the development of this type of organizational culture. Second, this paper shows theoretically and empirically how firms can generate business value from IT‐enabled intrapreneurship culture, a topic that has received little attention to date.
Details
Keywords
Javier Tamayo-Torres, Vanesa Barrales-Molina and Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui
The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the influence of manufacturing flexibility on firms’ exploration/exploitation differs between firms that possess Certified Quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the influence of manufacturing flexibility on firms’ exploration/exploitation differs between firms that possess Certified Quality Management Systems (CQMS) and firms that do not.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze a sample of 231 Spanish manufacturing firms, 131 of which had received some form of Quality Certification. The data were collected through a structured telephone questionnaire addressed to company CEOs. The relationships are modelled using regression equations, including interaction terms, in order to test for the existence of a moderating effect.
Findings
The results show that certified companies exploit their own abilities, whereas uncertified firms tend to explore new knowledge. The authors also justify the importance of manufacturing flexibility for both options, exploration and exploitation.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this research include the fact that the authors study a variety of forms of certification, not only ISO, and the fact that all companies belong to the same country.
Practical implications
This study contributes to developing empirical knowledge of the benefits of CQMS in the firm.
Originality/value
The paper develops a new model to improve manufacturing flexibility and Quality Management.
Details
Keywords
María Isabel Roldán Bravo, Francisco Javier Lloréns Montes and Antonia Ruiz Moreno
This study aims to use expectation disconfirmation theory (EDT) to investigate how an organization’s satisfaction with its supply network’s behavior influences its intention to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use expectation disconfirmation theory (EDT) to investigate how an organization’s satisfaction with its supply network’s behavior influences its intention to open innovation with that network. This paper proposes that an organization’s orientation to open innovation is influenced by confirmation of previously held expectations of trust and commitment and level of perceived procedural justice in its open innovation partner. This paper also examines the effect of this orientation on the organization’s supply chain competence.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from a survey of 286 European firms, the study proposes and evaluates a structural equation model.
Findings
The results show that a positive disconfirmation of trust (where perceived trust exceeds expectations) plays a crucial role in shaping organizations’ intentions to continue open innovation with their supply networks. These results show that disconfirmation is a good predictor of overall satisfaction with open innovation. This paper also confirms the positive effect of orientation to open innovation on supply chain competence. Finally, this paper obtained evidence for the positive effect of supply chain competence on firm performance.
Originality/value
This study shows the importance of managing expectations in open innovation under the EDT. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research has analyzed the consistency between the trust and commitment an organization expects from its open innovation partner and the trust and commitment it ultimately perceives as a factor explaining its degree of orientation to open innovation. Therefore, this research contributes to a better understanding of open innovation enablers and also its consequences.
Details
Keywords
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.
Details
Keywords
María Isabel Roldán Bravo, Antonia Ruiz-Moreno and Francisco Javier Lloréns Montes
The purpose of this paper is to explain how a buying organization’s desorptive capacity relative to its supply network enhances the organization’s supply chain competence. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain how a buying organization’s desorptive capacity relative to its supply network enhances the organization’s supply chain competence. The research also analyzes the contingent role of the balanced and combined dimensions of ambidexterity in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical results are obtained through analysis of survey data from a sample of 270 European firms. Hierarchical regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results confirm, first, the positive and significant relationship between the buying organization’s desorptive capacity and supply chain competence; and, second, the key moderating role of organizational ambidexterity, especially in its combined dimension, in this relationship.
Practical implications
The study suggests that desorptive capacity is key to the organization’s contribution to supply chain competitiveness. The authors also provide practitioners with better understanding of the extent to which they should attempt to balance exploration and exploitation or/and to maximize both simultaneously when seeking greater benefit from desorptive capacity.
Originality/value
This study extends desorptive capacity research to supply chain management. It responds to calls in the desorptive capacity literature for deeper understanding of the benefits of desorptive capacity and of the role organizational ambidexterity plays in the success of desorptive capacity. By analyzing the independent effects of the combined and balanced dimensions of ambidexterity, the authors advance conceptual and operational understanding of the role of ambidexterity needed in the literature.