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Many executives are developing supply chain partnerships in an attempt to reduce costs, improve service and gain competitive advantage. While partnerships can be beneficial, they are not appropriate in all situations. This article provides a model which can be used to determine whether a partnership is warranted, and if so, how close of a partnership is warranted.

The passage of NAFTA created both opportunities and challenges for logistics managers. NAFTA not only created a trading block with over 350 million potential consumers, it also allowed, for the first time, fully integrated and rationalized logistics management throughout North America. In recognition of the significant logistics impact of NAFTA, the Council of Logistics Management sponsored a study performed by Andersen Consulting and the University of North Florida. Based upon that study, this article provides a framework for reevaluating and changing logistics strategies in order to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by NAFTA. The complete study will be available from the Council of Logistics Management in Fall 1995.

Presents a series of articles on each of the following topics: digital strategy in the next millennium (Digital strategy – a model for the millennium; Searching for the next competitive edge; The technology link; Value web management opportunities; clash of the Titans: communications companies battle for new ground; and a guide through the maze); retailing and distribution in the digital era (The business case for electronic commerce; superdistribution spells major changes; VF Corp. sews up software operation; IBM seeks to harness digital revolution; Egghead’s bold move to a Web‐based strategy; achieving successful Internet banking; and enterprising uses for IT); and the changing shape of the aviation industry (boom times ahead for air cargo; United Airlines flies high through employee ownership; Asian practices to West at Cathay Pacific; and Ryannair strips to the bone).

To explore the extent to which consumers' ethical concerns impact upon apparel purchase decisions and highlight the value of The Gap's corporate code of conduct in meeting these concerns.

Face‐to‐face questionnaires were conducted with Scottish consumers in February 2003. Respondents were recruited from central shopping areas using a convenience sampling method.

Despite consumers possessing a high level of awareness of ethical issues, results reveal that factors such as price, quality and style have a greater influence on their apparel purchase behaviour than their concerns about the ethical practices of the supplier.

As the study was exploratory in nature and consisted of Scottish consumers only, generalisations of the results should be approached with some caution.

Provides a useful insight into The Gap's corporate code of conduct and the extent to which such codes meet the ethical concerns of consumers in relation to their apparel purchasing decisions.

The emergence of the ethical consumer has been much discussed, particularly in relation to global food markets (e.g. food miles, fair trade, organics, etc.). However, little agreement exists surrounding the ethics of apparel production. This study aims to contribute to this research gap by exploring consumer influences upon the apparel purchase decision‐making process.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of inter‐organisational compatibility on inter‐organisational information systems (IOIS) integration and supply chain performance of large enterprises (LE) and small‐medium enterprises (SMEs) in Australian retailing chains.

Convergent interviewing technique was used to collect data from managers of 12 fast‐moving consumer goods and hardware manufacturing and retailing organisations. Within‐ and cross‐case analyses were used to analyse the data.

The results indicate that technical, strategic and cultural compatibility between supply chain partners are antecedents to IOIS integration and supply chain performance of both LE and SMEs. A conceptual model explaining the relationship between inter‐organisational compatibility, IOIS integration and supply chain performance is advanced. The study extends congruency theory to information systems and supply chain contexts.

The study provides some guidelines to supply chain and information systems managers on how inter‐organisational compatibility can be used to facilitate IOIS integration and enhance supply chain performance in both large and small firms. Technical, strategic and cultural compatibility emerged as antecedents to IOIS integration, suggesting the need for supply chain managers especially within SMEs to pay close attention to inter‐organisational compatibility factors when integrating IOIS with supply chain partners.

Research relating IOIS integration and supply chain is limited, especially in the SMEs context. Thus, this paper contributes to the body of knowledge by examining how inter‐organisational compatibility influences organisations' decisions to integrate IOIS with supply chain partners using congruency theory.