Michael J. Maloni, David M. Gligor, Robin A. Cheramie and Elizabeth M. Boyd
A talent shortage and underrepresentation of women in logistics emphasize the need to assess the logistics work culture. As logistics practitioners face round-the-clock job…
Abstract
Purpose
A talent shortage and underrepresentation of women in logistics emphasize the need to assess the logistics work culture. As logistics practitioners face round-the-clock job pressures, work–family conflict presents one such opportunity for study. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of supervisors and mentoring on work interference with family (WIF) and subsequent job satisfaction and intent to leave logistics.
Design/methodology/approach
Under role conflict theory, the authors apply structural equation modeling to survey data of logistics practitioners, focusing on time, strain and behavior WIF sources.
Findings
The results highlight the complexity of WIF in logistics. Strain and behavior-based WIF relate to job satisfaction, which then relates to intent to leave logistics. Family-supportive supervisors reduce time and strain-based WIF, and mentoring provides complementary support for behavior-based WIF. However, mentoring also yields unintended contradictory effects for women as detrimental to time-based WIF.
Research limitations/implications
The relatively small sample size, particularly for women, limits generalizability of the results.
Practical implications
To foster supportive work environments, logistics organizations must train supervisors and mentors to resolve employee WIF, including its different sources and gender-specific impacts.
Originality/value
The interplay of supervisors and mentors has not been well studied to date. Also, the contradictory impacts of mentoring for women based on WIF sources challenges WIF literature and issues warnings for mentoring in professional practice. Finally, the results provide insight into the talent shortage and gender imbalance in logistics that lack empirical study.
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Michael J. Maloni, Stacy M. Campbell, David M. Gligor, Christina R. Scherrer and Elizabeth M. Boyd
Despite a pervasive workforce shortage, existing research has provided limited guidance about job satisfaction and commitment of the supply chain workforce. Moreover, few studies…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite a pervasive workforce shortage, existing research has provided limited guidance about job satisfaction and commitment of the supply chain workforce. Moreover, few studies explore the effects of workforce level on such satisfaction and commitment. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
To address this gap, the authors apply person-organization fit theory to study the critical work value drivers of supply chain job satisfaction and industry commitment across workforce levels through structural modeling of practitioner survey data.
Findings
Job satisfaction and industry commitment are impacted differently across workforce levels, particularly for executives, suggesting the potential for conflicts in the workplace and that a “one size fits all” approach for recruitment and retention will be ineffective.
Practical implications
The results reveal how proactive organizations can not only hire and retain the best people but also help employees at different workforce levels understand one another’s motivations, empowering these organizations to become employers of choice.
Originality/value
This study is among the first empirical papers to directly address the labor shortage in supply chain. It also strikes new ground by assessing differences in work values across workforce levels.
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Javad Feizabadi, Michael Maloni and David Gligor
Limited research examines the triple-A supply chain of agility, adaptability and alignment. The purpose of this paper is to draw on extant literature under the lens of resource…
Abstract
Purpose
Limited research examines the triple-A supply chain of agility, adaptability and alignment. The purpose of this paper is to draw on extant literature under the lens of resource orchestration theory to develop a comprehensive framework of antecedents and consequences of triple-A supply chains, allowing both scholars and practitioners to benchmark and prioritize triple-A capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review focusing on four supply chain journals is conducted to integrate the distinct bodies of knowledge on supply chain agility, adaptability and alignment.
Findings
The integration of this literature identifies common and distinct antecedents and consequences of each, developing a comprehensive model of triple-A supply chains as well as proposing opportunities for further study.
Originality/value
Limited studies to date have an integrated agility, adaptability and alignment, thus lacking a comprehensive framework of triple-A supply chains. Managers can use the findings to determine actions needed to deploy triple-A capabilities and better understand the resulting potential benefits.
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James A. Meurs, Graham H. Lowman, David M. Gligor and Michael J. Maloni
Supply chain has long faced a persistent workforce shortage. To help both organizations and the field create environments that are more conducive to employee retention, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Supply chain has long faced a persistent workforce shortage. To help both organizations and the field create environments that are more conducive to employee retention, the authors investigate the outcomes of supply chain employee trust in their supervisor.
Design/methodology/approach
Applying person-environment fit theory, the authors evaluate the well-established antecedents to trust in supervisor ability, benevolence and integrity (ABI) relative to person-job (P-J) fit and person-vocation (P-V) fit of US supply chain employees.
Findings
Confirmatory factor analysis indicates that ABI is best modeled as dimensions of a second-order formative trust construct rather than as its antecedents. However, PLS-SEM provides somewhat unconvincing support for the impacts of ABI-trust. Instead, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) delineates that all three ABI dimensions are not always needed for P-J and P-V fit in supply chain. Some employees respond to affective-based (i.e. benevolence) trust and others to cognitive-based (i.e. ability and integrity) trust.
Practical implications
The QCA results offer specific recommendations for supply chain organizations to enhance employee trust in supervisors to succeed in the struggle for labor.
Originality/value
The results counter extant trust theory, encouraging scholars to consider ABI as distinct dimensions of trust. The study also demonstrates the importance of considering QCA in supply chain research to meaningfully expand contributions to theory and practice.
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James Anthony Swaim, Michael J. Maloni, Amy Henley and Stacy Campbell
Although supply chain managers serve a central role when implementing corporate environmental sustainability objectives, existing literature does not demonstrate high levels of…
Abstract
Purpose
Although supply chain managers serve a central role when implementing corporate environmental sustainability objectives, existing literature does not demonstrate high levels of supply manager support for such initiatives. This paper aims to investigate the potential of individual behavioral influences to explain supply manager orientation toward environmental responsibility.
Methodology/approach
This paper constructs a research model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore how personal environmental motivations influence supply manager environmental behavior in the workplace. This paper also incorporates hyperbolic discounting as a cognitive bias moderator in the model. The research hypotheses were tested with regression of survey data of practicing supply managers in the USA.
Findings
Support was found for the direct TPB hypotheses, revealing the importance of an individual’s personal attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control on interpreting and applying the organization’s environmental sustainability objectives. Although the interactive effect of hyperbolic discounting as a cognitive bias was not supported, a direct effect was found.
Practical implications
The findings can help organizations improve supply manager support for sustainability initiatives.
Originality/value
Prior supply chain sustainability research has examined drivers and barriers at political, legal, economical and overall firm levels. This study expands this research base by investigating individual-level barriers and drivers related to personal responsibility for environmental sustainability. As a second contribution, integration of cognitive biases in the TPB has been understudied in existing literature.
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David Gligor, Siddik Bozkurt, Ismail Gölgeci and Michael J. Maloni
Despite the recent wealth of supply chain agility literature, scholars have yet to thoroughly examine its impacts on the customer experience. To address this gap, we assess the…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the recent wealth of supply chain agility literature, scholars have yet to thoroughly examine its impacts on the customer experience. To address this gap, we assess the effects of supply chain agility on customer value and customer satisfaction, including the moderating role of customer loyalty, from the perspectives of both business customers (B2B) and end-customers (B2C).
Design/methodology/approach
We used multivariate regression analysis to evaluate direct, indirect and conditional effects across survey responses from 148 senior-level supply chain managers (buyers) (Study 1) and 170 end-customers (i.e. consumers) (Study 2).
Findings
The results reveal that supply chain agility retains a direct link to both B2B and B2C’ value and satisfaction. However, a higher level of customer loyalty reduces the strength of these relationships, signifying that agility is less important with established customers. In this respect, agility is important to attract new customers, but more agility is not always beneficial once the customer relationship is established.
Originality/value
The current study is among the first to examine end-customer response to supply chain agility. The findings complement existing literature by providing novel insights into the impact of supply chain agility on both business customers (B2B) and end-customers (B2C).
David Gligor, Javad Feizabadi, Ivan Russo, Michael J. Maloni and Thomas J. Goldsby
Scholars have recently begun to empirically evaluate the triple-A supply chain, which emphasizes concurrent capabilities in agility, adaptability and alignment across the supply…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars have recently begun to empirically evaluate the triple-A supply chain, which emphasizes concurrent capabilities in agility, adaptability and alignment across the supply chain to develop sustainable competitive advantage. Complexity theory suggests however that other combinations of triple-A capabilities may be equally effective, especially given a firm's strategic orientation relative to its market and its supply chain. Our research objective was to examine what combinations of these capabilities lead to the same outcome (i.e. high firm performance).
Design/methodology/approach
We collected 182 survey responses from a global sample of supply chain managers. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was employed to assess effective recipes of agility, adaptability, alignment, supply chain orientation, and market orientation.
Findings
Our results revealed four distinct “recipes” (i.e. combinations of agility, adaptability, alignment, supply chain orientation and market orientation) that lead to high levels of firm performance.
Originality/value
Our results indicate that firms currently do not necessarily have to concomitantly develop capabilities across all triple-A components. Considering the costs associated with developing each of these capabilities, the findings allow us to derive several theoretical and managerial insights.
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Steven B. Young, Alberto Fonseca and Goretty Dias
This paper seeks to critically analyse the list of principles on the extractive phase of the electronics supply chains, proposed for consumer electronic companies, by the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to critically analyse the list of principles on the extractive phase of the electronics supply chains, proposed for consumer electronic companies, by the non‐governmental campaign MakeITfair. The purpose is to understand whether conformance with these principles could positively influence the socio‐environmental conditions at the mining level.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the literature on incorporation of corporate social responsibility in supply chain management. It then examines how metals are mined, traded and used in electronics, as well as how the mining industry has been managing its own socio‐environmental problems. This information underpins the qualitative discussion of the principles.
Findings
MakeITfair's principles were found to be constructive insofar as they draw the attention of electronic companies to their shared responsibility for the problems of distant‐tier suppliers. Nevertheless, some principles may lead to potentially undesired outcomes such as biased prioritization of mining companies or regions, adoption of contentious “standards”, and conflicts concerning the sovereign rights of nations over their natural resources. Overall, the principles stress traceability mechanisms as means of influencing the mining phase of supply chains without considering the costs and benefits of overcoming the complexities involved in the metal trade and other barriers. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to consider additional ways of positively influencing metals supply.
Research limitations/implications
The paper points out specific research priorities in the value chains of metals.
Originality/value
The paper provides a critical analysis of intricate responsibility issues in the supply chain of the world's top electronic companies.
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Michael Maloni, Craig R. Carter and Lutz Kaufmann
The purpose of this study is to extend a series of studies dating back to 1967 that evaluates faculty publication productivity in refereed supply chain management and logistics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to extend a series of studies dating back to 1967 that evaluates faculty publication productivity in refereed supply chain management and logistics journals.
Design/methodology/approach
Publication output and rankings of academic institutions are based on publication data from six supply chain management and logistics journals from 2008 through 2010. The results are compared to prior studies to identify trends and changes in the rankings. The authors also assess author collaboration influences as well as authorship diversity. Finally, the authors examine further changes to the core set of journals considered for future iterations of this study.
Findings
The results indicate that supply chain management and logistics authorship continues to be dynamic. Several schools entered the top 25 ranking for the first time and others substantially improved their rankings. While higher‐ranked schools engage in more collaboration within their own institutions, they practice less external and international collaboration. Additionally, the diversity of both individual authors and schools continues to expand, though evidence also suggests some level of emerging stability in sources of authorship.
Research limitations/implications
As limitations, the selected journal set may present bias against some authors and institutions, particularly those from outside North America and those choosing to publish in other journals in the field or in related fields.
Originality/value
This research stream enables authors and universities to judge their relative productivity of academic scholarship in the supply chain management and logistics field. Moreover, the longitudinal analysis provides insight into the evolving maturity of the field itself.
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John Trestrail, Jomon Paul and Michael Maloni
Humanitarian logistics plays a critical role in the aid response to hunger and disasters worldwide. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a competitive bidding process to…
Abstract
Purpose
Humanitarian logistics plays a critical role in the aid response to hunger and disasters worldwide. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a competitive bidding process to procure P.L. 480 Title II food aid, a $2 billion business annually. This paper describes a mixed‐integer program (MIP) decision tool that mimics the USDA bid approach in order to improve ocean carrier and food supplier bid pricing strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the USDA bid process is detailed and the MIP decision tool is described. Then how the tool is run against historical data to approximate future USDA bid awards is explained, allowing the authors to subsequently advise food supplier and ocean carrier clients of expected price competition and pricing flexibility before they submit bids.
Findings
The MIP decision tool has demonstrated its effectiveness in supporting $8 million in food aid bids. Bidding implications for food aid carriers and suppliers are provided as well as suggestions for additional opportunities for humanitarian logistics research are offered.
Originality/value
Extant literature in procurement offers little practical support for bidder pricing preparation. Additionally, humanitarian logistics is an emerging, under‐researched field, and this paper is the first to address sourcing and distribution of Title II food aid.