Elliot Bendoly, Daniel G. Bachrach, Terry L. Esper, Christian Blanco, Jane Iversen and Yong Yin
Top-level operations leaders can drive organizational performance across a broad range of pro-environmental objectives. The authors’ focus is on understanding which specific…
Abstract
Purpose
Top-level operations leaders can drive organizational performance across a broad range of pro-environmental objectives. The authors’ focus is on understanding which specific leadership competencies are most conducive to green performance outcomes. The authors further consider the influence of Lean thinking on the importance of these competencies.
Design/methodology/approach
In study 1, of a multi-method investigation, the authors interview executive search professionals, on how green objectives impact top-level operations leadership searches. In study 2, the authors adopt a multi-attribute choice task to examine how Lean thinking impacts competency preferences. Finally, in study 3, the authors merge secondary data on corporate environmental performance with a survey of top-level operations managers’ assessments. This triangulating multi-method approach provides an integrated and holistic view into these dynamics.
Findings
Results show particularly strong associations between resource and energy management outcomes and the specific leadership competencies of stewardship. This set of leadership competencies play the greatest role when Lean thinking is deficient.
Research limitations/implications
While the authors’ focus is on top-level operations managers, and their under-explored impact on environmental performance, such an impact represents only one dimension of corporate social responsibility (CSR) that these managers may be critically influencing.
Practical implications
The associations uncovered in this research suggest critical leadership characteristics to consider in developing and recruiting top-level operations managers, when specific environmental objectives exist.
Social implications
The study’s findings draw attention to the importance of leadership characteristics among influential corporate decision-makers, instrumental in the environmental progress of firms.
Originality/value
This work fills a critical gap in the authors’ understanding of how top-level operations managers influence green corporate objective, and how their contributions are valued across settings.
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LaDonna M. Thornton, Terry L. Esper and Michael L. Morris
– The purpose of this research is to investigate the dynamics and dimensions of behaviors of supply chain employees that may impede the success of supply chain relationships.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the dynamics and dimensions of behaviors of supply chain employees that may impede the success of supply chain relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
A grounded theory qualitative method was used to explore the concept of counterproductive work behavior in a supply chain context.
Findings
Through analysis and evaluation of the data, five key supply chain counterproductive work behaviors (avoiding, withholding, emoting, confounding, and shifting) emerged. Overall, these behaviors are associated with perceived contract breaches, which undermines trust within supply chain relationships.
Research limitations/implications
This work provides a basis for researchers to explore counterproductive work behaviors within supply chain management and managers to consider these behaviors in relational exchange. Future research can build on the insights provided here by applying quantitative methods to exploring the phenomenon and investigating counterproductive behaviors from the actor's perspective.
Originality/value
This research provides an overarching framework for relationship management behaviors that may detract from supply chain relationships. Research has previously explored these types of behaviors in a segmented fashion. This work takes a comprehensive look at behaviors and through evaluation of the data, relational and informational contract breaches emerge. The data suggests these contract breaches may undermine the trust within supply chain relationships.
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Terry L. Esper, C. Clifford Defee and John T. Mentzer
The concept of supply chain orientation (SCO) has been described in multiple ways in previous research. The purpose of this paper is to integrate previous descriptions and further…
Abstract
Purpose
The concept of supply chain orientation (SCO) has been described in multiple ways in previous research. The purpose of this paper is to integrate previous descriptions and further develop the structural element of SCO including the areas of organizational design, human resources, information technology, and organizational measurement.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review is used to identify previous descriptions of SCO and present a framework to more completely describe the concept.
Findings
SCO cannot be understood without incorporating both a firm's strategic intention to compete via supply chain capabilities and the firm's internal structural elements.
Research limitations/implications
This is a conceptual study undertaken to develop a comprehensive framework incorporating SCO concepts. Although the framework is developed from the existing literature, further research is necessary to test the extended view of the concept.
Practical implications
The paper provides a template for understanding a firm's current SCO, and may be a useful roadmap for firms wishing to develop a greater SCO.
Originality/value
Little research has been published surrounding the concept of SCO. The paper integrates previous descriptions by incorporating both strategic and structural views, and by explaining the antecedent elements internal to the firm that are required to form a SCO.
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Rodney W. Thomas and Terry L. Esper
The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of asymmetric supply chain relationships and investigate how firms manage these relationships.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of asymmetric supply chain relationships and investigate how firms manage these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Using grounded theory methodology, qualitative data was accumulated from experienced supply chain managers. Depth interviews were utilized in order to gain a deeper understanding of asymmetric supply chain relationships.
Findings
Prior research has conceptualized asymmetry as a lack of dyadic balance in a core relationship attribute and has focused on causal effects of asymmetry in relationships. However, this study finds asymmetry is a more complex issue and that there are three distinguishable types of relationship asymmetry.
Research limitations/implications
The types of asymmetry that emerged in this exploratory research potentially have different impacts on supply chain relationships. Therefore, the strong negative connotation associated with existing asymmetry literature may well be because the type of asymmetry that primarily triggers negative relationship impacts were being investigated. However, this paper suggests that some types of asymmetry have positive relational outcomes.
Practical implications
This exploratory paper provides managers with additional insight into a common type of supply chain relationship and suggests that asymmetric relationships should be segmented in order to more effectively manage transaction costs.
Originality/value
The notion that asymmetry is a simple, unidimensional construct is now called into question. According to the findings of this paper, asymmetry is a complex issue and managers employ different strategies to address the potential supply chain relationship performance implications with each type of asymmetry.
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Lisa R. Williams, Terry L. Esper and John Ozment
The advent of the Internet and electronic communications has enabled companies to be more responsive to their customers. However, the same technological advancements are changing…
Abstract
The advent of the Internet and electronic communications has enabled companies to be more responsive to their customers. However, the same technological advancements are changing the marketplace and providing an impetus for changes in strategic alliance and partnership structures. Successful leaders of the future will have to understand how to operate in the new marketplace and within the evolving organizational structures where alliances and partnerships are changing. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the current and future organizational structures in the logistics industry. Toward that end, traditional supply chain management (SCM), electronic supply chain management (eSCM), and the resulting impact on strategic alliances and partnerships will be explored. Additionally, considering the inherent ability of the eSC to be dynamic and adaptable, the new type of leader that is likely to be most successful in this new structure is discussed.
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Sunil Babbar, Xenophon Koufteros, Ravi S. Behara and Christina W.Y. Wong
This study aims to examine publications of supply chain management (SCM) researchers from across the world and maps the leadership role of authors and institutions based on how…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine publications of supply chain management (SCM) researchers from across the world and maps the leadership role of authors and institutions based on how prolific they are in publishing and on network measures of centrality while accounting for the quality of the outlets that they publish in. It aims to inform stakeholders on who the leading SCM scholars are, their primary areas of SCM research, their publication profiles and the nature of their networks. It also identifies and informs on the leading SCM research institutions of the world and where leadership in specific areas of SCM research is emerging from.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on SCM papers appearing in a set of seven leading journals over the 15-year period of 2001-2015, publication scores and social network analysis measures of total degree centrality and Bonacich power centrality are used to identify the highest ranked agents in SCM research overall, as well as in some specific areas of SCM research. Social network analysis is also used to examine the nature and scope of the networks of the ranked agents and where leadership in SCM research is emerging from.
Findings
Authors and institutions from the USA and UK are found to dominate much of the rankings in SCM research both by publication score and social network analysis measures of centrality. In examining the networks of the very top authors and institutions of the world, their networks are found to be more inward-looking (country-centric) than outward-looking (globally dispersed). Further, researchers in Europe and Asia alike are found to exhibit significant continental inclinations in their network formations with researchers in Europe displaying greater propensity to collaborate with their European-based counterparts and researchers in Asia with their Asian-based counterparts. Also, from among the journals, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal is found to exhibit a far more expansive global reach than any of the other journals.
Research limitations/implications
The journal set used in this study, though representative of high-quality SCM research outlets, is not exhaustive of all potential outlets that publish SCM research. Further, the measure of quality that this study assigns to the various publications is based solely on a publication score that accounts for the quality of the journals, as rated by Association of Business Schools that the papers appear in and nothing else.
Practical implications
By informing the community of stakeholders of SCM research about the top-ranked SCM authors, institutions and countries of the world, the nature of their networks, as well as what the primary areas of SCM research of the leading authors in the world are, this research provides stakeholders, including managers, researchers and students, information that is helpful to them not only because of the insights it provides but also for the gauging of potential for embedding themselves in specific networks, engaging in collaborative research with the leading agents or pursuing educational opportunities with them.
Originality/value
This research is the first of its kind to identify and rank the top SCM authors and institutions from across the world using a representative set of seven leading SCM and primary OM journals based on publication scores and social network measures of centrality. The research is also the first of its kind to identify and rank the top authors and institutions within specific areas of SCM research and to identify future research opportunities relating to aspects of collaboration and networking in research endeavors.
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Theodore Stank, Terry Esper, Thomas J. Goldsby, Walter Zinn and Chad Autry
The digital advances in modern industry are accelerating changes in the broad social, economic, political and business environments within which supply chain management (SCM) is…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital advances in modern industry are accelerating changes in the broad social, economic, political and business environments within which supply chain management (SCM) is practiced. Given this extraordinary contextual upheaval, the conduct of research to identify, define, understand and explain how the digital revolution will impact key SCM concepts is imperative. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a theoretically grounded Digitally Dominant Paradigm (DDP) framework that demonstrates how digital concepts and insights can be infused into existing elements of best-practice SCM, in order to help guide future research.
Design/methodology/approach
Middle-range theorizing is proposed as a means to explore the ways in which researchers can explain supply chain phenomena (i.e. build theory) in the age of digitalization.
Findings
An example of how a DDP framework can be applied to a well-entrenched logistics/supply chain concept is provided, and the authors conclude by identifying exemplary research propositions for future exploration.
Originality/value
The broad goal of the paper is to spark forward-looking supply chain scholarship based upon development of a DDP of SCM.
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Sofia Daskou and Nikolaos Tzokas
This chapter discusses the utility of authentic leadership for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and argues that the capacity-building value of authentic leadership enables…
Abstract
This chapter discusses the utility of authentic leadership for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and argues that the capacity-building value of authentic leadership enables change and improves performance. The authors view authentic leadership as a genuine, transparent, positive, ethical form of leadership that strives to address grand challenges. They outline its application in two cases: well-being (SDG3) and education (SDG4). Daskou and Tzokas conclude with a criticism of the value of authentic leadership in the successful delivery of the SDGs. Daskou and Tzokas recommend investigating how authentic leaders' balanced information processing and internalised moral perspective contribute to positive self-development, better education outcomes and well-being among students, educators and employees.
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C. Clifford Defee, Theodore P. (Ted) Stank and Terry Esper
The purpose of this paper is to develop the concepts of supply chain leadership (SCL) and supply chain followership (SCF) from the literature, and propose a theory of leadership…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop the concepts of supply chain leadership (SCL) and supply chain followership (SCF) from the literature, and propose a theory of leadership in supply chains using a strategy‐structure‐performance theory framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Constructs are defined and valid and reliable scales are developed for SCL, SCF, and three structural elements (information availability, communication, and rewards). Proposed SCL and SCF theoretical relationships are tested using data collected from an interactive simulation and analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Transformational SCL and SCF are inter‐related constructs that can be linked to the creation of the three forms of supply chain structure examined in this research to varying degrees. A finding of significance is that supply chain follower organizations may actually have greater influence over operational performance than the supply chain leader.
Research limitations/implications
This research presents an initial test of supply chain‐related constructs not tested in previous research. These represent significant organizational constructs that may benefit future supply chain research efforts.
Practical implications
Transformational supply chain behaviors of leaders and followers can be perceived and measured. Managers may utilize this knowledge to better understand the type of supply chain relationships their organization should most effectively pursue.
Originality/value
The paper introduces the concepts of SCL and SCF and empirically tests these concepts and the structural constructs of information availability, communication, and rewards.