Outsourcing the logistics function: the supply chain role of third-party logistics service providers in UK convenience retailing

Logistics, defined as the process of strategically managing the procurement, movement and storage of materials; parts; finished inventory and related information flow through the organisation and its marketing channels, is increasingly being recognised as a vital part of an organisation’s marketing strategy. In many organisations, the logistics function is currently facing significant challenges. Pressures from increasing competition and high customer service-level expectations have created a need for more professional and better-equipped logistics services. Confronted with such competitive pressures, these organisations are faced with decisions of the make OR buy kind with regard to the logistics processes of supply and distribution. In addition, the emergence of a need to focus on core capabilities has led many organisations to contract out all, or part of, the logistics function to third-party providers. This paper explores the challenges of outsourcing logistics in the UK convenience-retailing sector

Designing the venue logistics management operations for a World Exposition

World Expositions, due to their size and peculiar features, pose a number of logistics challenges. This paper aims at developing a design framework for the venue logistics management (VLM) operations to replenish food products to the event site, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. First, an in-depth interview methodology, combined with the outcomes of a literature review, is adopted for defining the key variables for the tactical and operational set-up of the VLM system. Second, a quantitative approach is developed to define the necessary logistics resources. The framework is then applied to the case of Milan 2015 World Exposition. It is the first time that such a design framework for a World Exposition is presented: the originality of this research lies in the proposal of a systematic approach that adds to the experiential practices constituting the current body of knowledge on event logistics

Practices for strategic capacity management in Malaysian manufacturing firms

While the notion of manufacturing capabilities is a long-standing notion in research on operations management, its actual implementation and management has been hardly researched. Five case studies in Malaysia offered the opportunity to examine the practice of manufacturing managers with regard to strategic capability management. The data collection and analysis was structured by using the notion of Strategic Capacity Management. Whereas traditionally literature has demonstrated the beneficial impact of an appropriate manufacturing strategy on the business strategy and performance, the study highlights the difficulty of managers to set the strategy, let alone implementing it. This is partly caused by the immense pressure of customers in these dominantly Make-To-Order environments for SMEs. Current concepts for manufacturing capabilities have insufficiently accounted this phenomenon and an outline of a research agenda is presented

An exploratory study of factors influencing make-or-buy of sales activities

Purpose This paper aims to explore how sales managers make resourcing decisions with particular focus on their perceptions of outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on in-depth interviews with 29 senior sales managers from a variety of industry sectors based in the UK. All had more than five years’ experience of making resourcing decisions. Findings The findings are that resourcing decisions are prompted by cost pressure, the need to access skills or to improve flexibility. Outsourcing preferences are strongly moderated by perceived reputational risk. Availability of suitable suppliers and the ability to manage outsourcing are also practical moderators. Research limitations/implications The sample was purposeful in identifying and accessing senior respondents in substantial companies with extensive experience, but it was not random. Practical implications Respondents reported a lack of information available when making resourcing decisions; the model proposed provides a framework by which sales managers can identify the factors which should be taken into account and the information they need to make objective evaluations of resourcing options. Originality/value It has been acknowledged in prior literature that there is relatively little outsourcing of sales activities. This is the first exploratory study of the perceptions of sales managers about resourcing options and the first conceptualisation of how sales resourcing decisions are made

Board diversity and performance of microfinance institutions (MFIS): Evidence from an emerging economy

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) are important service providers of finance for unbanked people and have experienced a high growth over the past decades. Alongside the staggering growth of microfinance around the world, there have been some serious complaints of unfair practices and low transparency in their affairs. Therefore, it is questionable whether microfinance contributes to a true reduction in worldwide poverty in the short or long terms. This study examines the corporate governance practices of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India and their relationship with both financial performance and outreach for the period 2007 to 2012. Using unbalanced panel data for 575 firm-year observations, we report that the financial performance and outreach of Indian MFIs improves when they have international/donor representation on their board. Independent directors and client representatives on board perform favourably on financial performance but no impact on outreach. However, female directors on the board increases outreach to the poor people but decrease the financial performance. This study significantly contribute to a better understanding of board diversity of microfinance sector by providing empirical evidence from one of the dominant countries in South Asian region

Unfolding the role of marketplace resources in forming entrepreneurial narratives

The narrative perspective has discussed the role of entrepreneurs as mindful actors who contextualise innovation through their relational, temporal, and performative efforts. Although the agency of material elements is recognised in the narrative perspective, the materials’ role is reduced to be controlled and mobilised by entrepreneurs with some existing possibilities of showing resistance. This reductionist approach toward materials has restricted our understanding of the ways materials actively impose their agency, form narratives, and contextualise innovations along with entrepreneurs. This study adopts ANT (Actor-Network Theory) as a lens and explores the role of materials in entrepreneurship process. Specifically, it explores how materials (non-human actors) interact with entrepreneurs, impose their agency, challenge the efforts of entrepreneurs in contextualising innovation, and in turn shape the emerging entrepreneurial narratives

Small business sport sponsorship: A case study

Within a reasonably short timeframe sponsorship has morphed from a passive form of marketing that was often philanthropic in nature (Morgan et al., 2014), to a legitimate element of the promotional mix (Segium & O’Reilly, 2007), and a key strategic business partnership initiative (O’Reilly & Horning, 2013). Sport sponsorship has been defined as the provision of assistance by commercial organisations (sponsors), in cash or kind, to a sports property (sponsee), in exchange for the rights to be associated with the sports property for the purpose of gaining a commercial and economic advantage (Triodi, 2001). While substantial research has been directed towards large organisations and corporate sponsorship, little interest has been focussed on the relationship between small businesses and sport sponsorship (Mack, 1999, Jing 2010). Small businesses are extensively involved in the sponsorship of sports organisations, teams, individuals and events (Slack & Bentz, 2010). As more and more local and regional sport organisations look towards sponsorship as a means to financially support their organisations this relationship will continue to grow. Given that 97% of all enterprises in New Zealand are defined as “small” this research aims to address the gap in the literature and to contribute to the advancement of the ‘philanthropic-sponsorship’ continuum. The Waikato Rugby Union (WRU) was selected as the case study due to the nature of the sporting code, its established history, and its strong brand. The research applied a qualitative, exploratory approach in order to explore small business perceptions and experiences with sport sponsorship. A series of in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with relevant personnel from selected WRU small business sponsors. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analysed using grounded theory coding techniques, allowing for key themes to emerge. The study examined the objectives, practices and perceptions of small businesses related to sponsorship decision making. For the purpose of this study, a small business was defined as any enterprise with less than 20 employees. The research findings contradicted previous small business – sport sponsorship literature. The findings highlighted that there was long-term strategic planning, with 75% of the businesses initiated the first contact with the WRU. While decisions were still predominantly made by one individual, they were clearly based on ‘corporate’ objectives rather than personal preferences and/or a sense of “giving back” to the community. The three top objectives were hospitality, brand awareness and networking. The strength of the WRU brand was also a factor in the decision-making. However, there were little or no formalised internal policies to guide the small business sport sponsorship screening and selection processes in terms of sponsorship opportunities, and limited sponsorship evaluation. As sponsors become more and more a part of the social context that shapes and sustains local and regional sport it is important that both sport organisations and small businesses understand better what motivates, attracts and sustains small business sponsorship. It is unclear is this stage if the findings are a result of the status that Rugby holds in the New Zealand psyche and the professionalisation of the sport, or if this is an evolving trend. Further research into other sporting codes would contribute to the understanding of the small business – sport sponsorship dynamics