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

The Impact Of Internet Of Things Technologies On Supply Chain Performance: The Mediating Role Of Competitive

Recent advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has invoked tremendous attention from both academics and industries. The emerging IoT technologies not only serve as possible new tools for enterprise operation, but also trigger impacts in the management arena such as supply chain management (SCM). This study investigates the role of competitive strategy underlying the link between IoT technologies and supply chain performance. By referring to the resource→strategy→performance model, this study builds a research framework in which three strategic positions of firms— low cost, differentiation and market focus—mediate the effect of IoT technologies on supply chain performance. Empirical survey and analysis of enterprise data are conducted to test the hypotheses. The test results support the mediation effects of competitive strategies. Research contributions and managerial implications are elaborated in the conclusions

A Conceptual Framework of Reverse Logistics Impact on Firm Performance

This study aims to examine the reverse logistics factors that impact upon firm performance. We review reverse logistics factors under three research streams: (a) resource-based view of the firm, including: Firm strategy, Operations management, and Customer loyalty (b) relational theory, including: Supply chain efficiency, Supply chain collaboration, and institutional theory, including: Government support and Cultural alignment. We measured firm performance with 5 measures: profitability, cost, innovativeness, perceived competitive advantage, and perceived customer satisfaction. We discuss implications for research, policy and practice

Supply chain agility and performance: evidence from a meta-analysis

Supply chain agility and performance: evidence from a meta-analysis Purpose – The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and summarises the impact of SCA on performance found in previous empirical papers and determines the influence of several identified moderators. Design/methodology/approach – Using a meta-analysis approach based on a systematic literature review, a total of 63 empirical papers comprising a sample of 14,469 firms were meta-analysed to consider substantive (type of performance and SCA operationalisation) and extrinsic (economic region and industry) moderators. Findings – Results confirm a significantly large, positive correlation between SCA and performance. None of the analysed moderators has enabled the identification of any significant differences between the SCA and performance correlations by subgroup. However, high heterogeneity in total variance, both in the full sample and the subgroups by moderator, demands further rigorously reported empirical research on this topic with clearly conceptualised variables and frameworks and the use of validated scales. Research limitations/implications – Several research gaps and best practice recommendations have been indicated to improve future empirical research on this topic. Practical implications – Practitioners in different economic regions and industries will find consistent evidence of improvements in performance through SCA. Originality/value – No meta-analysis has been found in previous research to estimate the value of the correlation between SCA and performance and the influence of moderating variablesMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación CIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades PY20_0120

CONTEXTS AND MECHANISMS TO DEVELOP SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATION AND IMPROVE PERFORMANCE: A MULTI-METHOD INVESTIGATION

Supply Chain Integration (SCI) is a management practice that aims at creating \u201cseamless\u201d supply chains through the sharing of information, skills and resources among supply chain partners. If properly implemented, SCI plays an important role for the competitiveness of companies and, for this reason, it has been widely studied by scholars. However, despite the extensive literature, several research gaps, regarding both its proper and effective implementation and its relationship with performance, exist. In response to the mentioned gaps, this PhD research has the following three main goals: 1. To investigate the role of context in shaping the relationship between supply chain integration and performance; 2. To understand how to properly implement supply chain integration; 3. To identify and empirically investigate contingent factors that interact with supply chain integration to provide the maximum performance benefits to companies. The thesis is a collection of three scientific papers, each of which addresses one of these three main goals. The first paper realizes a Systematic Literature Review on the fit between context, SCI practices and performance. The aim is not only to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art of research to better understand the influence of context on the SCI-performance link, but also to identify \u201cwhite spaces\u201d for future research opportunities. The second paper focuses instead on a particular form of SCI, the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process, and studies how to execute transitions between different maturity levels. Three case studies of S&OP transitions are analyzed and compared in order to develop an understanding of common patterns and differences in the dynamics occurred. Finally, the last paper, a survey-based research, tests the contingent effect of supply base reduction on the relationship between four different dimensions of upstream integration and two performance measures, efficiency and innovation. Using data of the High Performance Manufacturing project, the paper provides suggestions on how to combine supply base reduction and supplier integration in order to maximize performance. Overall, this thesis provides several contributions for both theory and practice. On the one hand, it offers a detailed and original overview of the SCI literature and extends our knowledge on the topic of SCI. On the other, it also provides indications to managers on how to implement SCI, identifying potential mistakes and drawbacks that could easily hinder the effective implementation of SCI or the achievement of its expected benefits

green supply chain management practices and company performance a meta analysis approach

Abstract Varying conceptualizations of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices can be observed in extant literature and there is evidence of mixed results relating GSCM practices to firm performance. These inconclusive findings have often confused managers which practices would yield desired performance outcomes. Hence, by applying meta-analysis approach in 85 independent effect sizes with a total sample size of 20011 firms, we tested the impact of GSCM practices on firm performance. Findings indicate that the relationship between GSCM practices and firm performance is positive and significant, providing empirical generalization and support to practitioners and scholars. Likewise, the GSCM practices positively and significantly influence environmental, social, operational and economic performance. This relationship is moderated by geographical region, industry type and firm size. Future studies should test how ascendants of GSCM practices affect firm's sustainability performance

Corporate Social Responsibility in Purchasing and Firm Performance

This article focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in purchasing issue. Especially, suppliers play an essential role in the overall CSR efforts of the buyer firm. The link between CSR and firm performance is one of the most widely recognized issues in research, particularly in the purchasing function which is being recognized as one of the critical elements for improving the sustainability of the company. It is found, after reviewing the available literature, that only a few prior researches have investigated the relationship between socially responsible supply chain and business performance. The aim is to fill the gaps in understanding the role of CSR in purchasing in firms’ performance in developing countries. Thus, this research develops a survey instrument based on a set of established hypotheses and a conceptual framework in order to investigate the relationship. Three main concepts (CSR in Purchasing, performance outcome, and purchasing practice) and their relationships with each other are described, and finally conclude with significant hypotheses for future research in this area. Keywords: CSR in purchasing, Long-term relationships with suppliers, Firm performance, Supplier performanc

Assessing the Connections among Top Management Support, IT Assimilation, and the Business Value of IT: A Meta-Analysis

Scholars and practitioners have long tried to understand the antecedents and consequences of information technology (IT) assimilation. Studies suggest that top management support is an important driver of IT assimilation; however, this broad takeaway provides little substantive guidance to researchers and practitioners. We also have a limited understanding of whether and when IT assimilation creates business value. We take stock of this literature with a meta-analysis. We found that top management support is positively related to IT assimilation, and assimilation is in turn positively related to the business value of IT. We also found that explicit support does not have any special effect on IT assimilation (compared to implicit support) and may not be related to business value at all. However, our results indicate that IT assimilation has a stronger effect on business value at the process level (versus firm level) and for enterprise IT innovations (versus function IT innovations). Finally, we found that support-assimilation and assimilation-value relationships are stronger in high (versus low) power distance cultures. Our collective findings can facilitate future research and help practitioners navigate IT assimilation initiatives

Digitalization of Supply Chain and Its Impact on Cost, Firm Performance, and Resilience: Technology Turbulence and Top Management Commitment as Moderator

This article determines the impact of supply chain digitalization (SCD) on firm performance and resilience. We also investigate the moderating role of technology turbulence (TT) and top management commitment (MC). A theoretical model is developed from the inputs from literature review and resource-based view, dynamic capability view, and absorptive capacity theories. The theoretical model is then validated using structural equation modeling with consideration of 712 usable responses from different service and manufacturing firms. Multigroup analysis was also conducted to investigate the moderating role of TT and top MC. The article finds that SCD has a significant impact on the cost performance of the firms, which in turn impacts significantly and positively on firm performance, mediated through operational performance of the firms. The article also highlights that there is a considerable moderating impact of TT and top MC on the digitalization of the supply chain management process

Investigating brand equity of third-party service providers

Purpose: This research applies theory and techniques from the services and marketing literature to a supply chain context consisting of a shipper or seller, a customer or buyer, and a third-party logistics service provider (3PL) to investigate corporate brand equity resulting from service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty towards the 3PL. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model was developed from the literature and tested with Finnish industrial firms using an online survey. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to examine relationships among the four constructs. Findings: Hypothesised relationships among the four constructs in the conceptual model were supported however the relationship between loyalty and corporate brand equity was weak. Research limitations/implications: This investigatory research is based on a one country sample making transferability and generalisability to other countries difficult. Practical implications: The findings of this research should enable 3PL managers to determine service offerings that are most important to either shippers or customers, develop a service package using such offerings to satisfy needs, and thus build loyalty and corporate brand equity among both parties. Originality/value: This paper adds to our knowledge of these constructs in a supply chain context, particularly for 3PLs, and provides an interdisciplinary approach to research in the supply chain domain