56,084 research outputs found
Current Advancements of and Future Developments for Fourth Party Logistics in a Digital Future
This paper aims to analyze the potential future of the 4PL concept based on expert opinions with special regard to the influence of digitalization coming with a disruptive trans-formation of supply chains. Service arrangements, provider capabilities and benefits resulting from a 4PL partnership are compared in current and future configurations. The research follows an explorative mixed methods approach with semi structured interviews followed by an expert panel. This builds a basis for an online survey questionnaire to inquire on important future aspects for the 4PL concept by a sample of respondents from multinational companies. Our results show a clear trend away from simply organizing transportation and logistics activities towards the provision of an IT platform as well as further value-added service activities such as planning, analytics and monitoring. Along with this, IT capabilities appear to be an important differentiator for 4PL providers in the future. Moreover, relationships between 4PL providers and their clients become closer and more strategic, which leads to a customer valuing not only direct cost reductions but rather improvements resulting from optimized operations through superior analysis and planning functions
Supply chain management as the key to a firmâs strategy in the global marketplace
Purpose: This research aims to analyze the intersection of two literature streams: that of strategy and supply chain management (SCM). This review should create a better understanding of âstrategic SCMâ by focusing on relevant theories in the strategic management field and their intersection with SCM to develop a joint research agenda. Design/Methodology/Approach: We conducted a correspondence analysis on the content of 3,402 articles from the top SCM journals. This analysis provides a map of the intellectual structure of content in this field to date. The key trends and changes were identified in strategic SCM research from 1990-2014 as well as the intersection with the key schools of strategic management. Findings: The results suggest that SCM is key to a successful deployment of strategy for competing in the global marketplace. The main theoretical foundations for research in this field were identified and discussed. Gaps were detected and combinations of theoretical foundations of strategic management and SCM suggest four poles for future research: agents and focal firm; distributions and logistics strategic models; SCM competitive requirements; SCM relational governance. Research limitations/implications: Scholars in both the strategy and the SCM fields continue to search for competitive advantages. Much recent research indicates that strategic SCM can be a critical source for that advantage. One of the limitations of our research is that the analysis does not include every journal that published an article mentioning SCM. However, the 34 journals selected are reputed to be the most influential on SCM and focused primarily on SCM. Practical implications: The map of the intellectual structure of research to strategic SCM highlights the need to combine different theoretical approaches to the complex phenomenon of SCM. Practitioners should consider the supply chain as an informal organization and should devote time and resources to build a shared advantage across the supply chain. They should also consider the inherent benefits and risks that sharing Originality/value: The paper demonstrates that strategic SCM needs a balanced and rigorous combination of theoretical approaches to deliver more theory-driven evidences. Our research combines both a qualitative analysis and a quantitative methodology that summarizes gaps and then outlines future research from a large sample of articles. This methodology is an original contribution to this field and offers some assistance for enlarging the sample of future literature reviews
Logistics Strategies And Practices In Venezuela
(WP11/02 Clave pdf) This paper presents an empirical and statistical analysis identifies the key characteristics and opportunities of logistics in Venezuela. Among the key findings are conservative approaches to logistics in a protected market whose environment is changing faster than preferred by the responsible actors, limiting the application of modern logistics practices. This and other considerations, such as geographical location, production of commodities and the identification in the strategy of the firms of the need for better logistics practices indicate important opportunities for the application of modern logistics practices.Conservative approaches, Logistics in Venezuela, Modern logistics practices
Multi Agent Systems in Logistics: A Literature and State-of-the-art Review
Based on a literature survey, we aim to answer our main question: ĂąâŹĆHow should we plan and execute logistics in supply chains that aim to meet todayĂąâŹâąs requirements, and how can we support such planning and execution using IT?ù⏠TodayĂąâŹâąs requirements in supply chains include inter-organizational collaboration and more responsive and tailored supply to meet specific demand. Enterprise systems fall short in meeting these requirements The focus of planning and execution systems should move towards an inter-enterprise and event-driven mode. Inter-organizational systems may support planning going from supporting information exchange and henceforth enable synchronized planning within the organizations towards the capability to do network planning based on available information throughout the network. We provide a framework for planning systems, constituting a rich landscape of possible configurations, where the centralized and fully decentralized approaches are two extremes. We define and discuss agent based systems and in particular multi agent systems (MAS). We emphasize the issue of the role of MAS coordination architectures, and then explain that transportation is, next to production, an important domain in which MAS can and actually are applied. However, implementation is not widespread and some implementation issues are explored. In this manner, we conclude that planning problems in transportation have characteristics that comply with the specific capabilities of agent systems. In particular, these systems are capable to deal with inter-organizational and event-driven planning settings, hence meeting todayĂąâŹâąs requirements in supply chain planning and execution.supply chain;MAS;multi agent systems
Domestic Outsourcing, Rent Seeking, and Increasing Inequality
An increasing share of the economy is organized around financial capitalism, where, in contrast to the past, capital market actors actively assert and manage their claims on wealth creation and distribution. These new actors challenge prior assumptions of managerial capitalism about the goals and governance of firms. The focus on shareholder value is credited with increasing firm efficiency and shareholder returns. This lecture analyzes the changes in organizational behavior and value extraction under financial capitalism
The United States, PMSCs and the state monopoly on violence: Leading the way towards norm change
This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2013 Sage.The proliferation of private military and security companies (PMSCs) in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised many questions regarding the use of armed force by private contractors. This article addresses the question of whether the increased acceptance of PMSCs indicates a transformation of the international norm regarding the state monopoly on the legitimate use of armed force. Drawing on theoretical approaches to the analysis of norm change, the article employs four measures to investigate possible changes in the strength and meaning of this norm: modifications in state behaviour, state responses to norm violation, the promulgation of varying interpretations of the norm in national and international laws and regulations, and changes in norm discourse. Based on an analysis of empirical evidence from the United States of America and its allies, the article concludes that these measures suggest that the USA is leading the way towards a transformation of the international norm of the state monopoly on violence, involving a revised meaning. Although this understanding has not yet been formally implemented in international law, it has allowed a growing number of countries to tolerate, accept or legalize the use of armed force by PMSCs in the international arena.The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
Cross-collaborative supply chains. How logistics services contribute to social responsibility.
Abstract
Purpose - The collaboration between profit and nonprofit entities has become a burning topic in
supply chain management studies and corporate strategies. The worldâs largest logistics service
providers (LSPs) have been developing several practices improving social responsibility while
collaborating with nonprofit actors. In particular, their core competences and offered services
become extremely relevant in the context of humanitarian logistics initiatives. A key purpose of
this article is to examine the projects currently undertaken by LSPs in humanitarian logistics.
Methodology/Approach - This research follows a qualitative approach based on multiple case
studies.
Findings - The paper provides an overview of the leading LSPsâ involvement in humanitarian
logistics and presents an analysis of their current âbest practicesâ services in disaster relief with
high impact in terms of social responsibility.
Research Limitations/implications - There has been increased interest on the part of international
academic and professional communities in humanitarian logistics. This study constitutes
a platform for benchmarking analysis of logistics services to assure effective implementation of
social responsibility principles.
Originality/Value of paper - Humanitarian logistics is a rather new field in logistics management.
This paper addresses the innovative socially responsible initiatives undertaken by the
main international LSPs in the area of humanitarian logistics.
Keywords - logistics services, logistics service providers, humanitarian logistics and supply
chain management, disaster relief, social responsibility, profit/nonprofit collaboration
Type of paper - Research pape
- âŠ