To Greener Pastures: An Action Research Study on the Environmental Sustainability of Humanitarian Supply Chains

Purpose: While humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) inherently contribute to social sustainability by alleviating the suffering of afflicted communities, their unintended adverse environmental impact has been overlooked hitherto. This paper draws upon contingency theory to synthesize green practices for HSCs, identify the contingency factors that impact on greening HSCs and explore how focal humanitarian organizations (HOs) can cope with such contingency factors. Design/methodology/approach: Deploying an action research methodology, two-and-a-half cycles of collaboration between researchers and a United Nations agency were completed. The first half-cycle developed a deductive greening framework, synthesizing extant green practices from the literature. In the second and third cycles, green practices were adopted/customized/developed reflecting organizational and contextual contingency factors. Action steps were implemented in the HSC for prophylactics, involving an operational mix of disaster relief and development programs. Findings: First, the study presents a greening framework that synthesizes extant green practices in a suitable form for HOs. Second, it identifies the contingency factors associated with greening HSCs regarding funding environment, stakeholders, field of activity and organizational management. Third, it outlines the mechanisms for coping with the contingency factors identified, inter alia, improving the visibility of headquarters over field operations, promoting collaboration and resource sharing with other HOs as well as among different implementing partners in each country, and working with suppliers for greener packaging. The study advances a set of actionable propositions for greening HSCs. Practical implications: Using an action research methodology, the study makes strong practical contributions. Humanitarian practitioners can adopt the greening framework and the lessons learnt from the implementation cycles presented in this study. Originality/value: This is one of the first empirical studies to integrate environmental sustainability and HSCs using an action research methodology

Evaluation of Emergency Response: Humanitarian Aid Agencies and Evaluation Influence

Organizational development is a central purpose of evaluation. Disasters and other emergency situations carry with them significant implications for evaluation, given that they are often unanticipated and involve multiple relief efforts on the part of INGOs, governments and international organizations. Two particularly common reasons for INGOs to evaluate disaster relief efforts are 1) accountability to donors and 2) desire to enhance the organization\u27s response capacity. This thesis endeavors briefly to review the state of the evaluation field for disaster relief so as to reflect on how it needs to go forward. The conclusion is that evaluation of disaster relief efforts is alive and well. Though evaluation for accountability seems fairly straightforward, determining just how the evaluation influences the organization and beyond is not. Evaluation use has long been a central thread of discussion in evaluation theory, with the richer idea of evaluation influence only recently taking the stage. Evaluation influence takes the notion of evaluation use a few steps further by offering more complex, subtle, and sometimes unintentional ways that an evaluation might positively better a situation. This study contributes to the very few empirical studies of evaluation influence by looking at one organization

An integrated core competence evaluation framework for portfolio management in the oil industry

Drawing upon resource-based theory, this paper presents a core competence evaluation framework for managing the competence portfolio of an oil company. It introduces a network typology to illustrate how to form different types of strategic alliance relations with partnering firms to manage and grow the competence portfolio. A framework is tested using a case study approach involving face-to-face structured interviews. We identified purchasing, refining and sales and marketing as strong candidates to be the core competencies. However, despite the company's core business of refining oil, the core competencies were identified to be their research and development and performance management (PM) capabilities. We further provide a procedure to determine different kinds of physical, intellectual and cultural resources making a dominant impact on company's competence portfolio. In addition, we provide a comprehensive set of guidelines on how to develop core competence further by forging a partnership alliance choosing an appropriate network topology

Analysis to Action: A Guidebook For Conflict-Sensitive USAID Programming in Africa

https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hcas_dcrs_facbooks/1039/thumbnail.jp

OM Forum-challenges and strategies in managing nonprofit operations: an operations management perspective

The operations management (OM) community is paying increasing attention to the analysis of nonprofit operations. However, what is it about this type of operation that makes it particularly interesting to OM scholars? We address this question by studying the objectives, actors, and main activities of nonprofit operations and the most common challenges they face. In addition, we suggest tactical and operational strategies to address these challenges by considering works in the for-profit sector and in different applied areas. The ultimate goal of this paper is to inspire and stimulate OM researchers to develop significant theoretical and empirical models in this novel stream of literature

Resources, Capabilities, and Routines in Public Organization

States, state agencies, multilateral agencies, and other non-market actors are relatively under-studied in the strategic entrepreneurship literature. While important contributions examining public decision makers have been made within the agency-theoretic and transaction-cost traditions, there is little research that builds on resource-based, dynamic capabilities, and behavioral approaches to organizations. Yet public organizations can be usefully characterized as stocks of physical, organizational, and human resources; they interact with other organizations in pursuing a type of competitive advantage; they can possess excess capacity, and may grow and diversify in part according to Penrosean (dynamic) capabilities and behavioral logic. Public organizations may be managed as stewards of resources, capabilities, and routines. This paper shows how resource-based, (dynamic) capabilities, and behavioral approaches shed light on the nature and governance of public organizations and suggests a research agenda for public entrepreneurship that reflects insights gained from applying strategic management theory to public organization.

Evaluation of the supply chain network design at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) - Through the development of a performance measurement system

Background: UNFPA is a subsidiary organ to the United Nations (UN) with a primary focus on population and development strategies, sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. In March 2005 the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board had realized that for the UNFPA Procurement Services Branch (PSB) to operate in line with its mission, focus would need to be directed specifically towards improvements in the areas of procurement, supply and logistics. Several studies were conducted that resulted in a recommendation to implement regional warehouses. However, the conclusion of the studies was that further quantitative analysis was needed in terms of performance measures for transportation, warehousing costs and lead-times to make an informative decision. PSB now has an opportunity to utilize United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRDs) as regional warehouses. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a performance measurement system for PSB’s supply chain network design. In addition, the purpose was to use the performance measurement system in an evaluation of the alternative supply chain network design with regional warehouses. Research questions: 1. Which performance measures need to be considered when developing a new performance measurement system for PSB? 2. Should PSB keep its current supply chain network design or switch to a supply chain network design with regional warehouses in the UNHRDs? Method: First, exploratory interviews were held to get an understanding for PSB, its supply chain and where to direct the focus for this study. Second, several interviews were held with employees at PSB regarding PSB’s supply chain, supply chain strategy and performance measurement system. A performance measurement system could thereby be developed through these interviews and the frame of reference developed for this study. Third, order data from PSB’s information was used to determine the performance for the current and alternative supply chain. Finally, the performance of the two supply chain network designs was compared and a recommendation regarding PSB’s supply chain network design was presented. Conclusions: A new performance measurement system was developed for PSB. It was developed to contain measures from the three categories; resource, output and flexibility. The developed performance measurement system was used to analyze and compare the current supply chain network design to a supply chain network design with regional warehouses in the UNHRDs. It was found that the supply chain network design performed better or equal to the current supply chain for 11 out of the 13 performance measures. The supply chain with regional warehouses scored high in the areas that PSB had expressed as important to their strategy such as freight performance, responsiveness and customer satisfaction. All regional warehouses except for the one in Brindisi were found suitable. Therefore, the authors recommend PSB to start utilizing the UNHRDs in Accra, Dubai, Panama and Subang.Bakgrund: UNFPA är en underorganisation till Förenta Nationerna (FN). UNFPA fokuserar på populations- och utvecklingsstrategier och jämlikhet mellan könen. I mars 2005 bestämdes det i UNDP/UNFPAs styrelse att UNFPAs inköpsavdelning (PSB) skulle behöva förbättras om de skulle nå upp till sina mål. Flera studier har genomförts och resultatet av dessa visade bland annat på en rekommendation att införa regionala lager för att kunna minska ledtiderna mot kund. De visade dock också på att en mer kvantitativ analys skulle behövas med avseende på potentiella transport- och lagerkostnader innan ett informativt beslut skulle kunna tas. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att utveckla ett system med mätetal för att utvärdera PSBs försörjningskedja. Syftet var också att med hjälp av detta system utvärdera fördelarna och nackdelarna för PSB att ha regionala lager för att slutligen kunna ge en rekommendation angående huruvida PSB ska börja lagra produkter i UNHRDs eller ej. Forskningsfrågor: 1. Vilka mätetal behöver inkluderas för att kunna utvärdera PSBs försörjningskedja med avseende på regionala lager? 2. Borde PSB behålla sin nuvarande design på försörjningskedjan eller ändra till en design som inkulderar regionala lager med UNHRD? Metod: Inledande intervjuer hölls med anställda på PSB i studiens början för att få en djupare förståelse för PSB, dess försörjningskedja och var fokus skulle läggas. Ytterligare intervjuer hölls sedan angående PSB’s försörjningskedja, strategi och system med mätetal. Genom dessa intervjuer och det teoretiska rameverket kunde ett system med mätetal utvecklas. Detta system andvändes sedan för att mäta skillnaden mellan den nuvarande försörjningskedjan och den alternativa försörjningskedjan med regionala lager. Analysen av mätetalens resultat låg till grund för rekommendationen till PSB. Slutsatser: Ett system med mätetal utvecklades för PSB utifrån de tre kategorierna; tillgångar, resultat och flexibilitet. Detta system användes för att analysera och jämföra PSBs nuvarande försörjningskedja med en försörjningskedja med regionala lager hos UNHRD. Resultatet visade att försörjningskedjan med regionala lager fick bättre resultat på 11 av de 13 mätetalen som användes i analysen. Försörjningskedjan med regionala lager fick höga poäng för mätetal som PSB hade uttryckt att de tyckte var extra viktiga, såsom leveranstid, möjligheten att snabbt kunna leverera akuta ordrar samt kundnöjdhet. Alla UNHRDs regionala lager ansågs vara passande förutom lagret i Brindisi på grund av för små och infrekventa ordrar. Författarna reklommenderar därför PSB att börja lagra sina produkter in UNHRDs lager i Accra, Dubai, Panama och Subang

Essays Examining Humanitarian Supply Chains: Investigating Operational Characteristics, Activities, and Performance

As the frequency and severity of disasters continue to increase, the need for collaboration amongst all humanitarian stakeholders in humanitarian supply chain activities during all aspects of the disaster cycle has become more critical to the success of relief operations. Humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are voluntary organizations operating in highly dynamic and chaotic environments to provide aid to people in need. But as the impact of disaster increases and the funding becomes more limited and competitive, they face mounting pressures from stakeholders to improve the quality of their operations. Similarly, private organizations are also under higher levels of scrutiny to become more socially responsible. In response, literature has turned to service operations and corporate social responsibility research, focusing on customer service and integration improvements as a path toward more effective disaster relief outcomes. Therefore, this dissertation aims to build upon this humanitarian service research stream. This dissertation examines how the humanitarian supply chain\u27s operational characteristics affect the workforce and community integrative behaviors, operational activities in the wake of disasters, and collaborative efforts between relief actors. Essay 1 employs approach-avoidance theory to examine the effects of trauma exposure on aid worker behaviors and supply chain integration activities. It also examines the moderating effects of various forms of supervisor support. Utilizing a scenario-based vignette experiment, results indicate that trauma exposure induces both approach and avoidance behaviors. As such, it simultaneously hinders cooperative commitment and improves organizational commitment among aid workers. Furthermore, we find that supervisor support strengthens these relationships. As such, this study contributes to disaster management, integration, and leadership literature streams. It highlights environmental mechanisms to aid worker integrative behaviors and provides decision-making guidance to NGOs regarding where to direct support investments. Essay 2 combines religion with volunteer management. It employs both social capital and person-organization fit theory to examine the effects of NGO religiousness and volunteer religious fit, on volunteer behaviors and operational performance. Utilizing two scenario-based video experiments, results indicate that NGO religiousness lessens social capital, negatively impacting volunteer behaviors and operational performance. Conversely, when NGOs and volunteers experience religious fit, it helps to minimize the negative effects of NGO religiousness and improve their operational performance. As such, this study contributes to the Humanitarian Operations literature by advising strategy around religious alignment and volunteer behaviors, retention, and operational performance. Essay 3 focuses on the vital role of private organizations in disaster relief and the importance of private-NGO collaboration. Employing resource dependence and matching theory, it examines mechanisms of private organization attitudes toward private-NGO partnerships. It also examines how the influence of these mechanisms may differ across disaster relief stages. Utilizing a scenario-based vignette experiment, results indicate that NGO resource capabilities motivate private organizations and their willingness to engage in private-NGO partnerships. As such, this study contributes to the private-NGO partnership literature and informs NGOs’ strategy around private organization motivations, decision-making, and alliance formation. This dissertation produces insights across the humanitarian supply chain, informing important curiosities involving NGOs, private organizations, aid workers, and the customers/communities they serve