Identifying the dimensions of logistics service quality in an online B2C context

There is theoretical and practical evidence indicating the existence of significant differences between the needs and wants of firms and end consumers, as well as the existence of significantly different needs between offline and online environments. Therefore, it is not clear how effectively measures of logistics service quality developed in an offline, B2B context can be applied to an online, B2C environment. This manuscript explores the elements of logistics service quality that end consumers value in an online context. The literature on logistics service quality in B2B and the literature on online consumer satisfaction are integrated. This results in the development of a set of dimensions for measuring online logistics service quality in online, B2C environments. Specifically, the dimensions of a new scale for measuring online logistics service quality (labeled oLSQ) were identified and defined. Managers can use the dimensions of logistics service quality identified in the oLSQ scale as a guide when designing and managing online retail stores

The interplay between key marketing and supply chain management capabilities: The role of integrative mechanisms

Purpose: This paper identifies key marketing and SCM related capabilities and explores the nature of the linkages between these specific capabilities as shaped by the integrative mechanisms adopted by firms. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the findings from dyadic interviews with 26 marketing and supply chain management executives from business-to-business firms, we develop an empirically grounded conceptual framework. Findings: We identify innovativeness and market learning capability as key marketing capabilities and supply chain agility and relational capability as key supply chain management capabilities. We find that relationships between these strategic marketing and supply chain management capabilities follow a specific pattern. We also find that the application of unique integrative mechanisms can cultivate the potential tandem between marketing and supply chain management capabilities. Research limitations/implications: Our study informs theory with regard to two key areas: relationships among key marketing and supply chain management capabilities and integrative mechanisms that shape the underlying mechanisms of capability relationships. Practical implications-Application of organizational dynamics to key marketing and supply chain management provides a more nuanced understanding of the linkages among such capabilities. A better understanding and application of integrative mechanisms may help managers develop better tools and means to bundle their key marketing and supply chain management capabilities effectively. Originality/value: The qualitative and exploratory nature of the paper will be of significant interest to managers who would like to achieve greater synergy between marketing and supply chain management capabilities

The role of logistics alliance orientation on forming the alliance structure: A conceptual framework

Little is known about how a firm decides what type of relationship to develop with a LSP and how the type of arrangement affects the service quality performance. This article proposes a conceptual framework to better understand how shippers decide what type of relationship to develop with a logistics service provider (LSP) within the strategy- structure-performance theoretical framework. A systematic literature review is used to develop a conceptual framework that considers the association between the firm’s strategic perspective on outsourcing and the resulting effect on the alliance structure. The concept of a logistics alliance orientation (LAO) is introduced to examine how the level of the LAO affects the alliance structure. Lastly, the link between the logistics alliance structure (LAS) and service quality performance is explored

Increasing responsiveness through the firm-LSP relationship structure: A behavioral perspective

This study investigates the behavioral aspects of the firm-logistics service provider (LSP) relationship in order to better understand the avenues through which LSP responsiveness to changing customer needs can be enhanced. Because the research examining the behavioral aspects of the firm- LSP relationship is sparse, a dyadic qualitative research approach was taken to explore the development of a relationship structure that will facilitate the level of responsiveness that the firm desires. This study revealed that the key to enhancing LSP responsiveness lays in the structure of the firm-LSP relationship. Specifically, it was found that the level of cooperation, coordination, communication, and bonding between the focal firm and the LSP have a direct effect on the LSP’s level of responsiveness to the firm’s needs

Building International Business Theory: A Grounded Theory Approach

The field of international business (IB) is in need of more theory development (Morck & Yeung, 2007). As such, the main focus of our manuscript was to provide guidance on how to build IB specific theory using grounded theory (GT). Moreover, we contribute to future theory development by identifying areas within IB where GT can be applied and the type of research issues that can be addressed using this methodology. Finally, we make a noteworthy contribution by discussing some of GT’s caveats and limitations, particularly those relevant to IB. This effort is intended to spur further interest in the development of IB theory

Design of agile supply chains including analysing the trade-off between number of partners and reliability

The reliability of supply partners is particularly vital in agile supply chains as it is vulnerable to the inability of a supply partner to meet its high responsiveness and flexibility requirements resulting in the disruption of the whole network. Disruption can have expensive and extensive results for the entire agile supply chain. To mitigate the risk of disruption and improve the reliability of the whole agile supply chain, decision-makers need to pay more attention to supply chain design and construction, whilst simultaneously taking into account the sourcing strategy decisions. This paper proposes a series of models for the design of agile supply chains using dynamic programming modelling. These provide decision-makers with a systematic way of analysing one of the key decisions of sourcing strategy, namely the trade-off between the number of supply partners and reliability. The efficacy of the models is demonstrated through their application to a Chinese bus and coach manufacturer by way of an empirical illustration. The results show that this approach is effective for this application and it can be applied in other related decision-making scenarios. The methods offered in this paper provide managers with a practical tool to design their agile supply chains while considering the trade-offs between the number of partners and the reliability of the entire agile supply chain

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ~10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ~8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic con-tribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process

Fear or Competition? Antecedents to U.S. Business Student Immigration Attitudes

Immigration is an important and contemporary topic in management education given its impact on labor, wages, innovation, and diversity. However, extant research offers few insights into the antecedents to student immigration attitudes. Survey data from undergraduate students taking business courses at two large public universities in the southeast U.S. reveal that while student attitudes toward immigration are more moderate than the general U.S. population, these attitudes differ by gender, political affiliation, and immigration background. Following realistic conflict theory and social identity theory, these student immigration attitudes are a function of both fear and competition. First, their attitudes are confounded by conflicting antecedents in perceived personal competition for resources with immigrants (e.g., jobs, wages) versus immigration benefits (e.g., costs, labor base, innovation). Second, xenophobia (fear of immigrants) is a remarkably powerful influencer of one’s immigration attitude and its antecedents. With these points, management educators must engage students in critical thinking about immigration to prepare them to effectively work with diverse colleagues and business partners while leading global organizations. We, therefore, present four cross-disciplinary areas of intersection between immigration and management education, including diversity and cultural intelligence, human resource management and ethics, entrepreneurship and innovation, and finally, economic and socioeconomic impacts

More is not always better: The impact of value co-creation fit on B2B and B2C customer satisfaction

Organizations increasingly rely on customer involvement in the value creation process (i.e., co-creation) to enhance customer satisfaction and differentiate themselves from competitors. While past research has largely indicated that more co-creation is beneficial, some have suggested yet not empirically validated that excess co-creation may negatively impact customers. Applying the service-dominant logic, two studies (B2B and B2C customers) offer insight into the appropriate levels of the co-production and value-in-use dimensions of co-creation. For both B2B and B2C customers, polynomial regression and surface plot analyses indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between value co-creation and satisfaction, establishing that more co-creation is beneficial only up to a point. As such, we inform managers of factors that can cause the relationship between co-creation and satisfaction to peak and then turn negative. Further, customer expertise and process enjoyment moderate this relationship for B2C (but not B2B) customers, thereby offering ways to mitigate the negative effects of excess co-creation for end-customers. The studies also highlight the importance of value co-creation “fit” between the customer\u27s expected and experienced levels of co-creation. Interestingly, positive misfit (i.e., excess co-creation) retains a stronger negative influence on customer satisfaction than negative misfit (i.e., insufficient co-creation) for both B2B and B2C customers