Preparing business students for workplace reality: using global virtual teams in logistics and SCM education

Purpose: This paper presents and examines the use and effects of global virtual teams as a tool in the logistics and supply chain management classroom to prepare students in a simulation environment for the demands of their future careers in the profession. Design/methodology/approach: Literature of logistics and supply chain management education is combined with streams from management learning literature. The way the tool of global virtual teams was applied is explained, followed by an analysis of quantitative and qualitative participant response data. From the data analysis the effects of individual factors in the design and application of the global virtual team are isolated and recommendations are extracted for future use of the tool. Findings: The paper finds that the application of global virtual teams helped participating students to develop the management skills required for a career in logistics and supply chain management. Although students perceived the international nature and the lose frame provided by the tool as challenges, most learning effects were caused by these challenges. The paper also shows that the set up by the involved educators is crucial for the learning effect in particular towards similar weights of the assessments and the number of group members from each geographical area. Research limitations/implications: The paper does not examine all potentially amendable factors but focusses on those that were seen as relevant and practically achievable under the available resources to ensure the tool can be easily scaled up by adding further institutions and participants. Originality/value: The paper is the first application of global virtual teams in logistics and supply chain management education. It provides the theoretical foundations and rationale for its application and is relevant to educators by giving them access to this tool for improvement of their students’ career preparedness

Understanding Global Positioning System Limitations: A Case Study of Mapping and Survey Grade GPS

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Physical Layer DVB Transmission Optimisation (PLUTO)

DVB, DAB, Diversity, CDD, Plut

Supply Chain Leadership

The complexity found in supply chains draws on the combined capabilities of multiple firms. Success in this environment requires the coordinated efforts of both a supply chain leader organization, and one or more supply chain follower organizations. Supply chain leadership has traditionally been ascribed to the most powerful, dominant organization in the supply chain. The theory of supply chain leadership presented in this dissertation redefines leadership in the supply chain context as a relationship between leader and followers described by the behaviors exhibited through each organization’s actions. The theoretical model was developed from literature in the leadership, logistics, and strategic management disciplines. The nomological network is derived from five constructs: supply chain leadership, supply chain followership, information availability, communications, and rewards. Empirical testing was facilitated by data collected through an interactive simulation. Findings were evaluated across two distinct environments: transactional networks and transformational networks. The results suggest supply chain leadership and followership both have a significant effect in transactional networks. Interestingly, supply chain followership was discovered to make a greater contribution to overall supply chain structural development and performance than supply chain leadership in transformational environments. The structural model demonstrated good fit and all six hypotheses were at least partially supported

LTL pricing: Looking back to the future

Numerous LTL carriers struggled during the recent recession as customers demanded lower prices. This study is designed to qualitatively evaluate the data gathered from three industry segments regarding LTL pricing. Researchers used semi-structured interviews to conduct an in-depth investigation with over two dozen industry experts who represented shippers, carriers, and 3PLs. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory coding technique. Five major themes emerged from the interview transcripts. These themes are used to describe possible future adjustments to industry pricing structure

Roles and capabilities of the retail supply chain organization

Supply chain management (SCM) has become a critical strategic function in recent years. Research in the discipline has been focused toward the upstream side of the supply chain on functions such as warehousing, transportation, procurement and production. As power has shifted downstream toward retailers and their customers, SCM research has been slow to respond. This represents a significant gap, and a significant opportunity. Retailers face challenges that differ from those found in upstream suppliers and manufacturers. We present findings from a study of senior supply chain executives in the retail industry that focuses on the supply chain challenges of greatest importance to retailers, and the evolving capabilities used to address these issues

The long-term development of a watershed: spatial patterns, streamflow, and sustainability

This study examines the relationship between the developing landscape and the water flowing through it. The study area was an 86 sq. mi. watershed located in the coastal plains in Harris County, Texas. Daily streamflow data for 52 years was obtained from USGS and coincident precipitation data was obtained from NOAA. Georeferenced parcel-level data was obtained from the Harris County Appraisal District with sufficient detail to determine year of development, parcel area, and impervious cover. Watershed boundaries were obtained from the Harris County Flood Control District. After controlling for daily precipitation, streamflow exhibited significant increases at all levels over time. Increasing streamflow was not associated with climate change. FRAGSTATS was used to quantify spatial patterns in the developed landscape on an annual basis. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between spatial and non-spatial measures of development and streamflow. It was found that models based on the spatial configuration of the developed landscape predict streamflow better than non-spatial measures such as total impervious cover. Several metrics were identified for their potential use as guidelines for urban planning

Influence of knowledge of results on softball throw for accuracy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of knowledge or results upon the learning of a motor task. The specific problem was to determine if throwing a softball was enhanced through the use of a teaching aid, which incorporated specific knowledge or results. A sub problem involved the evaluation of a target device as an indicator of throwing skill. The methods used to examine the hypotheses set forth in this study included library investigation, controlled experimental examination, and statistical analysis. The library investigation included a thorough examination of softball skill tests and practice devices. Literature concerning knowledge of results was also reviewed. The controlled experimental examination included the use of two groups of subjects. Defined practice sessions were set up for each group, and data were obtained through the use of judges’ ratings scores and target scores. The statistical analysis included the use of coefficients of correlation and t-tests for significant differences in the mean scores. Findings: Within the limits and design of this study, the analysis of the data revealed consistently the following major findings: 1.) No significant difference was noted between the practice programs involved in the study. 2.) There was not a significant correlation between the target scores and the judge’s ratings as used for evaluation of the throws

Power-based behaviors in supply chains and their effects on relational satisfaction: A fresh perspective and directions for research

Although the sources of a firm’s power vis-à-vis upstream and downstream relationships in supply chains have been studied extensively, how a firm may act or react to power-based behaviors of its partners has not been sufficiently defined and discussed. To this end, we present three power-based behaviors: dominance, egalitarian, and submissive. From a cross-disciplinary reading of the relevant literature, we conceptualize and discuss the characteristics of these behaviors as manifested by dyads within supply chains. Three power-based behaviors are proposed to describe both initiating and responding behaviors used by partners, with these behaviors affecting relational satisfaction. This results in nine potential descriptors of the state of any supply chain relationship. We then discuss the opportunities to use our approach to better research the dynamics of power in supply chain relationships