A Computer-Based Simulation Investigation of Environment-Strategy Fit for Risk Management in Global Supply Chains

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the phenomenon of risk management in global supply chains. Drawing from logistics, supply chain management, operations management, economics, international business, and strategy literatures and a qualitative study, a comprehensive conceptual model of environment-strategy fit for risk management in global supply chains was developed. External environmental conditions comprising of supply and demand risks, four risk management strategies, namely hedging, assuming, postponement, and speculation, and a moderator in the form of a port disruption were chosen for further investigation. The model was quantitatively tested using a simulation. The findings from this dissertation study reflect mixed results. Findings that conform to existing research, primarily related to hedging and speculation strategies, provide empirical support for extant knowledge that is primarily conceptual or experience-based. On the other hand, findings that are contrary to existing knowledge or are supported under very select conditions, primarily related to assuming and postponement strategies, provide interesting new insights into the phenomenon. The findings add to both theoretical and practical understanding of the phenomenon. This research opens up several new research directions that indicate that continued research is needed to facilitate both theoretical and empirical progress in better understanding of risk management in global supply chains

Role of Electronic Healthcare Record Adoption in Enhancing the Relationship between Quality Measures and Hospital Financial Performance

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are designed as a real-time digital record to streamline distinctive and valuable patient information across multiple stakeholders in the healthcare delivery channel. The stakeholders include hospitals, healthcare providers and patients, as well as a myriad of third-party providers (i.e., insurance companies, Medicare). Academicians, practitioners and public policy makers are grappling with uneven experiences and empirical findings regarding the relationship between technology-enabled information sharing and the ensuing quality of healthcare outcomes. The most significant government-mandated technology is the implementation and adoption of EHR. The present research examines EHR through the lens of Resource Advantage Theory –– to empirically assess how partial and comprehensive implementation levels of EHR adoption influence quality management and financial performance of hospitals. Based on archival data attained from 210 hospitals in the state of Texas, the results indicate positive relationships between EHR and the quality of care. While it is generally recognized that EHR and quality management affect a hospital’s performance, this research investigates the moderating effect that EHR has on quality management and a hospital’s performance. These findings provide hospital administrators, practitioners, and third-party payers with an integrative and parsimonious model to understand the impact of partial and comprehensive levels of EHR implementation on the relationship of healthcare quality and hospital performance

Logistics-related determinants of regional gross domestic product - an exploratory investigation

Existing research suggests a link between a country’s infrastructure quality and its economic performance. However, no country can invest in all types of infrastructure across the country. Therefore, it is critical to identify and assess multiple indicators of infrastructure for regions within a country and focus on improving infrastructure as identified by the weak indicators. Research investigating the determinants of regional wealth and economic growth is limited. In this comprehensive research including all 35 regions in Austria, we began by evaluating the relationship between logistics-related infrastructure and regional gross domestic product. In the process, other indicators, and mediators such as knowledge infrastructure, business attractiveness emerged as impacting gross domestic product. The findings help to better understand the relative importance of diverse logistics indicators influencing regional economic development and provide insights for policy decision-making

The Quest for Competitive Advantage in Global Supply Chains:

The purpose of this article is to review literature on interorganizational learning (IOL) and related constructs systematically to develop a theoretical model of IOL. An extensive and systematic literature review was undertaken in major logistics, supply chain, operations, and strategic management journals to identify theories in which a model of IOL could be grounded and to document major relationships related to the concepts of organizational learning and IOL. Using resource-based view, relational view, and knowledge-based view as the theoretical foundations, a conceptual model depicting IOL as a source of a competitive advantage was developed. The proposed theoretical framework suggests IOL can be used to develop capabilities such as innovation and flexibility that, in turn, lead to higher levels of logistics performance and contribute to a firm\u27s competitive advantage. Supply chain orientation is an important antecedent to IOL, and cultural distance is an important moderator of IOL. This article contributes to the body of knowledge on IOL by positioning IOL within the framework of received theories and constructs. Implications for managers and several directions for future research are also identified. Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

HOW MANAGERS PERCEIVE AND ASSESS SUPPLY CHAIN RISKS? EMPIRICAL RESULTS FROM A SAMPLE OF EUROPEAN ORGANIZATIONS

The purpose of this article is to investigate the process of supply chain risk assessment as practiced by managers. The study proposes a model of supply chain risk assessment, based on the investigation of how risk owners perceive risk and assessment different risk categories and risk drivers. Finally, the paper explores what risk assessment techniques are used. This research is followed by a preliminary and exploratory empirical investigation. The research shows that supply chain managers generally view risks as under-performance, investigating the relationship between supply chain risks, other risks categories, and the (limited) use of risk drivers in assessing supply chain risks. Finally, we found that qualitative risk assessment methods are more used than quantitative methods. This research contributes the limited literature on empirical testing of supply chain risk management practices. However, this research is exploratory in nature and is based on limited (though diverse) sample from Europe. There is an opportunity to test the model in different countries and with larger sample sizes. There is an opportunity for managers to understand how risk could be leveraged for long term gains in a supply chain context, how to rely on a mix of qualitative and quantitative tools, and understand how different managers assign importance to different types of risk. This is one of the few empirically - driven studies on risk management, specifically on supply chain risks and related risk drivers

The quest for competitive advantage in global supply chains: The role of interorganizational learning

The purpose of this article is to review literature on interorganizational learning (IOL) and related constructs systematically to develop a theoretical model of IOL. An extensive and systematic literature review was undertaken in major logistics, supply chain, operations, and strategic management journals to identify theories in which a model of IOL could be grounded and to document major relationships related to the concepts of organizational learning and IOL. Using resource-based view, relational view, and knowledge-based view as the theoretical foundations, a conceptual model depicting IOL as a source of a competitive advantage was developed. The proposed theoretical framework suggests IOL can be used to develop capabilities such as innovation and flexibility that, in turn, lead to higher levels of logistics performance and contribute to a firm\u27s competitive advantage. Supply chain orientation is an important antecedent to IOL, and cultural distance is an important moderator of IOL. This article contributes to the body of knowledge on IOL by positioning IOL within the framework of received theories and constructs. Implications for managers and several directions for future research are also identified. Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Co-creating logistics value: A service-dominant logic perspective

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore logistics service value through the theoretical lens of service-dominant (S-D) logic with a focus on the creation of logistics value jointly by the provider and the customer. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-disciplinary literature review including supply chain management, logistics, marketing, and strategy is conducted to integrate existing knowledge on value of service and antecedents and consequences of value creation in a process framework for co-creation of value in a logistics context. This framework is grounded in the S-D logic perspective and supported by transaction cost analysis (TCA), resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV) of the firm. Findings - The process of co-creation of value in a logistics context has three phases: learning, innovation and execution, and outcomes. These phases and their key elements are integrated into a comprehensive framework of co-creation of logistics service value. A total of 12 propositions are offered to describe the process for achieving competitive advantage through co-creation of logistics service value. Research limitations/implications - The proposed framework adds to the current knowledge on logistics service value by exploring the concept from the S-D logic perspective and suggests guidelines for managers on developing a process for co-creation of logistics service value that leads to competitive advantage and enhanced customer satisfaction. Follow-on qualitative research such as grounded theory is needed to emerge a theory grounded in empirical data that explicates how the co-creation of value can occur. Originality/value - This study is novel in that it applies the S-D logic perspective in a logistics context. This research leverages existing knowledge through a deeper understanding of the concept of logistics service value and use of well-accepted theoretical perspectives such as TCA, RBV, and KBV. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited