Deciding on the Appropriateness of B2B Reverse Auction Technology Adoption: An AHP Approach Combined with Integer Programming

Although Business-to-Business online reverse auctions have emerged as a promising purchasing tool, no research has been found that provides a model to assess the reverse auction decision in a systematic way. This paper fills this gap by presenting an integrated approach, utilizing Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques and an Integer Programming Formulation, to decide whether Reverse Auction Technology (RAT) adoption is cost-effective and appropriate. The model developed is a practical decision support tool that allows for the consideration of both qualitative and quantitative decision factors, and for the adoption of multiple modes of RATs, which are contrasted to traditional purchasing

Assessing Supply Chain Resilience During the Pandemic Using Network Analysis

Disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc in supply chain networks. To gain an understanding of the dynamics that had been at play, we construct a real supply chain network (scale-free) based on a seed firm (Apple), its customers, and its first- and second-tier suppliers, yielding a network of a total of 883 firms. We then use visualization to derive insight into various network characteristics and develop an agent-based model to capture the disruption of the network over a period of 400 days from the onset of the pandemic. The disruptions experienced by firms depend on the stringency of measures taken to curb the pandemic in their respective countries and the severity of disruptions experienced by suppliers in a specific region. We specifically find that spatial complexity, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality have changed significantly throughout our observation period. We thus subsequently theorize on the influence of some of these characteristics on supply chain resilience (SCRes), and through our empirical tests, we find that, at the network level, Average degree and spatial complexity significantly influence SCRes. At the firm-level, we find that powerful firms within the network influence SCRes based on their betweenness centrality and closeness Centrality. Implications for managerial practice and academic research are discussed

(Re)-discovering simulation as a critical element of OM/SCM research : call for research

Purpose: This study focuses on (re-)introducing computer simulation as a part of the research paradigm. Simulation is a widely applied research method in supply chain and operations management. However, leading journals, such as the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, have often been reluctant to accept simulation studies. This study provides guidelines on how to conduct simulation research that advances theory, is relevant, and matters. Design/methodology/approach: This study pooled the viewpoints of the editorial team of the International Journal of Operations and Production Management and authors of simulation studies. The authors debated their views and outlined why simulation is important and what a compelling simulation should look like. Findings: There is an increasing importance of considering uncertainty, an increasing interest in dynamic phenomena, such as the transient response(s) to disruptions, and an increasing need to consider complementary outcomes, such as sustainability, which many researchers believe can be tackled by big data and modern analytical tools. But building, elaborating, and testing theory by purposeful experimentation is the strength of computer simulation. The authors therefore argue that simulation should play an important role in supply chain and operations management research, but for this, it also has to evolve away from simply generating and analyzing data. Four types of simulation research with much promise are outlined: empirical grounded simulation, simulation that establishes causality, simulation that supplements machine learning, artificial intelligence and analytics and simulation for sensitive environments. Originality/value: This study identifies reasons why simulation is important for understanding and responding to today's business and societal challenges, it provides some guidance on how to design good simulation studies in this context and it links simulation to empirical research and theory going beyond multimethod studies

Future business and the role of purchasing and supply management:Opportunities for ‘business-not-as-usual’ PSM research

The raison d'être for this article is simple: traditional ways of researching, theorizing, and practicing purchasing and supply management (PSM) are no longer sufficient to ‘meet the moment’. Scholars need to advance a “business-not-as-usual” footing approach to their work, if they are to make a meaningful contribution to addressing the current and future emergencies, as highlighted by recent extreme weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, what can this, or should this, mean for a field rooted in traditional business thinking? This article builds on the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management's (JPSM) 25th Anniversary Special Issue editorial (2019); members of the JPSM's editorial team advance their unique perspectives on what “business-not-as-usual” means for PSM. Specifically, we advocate both thinking much more widely, in scope and ambition, than we currently do, and simultaneously building our ability to comprehend supply chains in a more nuanced and granular way. We explore whether the bias toward positivist work has omitted potentially interesting findings, and viewpoints. This leads to a call to re-think how we approach our work: should the key criteria always be to focus on theory development or testing? Should academics “think bigger”? Turning to specific research themes, illustrations of how our current thinking can be challenged or broadened by addressing the circular economy, and role of purchasing and innovation. Specifically, the focus on the PSM function as an intrapreneur within the larger organization, and the role of innovation and technology in PSM work. Taken together, we hope the ideas and arguments presented here will inform and inspire ambitious and novel approaches to PSM research with significant and enduring impact on the transformation of business

Service triads:a research agenda for buyer–supplier–customer triads in business services

Service triads, in which a buyer contracts with a supplier to deliver services directly to the buyer's customer, represent an emerging business model. This special issue is dedicated to this theme. To set the context, in this lead article, we first define service triads, both as a phenomenon and a research topic. We then provide a review of different strands of existing research and various theoretical frameworks that can inform our study of service triads. This culminates in an outline of a research agenda that can guide future study. As such, this paper not only introduces the articles in the special issue, but is also intended as a point of reference and motivation for further work on service triads, and on triads in general

The Green Contagion Effect: an Investigation into the Propagation of Environmental Practices Across Multiple Supply Chains Tiers

The phenomenon of green contagion refers to the diffusion of sustainability practices across multi-tier supply chains. In this research, we propose a model of green contagion, theorising that both collaborative and coercive mechanisms play a role in the propagation of environmental sustainability across supply chains. Hypotheses are tested using a structural equation model with a multinational dataset of 616 manufacturing organisations reporting on their green practices, both internally within the firm and externally with suppliers and customers. From a theoretical perspective, the results lend support to the green contagion effect, with five out of the seven hypotheses being supported. The rejected hypotheses refer to a firm’s internal adoption of green practices influencing green collaborative practices with suppliers, and a customer’s use of coercive mechanisms towards a firm influencing the adoption of green collaborative practices between the firm and its suppliers. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for production research, as they highlight the challenges that organisations face when trying to influence green practices beyond tier 1 suppliers, and show that collaborative practices may prove more effective than coercive practices