Stakeholder salience in humanitarian supply chain management

Mitchell et al.(1997) developed a framework for assessing the salience of stakeholder groups based on their power, urgency and the legitimacy of their claim. This has been applied to illustrate the complexities of stakeholder interactions in humanitarian supply chains and to provide insights for their management and further research. Keywords: Supply chain management, Humanitarian logistics, Stakeholder salienc

The effect of place and transport on food businesses: a study of Scottish island communities

This paper explores the effect of place and transport on food-retail and food-production SMEs in peripheral regions, with an emphasis on the challenges faced by rural enterprises in respect to logistics and their supply chains. To capture extremes of rurality, food based SMEs in Scottish island communities with less than 200 inhabitants were studied. This paper reports data gathered from 58 semi-structured interviews, with business owners, transport providers, community groups and local councils. Small and medium-sized food enterprises are identified as integral to the economic sustainability of island communities. Moreover, they are centres of community spirit and island social life; with survival of the local grocery store considered essential for the well being of the increasingly ageing populations. Given the peripherality and small local market, competition is often fierce, but enterprises are forced to cooperate, especially regarding transport, which often constrains business activity. Literature suggests that the internet should aid rural SMEs in developing beyond their local area, but this study has found that the availability of transport connections, as well as the added time and cost for transport are still serious disadvantages in competing with businesses on the mainland. However, the internet has simplified procurement significantly, enabling business owners to make comparisons and to generally acquire items at a lower price. The impact of different levels of transport connectivity on food businesses in the investigated communities is also considered

A customer perspective on performance measurement in humanitarian supply chains

The increasing importance of services in SCM leads to a stronger focus on the customer perspective. Donors and beneficiaries are two distinct customer groups of humanitarian supply chains. This paper will analyse how this impacts performance measurement for example in the commonly used balanced scorecard, which includes a customer perspective. Keywords: Performance measurement, Humanitarian logistics, Customer perspectiv

Messy supply chains

Extant research has made many advances in our understanding of how relatively stable, repetitive supply chains (SCs) can be run effectively. This study focuses on the less researched SCs that are not stable or repetitive. To capture the management challenges of this type of SC, a definition of "messy supply chains" (MSCs) for SCs presenting "wicked" (Rittel and Webber, 2007) or "messy" problems (Ackoff, 1981) is proposed. A conceptual framework is explored in the context of the literature on humanitarian operations. This framework will form the foundation of an in-depth examination of MSCs to aid research and managerial practice. Keywords: suppl

Sourcing in humanitarian logistics: local, regional, and global approaches

Sourcing and procurement of materials and services is a vital part of humanitarian logistics. Humanitarian organisations tend to combine local sourcing and international approaches, resulting in considerable complexity. This paper establishes a better understanding of the factors that influence sourcing decisions in humanitarian supply chains. 38 semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals involved in both developmental and emergency humanitarian responses. Findings show that the philosophy of a particular humanitarian organisation has a considerable effect on their sourcing strategy, in addition to more practical issues such as local availability of goods and services, and quality control

An application of the concept of messy problems to supply chain management : an investigation of non-standard supply chains in humanitarian logistics

Purpose: This thesis aims to develop a conceptual framework for the management of non-standard supply chains, based upon the concepts of wicked and messy problems and complex adaptive systems, and to validate it in a humanitarian logistics context. Whilst a general theory of wicked and messy problems is in existence, this has not been applied in a supply chain context. Humanitarian logistics presents a complex managerial challenge, in which standard logistics approaches and techniques have been applied with variable success. Here, the underlying generative mechanisms are explored. Design/ Methodology / Approach: This thesis adopts a critical realist approach. A conceptual framework for messy supply chains is developed based on a review of literature on logistics and supply chain management, as well as complex adaptive systems, and wicked and messy problems. This framework is explored in the context of humanitarian logistics. After an initial round of interviews, three case studies were conducted, focusing on humanitarian responses as the unit of analysis. In total, 44 semistructured interviews were conducted. An analysis of findings in each case is followed by the cross-case analysis of key themes, ultimately resulting in a revised framework. Findings: All of the proposed generative mechanisms underlying the messiness in humanitarian logistics are found to be relevant. The challenges for the management of such messy supply chains lie in the behavioural complexity they represent through the mechanisms of sociopolitical impact and the multitude of diverse stakeholder views they encapsulate. Logistics and supply chain management struggles to find holistic management approaches to address such behavioural complexity appropriately. Implications: This research has highlighted the strong element of behavioural complexity that underlies humanitarian logistics and other messy supply chains and is often inadequately addressed by managers and literature alike. The acknowledgement of all the different elements of messiness in humanitarian logistics and other scenarios, as well as the need for holistic management approaches, changes the way in which messy supply chains are seen. The revised conceptual framework presented in this thesis provides a foundation for further study of various messy supply chain contexts. Originality/Value: This thesis provides a novel view of supply chains that are inadequately captured by current frameworks and typologies. As the complexity of supply chain contexts intensifies, behavioural aspects become increasingly important. The framework provided represents a first application of the rich body of literature on wicked and messy problems, as well as complex adaptive systems in supply chain management

A customer perspective on performance measurement in humanitarian supply chains

Abstract The increasing importance of services in SCM leads to a stronger focus on the customer perspective. Donors and beneficiaries are two distinct customer groups of humanitarian supply chains. This paper will analyse how this impacts performance measurement for example in the commonly used balanced scorecard, which includes a customer perspective

Supply chain management in a messy context: the case of humanitarian logistics

Based on literature on "wicked" (Rittel and Webber 2007) or "messy" problems (Ackoff 1981) a conceptual framework for “messy supply chains” is developed. Findings from a series of semi-structured interviews explore the presence and potential effects of each of the “messy” characteristics in humanitarian logistics (HL), with a focus on three case studies of humanitarian responses. Aspects of behavioural complexity are currently underrepresented in HL literature. This could be a major reason why tools and techniques from commercial logistics do not always apply in a humanitarian context, providing researchers and practitioners with new insights into potential approaches to HL challenges

Dark side of Black Friday: the major drawbacks with this shopping bonanza

Black Friday is upon us again. It’s one of the biggest shopping events of the year, although there are mixed signals about how successful it is likely to be in 2021. One recent study found that only a third of consumers plan to take part. The financial strain of COVID-19 is still evident, and inflation running at its highest level in a decade. All the same, consumer confidence has been rising. According to GlobalData, shoppers are set to spend nearly £9.2 billion in the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. This would still be a big increase on the £8 billion spent in 2020, and also the £8.6 billion in 2019. Whether or not Black Friday ends up meeting retailers’ expectations, it comes with a major problem: a huge proportion of the shopping will be happening online. Black Friday orders online rocketed during the COVID lockdowns of 2020, and are forecast to rise sharply again this year – GlobalData forecasts this will comprise almost two-thirds of all sales, compared to only 44% in 2019. This shift is bad news for the environment – and it will exacerbate the problems that the supply chain has been experiencing in recent months

Performance measurement in humanitarian logistics: a stakeholder approach

Purpose of this paper The purpose of this research is to connect current literature on performance measurement in humanitarian logistics with stakeholder theory. This will provide a framework for a more customer focussed approach to performance in the humanitarian sector. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper that includes an extensive literature review on customers and performance measurement in commercial, non-profit and humanitarian supply chains. Findings While the beneficiaries are the customers of a humanitarian supply chain according to their very raison d’être, donors are the stakeholder group with the highest salience due to the greatest amount of power. Both groups have their own interests, creating a challenging environment for performance measurement. Standard business tools such as the balanced scorecard have to be adapted to this environment. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual and the proposed framework will have to be tested empirically. Practical implications The proposed framework can help humanitarian organisations focus their supply chain optimisations on the aspect of performance that are most relevant to their key customer groups. What is original/value of paper The research brings together the complexities of humanitarian supply chains with the increasing customer focus that can be seen in commercial service supply chains. Based on an assessment of stakeholder salience, the difference in key customer groups is analysed. The resulting framework provides indications for balancing their diverging needs