The impact of downsizing on logistics performance and employees in shipper firms

Firms that downsize hope to achieve improvements in performance and to avoid adverse impacts on employees. This article compares the changes in logistics performance and logistics employee fulfillment for shippers that have downsized with those that have not. Two major conclusions of this research are: (1) Respondent firms that have downsized perceive that they have substantially improved their logistics performance, but no more so than respondent firms that have not downsized; and (2) Stress, morale, and loyalty have worsened for logistics employees in downsized respondent firms, both in an absolute sense and relative to respondent firms that have not downsized

Quality management influences on logistics performance

The importance of quality management practices in the achievement of operational results and customer satisfaction in logistics has been asserted in many studies. However, though widely adopted, quality management does not have a uniformly accepted framework as a basis for assessment of improvement efforts. This study develops quality management constructs and a casual model based on the criteria utilized in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Casual relationships between quality management factors and logistics outcomes, specifically logistics operational performance and customer service, are established. Implications of the findings for management are discussed.Quality management logistics performances Baldrige Award customer satisfaction