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Despite significant interest on the topic of knowledge workers, the understanding of how they influence certain aspects of firm innovativeness remains limited. In particular, while different types of knowledge workers exist, their particular synergistic effects on new and improved product development within smaller firms has received less attention. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), we posit that innovation strategy plays an instrumental role in linking the effects of knowledge workers, thereby leading to greater product development outcomes from different types of knowledge workers. Moreover, some suggest that beyond a certain point, there is a diminishing return to increasing the proportion of knowledge workers in an organisation; however, the basis of this finding is within larger firms. This study investigates whether high-level (e.g. engineers and scientists) and low-level (e.g. technicians and machine operators) knowledge workers exert varying effects on performance in terms of new and improved product development. Data from 205 small and medium-sized high-tech manufacturing firms provide support that distinguishing among types of knowledge workers is important given that they impact new and improved product development differently. Furthermore, innovation strategy plays a synergistic role, positively mediating the effects of different types of knowledge workers on innovation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although corrupt practices in the supply chain are not rare, this topic seems neglected in the literature. This could potentially be because a supply chain focused framework is lacking, and therefore it is difficult to measure the true impact of such issues. Why, how, and how much does corruption damage the corresponding firm in the supply chain? Our study takes what we term a supply chain view of corruption, and then estimates the stock price effect of corruption from that point of view. We focus on kickbacks and bribery issues that may damage a target firm's reputation and its market value. In particular, we address firms' corrupt practices from a sustainability risk perspective with the conceptualization of corruption risk (CR). Using an event study methodology, based on a sample of 315 CR cases in the United States, we find significant market penalties for allegations of the target firms' CRs (triggers) and its subsequent issues (investigation, regulatory and resolution). However, the market penalties are largely driven by triggers, not by the subsequent issues. We further reveal that the stock market reacts more negatively to CRs that occur upstream with suppliers than downstream with customers. Therefore, target focal firms must be cautious with upstream–trigger CRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research highlights opportunities to study collaborations between established firms and startups from a buyer–supplier relationship perspective. However, before firms can leverage startups' resources and capabilities in a buyer–supplier relationship, they need to identify, evaluate, and select suitable startups as their suppliers. As prior research has only studied how buying firms select established firms as suppliers, it is unclear which processes, tools, or organizational approach firms use when selecting startup firms as suppliers. These suppliers are markedly different in that they lack organizational routines, financial resources, and operational capabilities, posing a significant risk for buying companies. This inductive, qualitative case study research collects data from 20 established buying firms and investigates how they select startups as suppliers. We first identify five design themes distinguishing buying firms' selection strategies. Based on these themes, we develop a typology of three supplier selection archetypes. The results suggest that firms that are willing and able to adapt their selection approach to startups are expected to show a higher selection performance, meaning that they are more likely to select suitable startups as suppliers. The results extend the supplier selection literature and provide new insights into the emerging field of new venture suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) appears to be a particularly attractive use case for blockchain. This research combines inductive in‐depth interviews with the Delphi method to explore what potentials blockchain technology in AM creates, which adoption barriers firms need to overcome, and how supply chains will be affected by the integration of these two potentially disruptive technologies. The results suggest opportunities that are related to intellectual property (IP) rights management, the monitoring of printed parts throughout their lifecycle, process improvements, and data security. The most important barriers for blockchain adoption in AM are an absence of blockchain‐skilled specialists on the labor market, missing governance mechanisms, and a lack of firm‐internal technical expertise. By addressing important limitations of AM, blockchain is expected to improve the competitiveness of AM in parts' production, catalyzing the trend toward more decentralized manufacturing resulting in more agile, resilient, and flexible supply chains and reduced logistics costs. Beyond that, blockchain‐based AM platforms are expected to enhance supply chain visibility, drive supply chain digitalization, support supply chain finance, and contribute to the emergence of shared factory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain departments spend their time managing numerous projects that will improve and maintain their supply chains. Recent literature has most frequently described the content of these projects and their scheduling but neglected to include risk and uncertainty in the expected cost, profits and time durations of these projects. In this article, we have introduced real option valuation (ROV) to supply chain project scheduling as a flexible method to quantify those risks. Our proposed two-step framework links ROV to all relevant constraints of a multi-project set-up by binary fuzzy goal programming. We applied the framework to a real-life case study data of 21 projects that were facing numerous risks and resource constraints. The results show how scheduling performance improved in comparison to methods ignoring risk and uncertainty (e.g. net present value-based scheduling). For validation we conducted hypothesis tests and sensitivity analysis, and provide an in-depth discussion. The findings contribute to research and practice by capturing project-related risks and managerial flexibilities in general and in supply chains in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most publicized corporate failures in recent memory was the bankruptcy of General Motors in mid-2009, when the icon of American industry filed for Chapter 11 after years [...]

Humanitarian operations are under increasing pressure to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. To support them, a small industry of consultants and other advisors has developed, most of which work pro bono. This article addresses the question of interest to both international humanitarian organisations and their helpers, which is, how to measure and manage the impact of these helpers. Action research based upon interviews and workshops arrives at a conceptual framework to project the effects of humanitarian logistics consulting interventions, key performance indicators and best practices for the governance and steering of humanitarian logistics consulting projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategically aligned and efficiently implemented spare parts logistics can differentiate a business from its competitors, lower costs, increase revenues, and thus help firms generate greater value for customers and ultimately increase profits. Based on multiple case studies with manufacturers in the machine and plant construction industry, this article examines the key components of a superior spare parts logistics strategy. The study suggests that an efficient spare parts logistics strategy can be developed with a three-step model that consists of nine components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After years of being thought to be an inevitable fact of life, demand information distortion (Bullwhip effect) is now increasingly coming under scrutiny by researchers, with conflicting findings being reported about its existence. The conflicting reports are partly due to the measurement issues surrounding Bullwhip, and partly due to the changed business practices in some sectors which the Bullwhip construct was perhaps not originally designed to capture. This article attempts to reconcile these issues. It integrates two distinct dimensions of information distortion: amplification of order variance and schedule instability, and proposes a framework to capture the underlying information distortion more comprehensively. The framework is illustrated through a case study of an automotive supply chain under real-world considerations such as capacity limits and contemporary IT-enabled information sharing practices. The 'degree of over-ordering' was found to be a good indicator of information distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operations managers rely on the purchasing function to obtain production inputs from suppliers and to ensure supplier performance. The link between supplier development activities performed by buying firms with their suppliers, in terms of operational outcomes and impact on competitive advantage for the buying firm has been well documented. However, a buying firm should, prior to setting up a supplier development program and investing in supplier development activities, establish goals it wants to achieve and determine how to achieve these goals. Until now, supplier development goals in general and their relationship with supplier development activities have received little research attention. The results from this empirical study suggest that the relationship between the goal to improve a supplier's capabilities and knowledge transfer from the buyer to the supplier firm is moderated by the degree of human interaction. Buying firms pursuing the strategy to improve supplier capabilities rely more intensively on training and co-location of buyer and supplier employees to leverage the knowledge transfer to the supplier firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Stephan M. Wagner, Andreas F. Breiter Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become a vital business practice. As a consequence, more firms than ever are relying on external support from consultants to upgrade their supply chain strategies, processes and practices. Managers face the challenge of having to decide which, if any, consulting company to hire to make the best use of the firm's investment. To make the most informed decision, managers have to understand the SCM consulting market and SCM consultants' positions within it. Building on a qualitative research design, we analyse the SCM consulting market and provide insights into its dynamics. The two major trends shaping the industry are an increasing geographical reach of projects and an extension of the consulting services provided, including the development of new outsourcing strategies and services. We identify and analyse three segments, each of which is characterised by its own expansion dynamics. Implementation consultants are now expanding into the lower segment of strategy consulting, while strategy consultants are barred from the implementation market due to their cost structure. Mergers and other means of concentration are beginning to compensate for the zone of low profitability between these two segments.

Byline: Stephan M. Wagner Cost management within a supply chain management domain has lately received a great deal of interest from academics and practitioners; however, the literature is still dominated by conceptual and anecdotal work. The major issue is that it is difficult at best to draw conclusion with any level of confidence concerning the actual degree of usage of various cost management practices. The study reported in this article uses split sample analysis to determine the extent to which firms actually use 18 SCM-related cost management practices. The sample that was developed included 126 medium- and large-sized Swiss firms. The results show that only supplier evaluation and purchasing performance benchmarking are regularly employed by companies and that cost management practices linked to integrated logistics are applied only rarely in corporate practice. In this study, seven of the cost management practices were associated with higher supply chain performance, which suggests that firms should carefully consider their implementation.

Byline: Stephan M. Wagner, Michael Essig The emergence of new electronic procurement applications and the rise of existing ones to their full potential have been revolutionising the disciplines of procurement and supplier relationship management. To date, however, very little research has been conducted regarding the impact of electronic procurement on supplier relationships. This paper lays the foundation for a more fine-tuned assessment on the impact of electronic procurement on the relationship companies maintain with their suppliers. Our investigation results in a framework that takes into account various influences. Different electronic procurement applications (private networks, electronic catalogues and electronic marketplaces) affect the relationship with suppliers in different ways depending on the transaction phase within the procurement process (the development phase or the industrialisation phase) and depending on the nature of the product or service being procured (low involvement or high involvement). Even though separating the interdependencies that exist between different influences for scientific research as well as day-to-day practice is a problem, our findings nevertheless confirm the need for a more selective view of electronic procurement applications.

The sustainability of our global supply chains is an essential concern in strategic supply chain management research. Modern information and communication technologies enable stakeholders to punish buying firms for any sustainability‐related grievances at their suppliers, even in remote locations. This study investigates how the notion of country sustainability risk can inform sustainable supply chain management, in particular with respect to sustainability risk assessment at the individual supplier level. Drawing on institutional theory, we provide insights surrounding the emergence of environmental, social, and governance‐related country‐level sustainability risks and show their implications for and application in sustainable supply chain management. The study employs a design science methodology, based on cooperation with a multidivisional German technology firm, to develop a supply chain sustainability risk (SCSR) map as technological solution design. This article contributes to the study of SCSR by reconciling the scholarly SCSR discourse with the buying firms' pursuit of efficiency. Moreover, it elucidates the augmentation of a research agenda through a design science approach. In practical terms, the technological solution design can directly inform managers about SCSR at the country level and serves as a decision basis for the management of individual suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business scandals like sweatshop labor have received growing attention in the field of supply management. Yet little is known about how detrimental such scandals are to buying firms. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the magnitude of the consequences of what are termed as supplier sustainability risks (SSRs). To this end, we conduct an event study analysis followed by regression modeling based on a sample of 196 U.S. publicly traded firms' SSRs. The results reveal that SSRs are associated with a 1.00 percent reduction in shareholder wealth. The market reacts negatively but not differently to the two types of SSR: process‐related risks and product‐related risks. Finally, a firm's moral capital does play a mitigating role for SSRs and process‐related risks; however, it does not provide insurance‐like protection for product‐related risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]