This paper investigates the importance of quality management practices for the success of environmental management initiatives. It has been recently established that sustainability initiatives ...whether in terms of social or environmental investments can improve organizational performance. Additionally, some authors have suggested striking similarities between environmental and quality practices and argued that a well functioning quality management system is a prerequisite for a successful environmental management system. However, it may be the case that having a well functioning quality management system enables a company to reap higher returns from its environmental management practices. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of quality management in the environmental management—performance relationship. Specifically, we assess whether or not quality management practices interact with environmental practices to drive operational performance. This question was tested with survey data collected from 1142 plants. The study makes significant contributions to the quality and sustainability literature and implications are drawn to practice.
Operations management scholars have long debated the right level of slack resources required to optimize a production system. Recent research suggests that the right level of operational slack, ...typically in the form of inventory, is very little but not none. However, this conclusion was reached without considering the role of slack resources in occupational safety, which is a critical oversight since the safety literature predicts that the reduction of operational slack harms workers. To address this gap, secondary data from 3945 publically listed U.S. firms is used to explore the role of operational and financial slack as well as market factors in occupational safety. The results show that decreasing operational slack harms workers and that this effect is mitigated when firms hold higher levels of financial slack. Furthermore, the external market environment also plays a crucial role in the operational slack – safety relationship.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of uncertainty on workplace accidents at the plant level. Furthermore, this study explores such relation in complex settings (i.e. ...manufacturing networks) and assesses whether or not information sharing in such environments can reduce the potentially negative impact of uncertainty on accidents.
Design/methodology/approach
To assess the relationships between uncertainty, accidents and information sharing the authors utilise cross-country survey data collected through the sixth iteration of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey. The authors conceptualise workplace accidents through production time lost due to accidents. Furthermore, the authors conduct multiple regression analyses to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results suggest that procurement, production, and demand uncertainties do indeed lead to an increase in workplace accidents at the plant level. Furthermore, the negative impact of uncertainty can be significantly reduced through information sharing.
Originality/value
This study represents a comprehensive attempt to simultaneously assess the impact of uncertainty on workplace accidents at the plant level and the possible moderating impact of information sharing.
Purpose - The internet and web-based technologies have enabled the integration of information systems across organisational boundaries in ways that were hitherto impossible. The measurement of ...e-business (EB) value has been traditionally considered as a single construct. However, the desire to develop a comprehensive understanding of the impact of EB applications from a theoretical perspective has resulted in the modelling of multiple EB constructs. The impact of EB enabled collaboration on operational performance was also investigated. The purpose of this paper is to explore the enabling role of multiple dimensions of EB investigating if all EB applications impact directly and positively on supply chain collaboration.Design methodology approach - A web-based survey was carried out to collect data within the German automotive industry. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the measurement and structural model.Findings - The results provide justification for the modelling of EB in multiple dimensions. Furthermore, some EB applications impacted positively on supply chain collaboration whilst some did not. The results also proved that EB enabled collaboration impacted directly and positively on the multiple dimensions of operational performance tested.Practical implications - EB applications cannot be viewed by practising managers as being universally beneficial in improving collaboration across a buyer-supplier boundary. However, the results reveal that, by carefully selecting the most appropriate EB applications, operations improvement benefits can be realised across a range of operational metrics due to enhanced supply chain collaboration.Originality value - The deconstruction of EB into multiple constructs will enable the measurement of EB value to be more accurately assessed. Furthermore, the direct impact of EB-enabled collaboration to facilitate interaction and integration and its impact on operational performance adds to the body of knowledge within the larger research field of supply chain collaboration.
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the performance implications of supply chain integration (SCI) taking a strategic perspective. Thus, this paper is set to provide answers to the following research ...questions: Does a higher degree of SCI always lead to greater firm performance improvements? As the answer to this question is likely to be no, the authors explore the performance implications from a strategic perspective: Is the SCI–performance relationship contingent on a company’s competitive priorities (i.e. operations strategy)?
Design/methodology/approach
The authors explore their questions through multiple quasi-independent data sets to test the impact of SCI on firm performance. Furthermore, the authors provide a more nuanced conceptual and empirical view to explore the previously uncovered contradictory results and contingent relationship challenging the “more integration equals higher firm performance” proposition.
Findings
The results only provide partial support for the proposition that more integration is always beneficial in the supply chain context. The authors also identified that the impact of SCI on financial performance is contingent on a company’s competitive priorities.
Originality/value
This study provides a much-needed comprehensive assessment of the SCI–performance relationship through critically re-evaluating one of the most popular propositions in the field of supply chain management. The results can be extrapolated beyond the dyad, as the authors conceptualise integration simultaneously from an upstream and downstream perspective.
Companies have reacted to the opportunities and threats of globalization through numerous production practices that have increased supply chain complexity. One of the ways companies have been able to ...manage this increased level of complexity is by integrating their supply chains. Logistical capabilities at the company level play a key role in integrating global supply chains, but logistical capabilities need not be company specific. In this study we explore the role of a country's logistical capabilities in external supply chain integration. Our results indicate that plants situated in countries with superior levels of logistical capabilities adopt significantly lower levels of external supply chain integration. Additionally, plants situated in countries with superior logistical capabilities do not gain the same performance benefits from external integration as plants situated in countries with relatively low levels of logistical capabilities.
Recent empirical findings concerning the performance effects of service business model innovation (servitization) and its interplay with product innovation are mixed. Using the lenses of the ...demand‐based view on value creation and complementarity, the performance impact of two key service business models is examined: the product‐oriented model and the customer‐oriented model, implemented jointly with product innovation. Results indicate that the interplay between service business model innovation and product innovation results in long‐term performance benefits coupled with a degree of short‐term performance sacrifice. Service business model innovation in isolation from product innovation results in short‐term profit gains but long‐term knowledge loss and, thus, market performance decline. Our study suggests that firms need to look beyond the evidence on short‐term effects in order to achieve superior performance in the long run.
Purpose
– This paper aims to report the results of an empirical study examining the operational, environmental and social sustainability performance impact of supply chain integration (SCI) width and ...depth in the form of coordinative and collaborative SCI.
Design/methodology/approach
– A questionnaire was sent to operations managers located in India. The data collection effort was part of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey. Following the approaches by Frohlich and Westbrook (2001) and Schoenherr and Swink (2012), cluster analysis and analysis of covariance methods were conducted.
Findings
– This study supports previous studies proposing that wider SCI including customers and suppliers positively impact on performance. The authors also shed light on previous contradictory results, illustrating that different level of SCI depth (i.e. coordinative and collaborative practices) lead to different operational and sustainability performance outcomes. Thus, challenging the view of the general SCI-performance improvement hypothesis.
Originality/value
– Although research on SCI has advanced over the past years, there is still controversy about the SCI–performance relationship. Through considering SCI depth in terms of coordinative and collaborative practices, the authors provide a more nuanced view on its potential performance benefits. Therefore, this paper will be beneficial for supply chain managers considering SCI and future supply chain management research.
Companies have reacted to the apparent opportunities and threats of globalization through various global production practices that have increased supply chain complexity and various forms of risk. ...Through increasing supply chain integration, companies have attempted to manage this increased level of complexity. Supply chain integration has been identified as a key practice to manage supply chains and achieve superior performance. The intent of this paper is to explore the role of risk and risk management practices in the success of supply chain integration in terms of their impact on cost and innovation performance. By applying the relational view and through cross-country survey and secondary country data we explore differences in supply chain integration efficacy based on the risk of conducting business (measured in terms of the strength of a country׳s rule of law) and the mitigating effect of supply chain risk management practices. One of the main conclusions suggests that supplier integration is also effective in weak rule of law (i.e., high risk) environments. Furthermore, companies can complement and strengthen the performance impact of their supplier integration practices through supply chain risk management practices in risky environments.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the geographical location of and thus the geographical distance between buyer and supplier impact on the efficacy of purchasing ...practices (i.e. strategic purchasing management, tactical purchasing management, relational purchasing management) in terms of operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors utilise cross-country data collected through the International Purchasing Survey group across a variety of countries and industry sectors. The authors conduct exploratory factor analysis to assess construct validity and regression analysis to test the varying effects of purchasing practices on operational performance. The authors split the sample to compare potential differences in the efficacy of purchasing practices between buyers and suppliers through geographical characteristics.
Findings
The results indicate that the efficacy of purchasing practices does indeed vary depending on differences in geographical location. Specifically, the authors identify that in cases where the buyer and supplier are located in the same country tactical and relational purchasing tools have a positive impact on operational performance. However, in cases where they are situated in different countries none of the purchasing tools seems to significantly improve operational performance.
Originality/value
Research that has taken a cross-country perspective on the efficacy of supply chain practices is surprisingly sparse. Since most supply chains are becoming more and more global it is important to consider the geographical location of the supply chain members when assessing the performance benefits of supply chain practices such as purchasing tools. Thus, the authors introduce and test the concept of geographical distance on the efficacy of purchasing practices at the dyadic level. To test the implications of geographical distance for purchasing practices the authors use a large-scale cross-country survey.
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