Edith Cowan Journal of Procurement and Supply chain

Case research in purchasing and supply management: Opportunities and challenges

2023-02-05T12:35:53+00:00

This paper examines the current state of application of qualitative methods, namely case studies in purchasing and supply management. We argue that the case study method has much to contribute to the development of the discipline namely in terms of theory development, providing strong exemplars as well as testing theories culled from other disciplines. In examining the use of the case method in purchasing and supply management, we suggest that there is a noticeable trend away from single case designs with sparse methodological reflections to multiple case, comparative designs accompanied by the use of conventional method justifications. These developments are broadly welcomed but we identify two blind spots: (1) the relative neglect of the links between theory and method and (2) the use of inappropriate statistical criteria to justify multiple case research designs. We discuss the nature of these problems using a number of examples and formulate rules for conducting good case research.

Supply Chain Management: An Analytical Framework for Critical Literature Review

2023-02-05T11:29:36+00:00

There can be little dispute that supply chain management is an area of importance in the field of management research, yet there have been few literature reviews on this topic (Bechtel and Mulumudi, 1996, Proceedings of the 1996 NAPM Annual Academic Conference; Harland, 1996, British Journal of Management 7 (special issue), 63}80; Cooper et al., 1997). This paper sets out not to review the supply chain literature per se, but rather to contribute to a critical theory debate through the presentation and use of a framework for the categorization of literature linked to supply chain management. The study is based on the analysis of a large number of publications on supply chain management (books, journal articles, and conference papers) using a Procite (database from which the literature has been classified according to two criteria: a content- and a methodology-oriented criterion.

Supply management, supply flexibility and performance outcomes: An empirical investigation of manufacturing firms

2023-02-05T09:15:07+00:00

Purpose: Increasingly, the global market environment is becoming more turbulent, complex and uncertain. Literature has explored the importance of supply management and its direct impact on performance. However, the nature of strategic supply management and its impact on supply flexibility needs further clarification in the context of the use of supplier resources and supplier network coordination. This research presents a model of supply management, supply flexibility and supply chain performance. In this study, we examine the relationships between supply management and supply flexibility, and extend the concept of supply flexibility in terms of supplier flexibility and supply network flexibility on relevant supply chain performance measures.

Design/Methodology/ Approach: Data for the study were collected from 201 manufacturing firms, and the measurement scales of supply flexibility were tested and validated using structural equation modeling.

Findings: The results indicate strong, positive and direct relationships between supply management practices and supply flexibility, and between supply flexibility and supply chain performance.

Contribution to Policy and Practice: The study recommends the management of manufacturing firms to recognize the interdependence of different components of the supply chain, and the need to focus on improving the entire system, rather than just individual components and to invest in practices that enhance supply flexibility, such as demand forecasting, risk management, and supplier relationships.

A conceptual framework for supply chain collaboration: Empirical evidence from the Agri-food industry

2023-02-05T12:05:51+00:00

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyz e the concept of supply chain collaboration and to provide an overall framework that can be used as a conceptual landmark for further empirical research. In addition, the concept is explored in the context of agri-food industry and particularities are identified. Finally, the paper submits empirical evidence from an exploratory case study in the agri-food industry, at the grower-processor interface, and information regarding the way the concept is actually applied in small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is presented

Design/ Methodology/Approach: The paper employed case study research by conducting in-depth interviews in the two companies

Findings: Supply chain collaboration concept is of significant importance for the agri-food industry however, some constraints arise due to the nature of industry’s products, and the specific structure of the sector. Subsequently, collaboration in the supply chain is often limited to operational issues and to logistics-related activities

Contribution to policy and practice: Research is limited to a single case study and further qualitative testing of the conceptual model is needed in order to adjust the model before large scale testing

Originality/Value: The paper provides evidence regarding the applicability of the supply chain collaboration concept in the agri-food industry. It takes into consideration not relationships between big multinational companies, but SMEs.

What did we do, who did it and did it matter? A review of fifteen volumes of the (European) Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management

2023-02-05T10:21:41+00:00

This paper analyses the origins, contents and impact of the 351 articles published in the (European) Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, from the start in 1994 until the end of 2009. The analysis finds that authorship of (E)JPSM articles is spread over a relatively large group of authors who increasingly co-author manuscripts, and who predominantly come from university institutions in Great Britain, the United States and the Netherlands. The analysis of the content and impact of the journal results in three important findings. First of all, the journal has been consistently following a stable strategy of focusing on the strategic aspects of Purchasing and Supply Management. Second, the journal is clearly positioned as a multi-disciplinary journal with ties not only to Operations Management but also to the Marketing discipline. Thirdly, the journal has been publishing a stable and balanced mix of (empirical) studies using predominantly small-scale and large-scale data collection methods. Arguably, this combination continues to provide a unique profile compared to other journals in the field of Purchasing and Supply Management and the article closes with some specific recommendation how to further leverage this potential.