Supply chain agility as an acclimatisation process to environmental uncertainty and organisational vulnerabilities: insights from British SMEs

Abstract

Even though supply chain agility (SCA) has been considered an essential concept in supply chain management (SCM) research, the way it is experienced and manifested, especially by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has received much less attention. Our purpose is to focus on SME organisational vulnerabilities in the context of increased environmental uncertainty, and explore how SCA is developed and applied by SMEs amid their vulnerabilities. By relying on insights from comparative case studies of three British SMEs, we examine SME SCA as an acclimatisation process and delve into SMEs’ experiences of facing environmental uncertainty while developing and applying SCA. Our findings highlight that organisational attitudes underlie how SMEs perceive environmental uncertainty, tackle organisational vulnerabilities and develop SCA as an acclimatisation process. Our findings also reveal that resource constraints, supply chain relationships, interorganisational power dynamics, and access to information play important roles in developing SCA.     

以敏捷性与创新性为中介的互动能力对组织绩效影响作用研究

从创新性和敏捷性的角度出发,构建了一个关于互动能力、创新性、敏捷性对组织绩效影响的理论模型,并以全国321家企业为样本对理论假设进行验证。数据结果证实了互动能力对组织绩效的影响,并得出互动能力向组织绩效顺利转化的关键是借助于创新性和敏捷性的构建的结论。     

可就业能力中介作用下的个人-组织契合对职业成功和组织绩效的影响

构建了个人-组织契合与职业成功和组织绩效关系及其作用机制模型,并通过对400名MBA学员和管理者的问卷调查,进行了有关研究和分析。研究表明,个人-组织契合与职业成功、组织绩效及其各维度之间具有正相关关系;可就业能力在个人-组织契合与职业成功关系中起到中介作用,在个人-组织契合与组织绩效关系中起到部分中介作用。研究结果进一步证实了个人-组织契合、相互合作、共同担负培养和提高可就业能力的责任,对职业成功和组织绩效具有直接的影响。     

Response strategy to environment context factors using a lean and agile approach: Implications for firm performance

Based on the environment-strategy performance perspective and dynamic capabilities framework, we develop a theoretical model and hypotheses specifying how supply chain collaboration as a response to environment context factors – competitive intensity, supply uncertainty, technological turbulence and market turbulence, using a lean and agile strategy may influence firm performance. We test the model using partial least square structural equation modelling on data collected from a field survey with responses from 152 manufacturing firms representing a variety of industries. Empirical findings generally support the relationship between collaboration and firm performance using a lean and agile strategy. Also, for firms in industries that face environments characterised by high supply uncertainty and competitive intensity with, technological turbulence, the study finds evidence of a direct relationship between these environmental factors and supply chain collaboration. The findings provide an initial strategic response framework for appropriately aligning a lean and agile supply chain strategy through collaboration with environment context factors to achieve firm performance improvements.     

Stages of Supply Chain Disruption Response: Direct,Constraining, and Mediating Factors for Impact Mitigation

It is well established that supply chain disruptions can have a severe negative impact on firms and general wisdom suggests that this impact can be mitigated by quick responses. Aside from a few anecdotes, however, little is known about the decision‐making process that leads to speedy responses and about its impeding and supporting antecedents. Using the organizational information‐processing perspective, this empirical study unravels the disruption management process along a sequence of four stages—disruption recognition, disruption diagnosis, response development, and response implementation—and hypothesizes constraining and mediating effects of these stages. The findings contribute to an improved understanding of the role that the decision stages play in mitigating supply chain disruptions, and confirm the prediction that the speed with which information is processed and the stages are worked through positively affects supply chain performance. In addition, the findings suggest that one of the stages, diagnosis, acts as a constraining factor to the other stages. The stages also play a mediating role between the impact that the disruption has and a firm's readiness (prior to a disruption), dependence on a key supplier, and supply chain complexity. This provides guidance to decision makers in the application of resources both prior to a negative event and during a disruption recovery.     

社会控制与供应链绩效的相互作用关系探讨——以依赖及供应链整合为中介

供应链各节点企业彼此相互依赖,这种依赖关系如何为管理者所利用,并借助适当的关系治理来促进互惠互利的依赖关系的建立,进而提升供应链整体竞争力具有重要的战略意义。本文拟以社会控制机制和依赖为切入点,探讨其与供应链整合和供应链绩效的深层作用机理,并进而运用结构方程模型(SEM)对社会控制、依赖和供应链整合对绩效的作用路径进行实践模拟。实证结果表明,1)社会控制对依赖、供应链整合和供应链绩效有显著的正向促进作用;2)依赖在社会控制对供应链整合的作用关系中起着不完全的中介作用,且间接作用大于直接作用;3)社会控制可以通过依赖、供应链整合及二者的因果关系间接作用于供应链绩效,但是依赖的中介效应最大(44%),依赖和供应链整合的因果关系中介效应次之(37%),整合的中介效应最小(19%);4)规模对社会控制/依赖与供应链整合/供应链绩效的作用关系具有调节效应。     

基于改进收益共享契约的双渠道供应链协调研究

在需求具有价格敏感性条件下,结合双渠道供应链的特点,研究了双渠道供应链中的两种协调方式,即传统分销渠道与电子直销渠道之间的协调及上下游节点之间的协调。首先,制造商将电子直销渠道所得收益按一定比例分享给零售商。其次,制造商提供给零售商一个较低的批发价格,而零售商将其在传统分销渠道的收益按一定比例分享给制造商作为补偿。从而构建了能够实现双渠道供应链协调的收益共享契约模型,给出了实现双渠道供应链协调时,契约参数取值范围的计算公式,并进一步探讨了双渠道供应链完美共赢协调存在的条件。最后通过算例分析,验证了所设计的收益共享契约模型对双渠道供应链协调的有效性。     

供应链伙伴间信息共享对运营绩效的间接作用机理研究——以关系资本为中间变量

构建了以关系资本中的信任及关系承诺等维度为中间变量的供应链伙伴间信息共享对企业运营绩效间接作用机理的理论模型。以广东省珠三角地区141家制造企业为调查对象,利用结构方程模型对供应链伙伴间信息共享、关系资本(信任与关系承诺)与运营绩效之间的关系进行实证研究。研究结果发现供应链伙伴间信息共享与运营绩效之间存在两条间接作用路径,即"信息共享→信任→运营绩效"和"信息共享→信任→关系承诺→运营绩效",这表明供应链伙伴间信息共享的确可以以关系资本中的信任与关系承诺等维度为中间变量而间接地作用于企业运营绩效。     

Firms' R&D Cooperation Behavior in a Supply Chain

This study investigates firms' R&D cooperation behavior in a supply chain where two firms first cooperate in R&D investments and then decide the production quantity according to a wholesale price contract. By using a concept named contribution level that measures a firm's technological contribution to the R&D cooperation in the supply chain, we show that both firms can achieve win–win via cartelization only if their contribution levels are Pareto matched, i.e., when each firm's contribution level is comparable to its partner's. When spillovers are endogenized, we further establish that an increasing spillover always benefits both firms without any R&D cooperation, but only benefits the firm whose contribution level is relatively low when under R&D cartels. Finally, we show that the path of first increasing spillovers to be perfect and then forming a cartel has a higher chance of achieving the best mode in terms of profitability.     

供应链企业信任诊断中指标权重的多专家协商确定方法

该文提出了适合供应链企业信任协同诊断的多专家协商指标权重确定方法。在明确了信任协同诊断指标重要性的专家表示形式后,具体设计了信任诊断专家协商小组划分的流程算法。提出并定义了专家期望协商因子的新概念,并在此基础上设计了供应链企业信任协同诊断指标权重的多专家协商机制。该机制充分考虑了不同专家在供应链信任诊断的协商过程中所具有的不同调控能力以及根据各自经验知识和主观意愿所期望得到的协商结果。最后,通过案例应用证明了该方法的实用性和可操作性。     

电子市场环境下供应链运作的鲁棒优化模型

本文研究了电子市场环境下的供应链运作问题,提出了不确定环境下的鲁棒优化模型.这一研究的实质是在外界需求最差条件下,如何得到电子市场中供应链最优供应量的策略.文中采用区间方法,设计供应链运作的鲁棒最优策略.进一步,在电子市场不确定环境下,进行了鲁棒策略仿真工作,结果表明鲁棒策略能为决策者提供最坏情况下供应商提供产品数量的鲁棒解决方案.     

金融导向和供应链导向的供应链金融对企业绩效的影响

以2010~2016年中小板制造业企业为样本,采用固定效应回归模型,实证分析了金融导向和供应链导向的供应链金融对核心企业绩效的影响,并利用2017~2019年数据对主要模型进行了稳健性检验。研究发现:金融导向的供应链金融活动并不能降低企业风险,对运营效率的影响呈倒U形,供应链导向的供应链金融活动能够显著提高运营效率,降低企业风险;金融导向的供应链金融能够增加财务绩效,而供应链导向的供应链金融活动与财务绩效存在倒U形关系。     

基于群决策的供应链敏捷度的研究

供应链必须具备一定的敏捷性,才能更好地满足客户的需求.供应链战略管理的本质就是管理供应链的敏捷性,使供应链的敏捷度能够满足企业竞争战略的要求.本文对影响供应链敏捷度的四个要素进行了分析,运用群决策理论和层次分析法建立了供应链敏捷度管理目标的模型,最后用一个实例说明了模型的应用.     

The Critical Role of Ocean Container Transport in Global Supply Chain Performance

With supply chains distributed across global markets, ocean container transport now is a critical element of any such supply chain. We identify key characteristics of ocean container transport from a supply chain perspective. We find that unlike continental (road) transport, service offerings tend to be consolidated in few service providers, and a strong focus exists on maximization of capital intensive resources. Based on the characteristics of ocean container transport as part of global supply chains, we list a number of relevant and challenging research areas and associated questions.     

供应链鲁棒性问题的研究进展

供应链鲁棒性问题的研究,对于全球化物流供应链、供应链风险运作及对国内企业安全等问题有理论价值和应用价值。分析了供应链系统的外部联接、突发事件和内部运作不确定性的2种表现形式;讨论了供应链鲁棒运作管理,特别考虑了供应链中供应、产品、需求和信息管理的鲁棒性;探讨了供应链鲁棒优化策略以及供应链鲁棒性研究的若干前瞻性问题。     

供应链中创新协调的绩效控制问题研究

基于对供应链中的采购-供应关系的一般合作模式和创新协调模式的分析,本文研究了最终产品市场需求是价格的乘法函数的市场环境中,生产商对其供应商创新活动提供资金支持的一类创新协调问题。并分别建立了创新协调下生产商和供应商的离散优化问题模型,分别讨论了生产商提出创新支持策略、供应商接受创新支持策略、以及使双方受益的创新协调策略有效可行的充分条件。     

招聘服务供应链中广告合作模型研究

招聘和求职是人才市场上需方和供方之间的博弈过程。鉴于招聘企业与求职人才均无法充分知晓对方的需求信息,招聘网站服务商应运而生。本文引入网站简历适配度参数,构建网站服务商和招聘企业之间的广告合作模型,预测招聘企业、服务商和服务供应链期望效用。招聘企业可选定一个或几个网站服务商构建长期合作的招聘服务供应链,通过合作发布招聘广告的形式,吸引求职人才投递简历,提高招聘效果。研究发现,网站广告效应越大,越便于求职人才投递简历,招聘效用越大;网站简历适配度越大,人才简历量越多,招聘效用越大。预先确定广告赠送率或职位价格,可预测另一参数及其对应的招聘效用。通过案例研究,本文方法成功帮助一家招聘企业选定两个理想的网站服务商构建长期合作的并联招聘服务供应链。实践证明本文广告合作模型具有良好的应用价值。     

中国制造企业供应链整合与企业绩效的关系研究

本文旨在研究探讨供应链整合、企业运作绩效及财务绩效之间的关系,揭示供应链整合通过供应商运作绩效及客户服务绩效影响财务绩效的作用机理。利用139份制造企业的样本,本文采用多元线性回归及中介效应检验方法对假设进行验证。实证研究结果表明:供应商整合对供应商运作绩效有显著的正向影响,内部整合及客户整合对客户服务绩效的提升有显著的推动作用;企业财务绩效的提升主要基于客户服务绩效的提升。同时,供应商整合、内部整合及客户整合对财务绩效的影响皆通过供应商运作绩效及客户服务绩效的提升来实现,其中,供应商运作绩效为部分中介变量,而客户服务绩效为完全中介变量。     

产能不确定供应商的风险厌恶行为对供应链的影响

针对具有产能不确定性的风险厌恶供应商和风险中性零售商组成的供应链系统,本文采用经典的风险指标Value-at-risk(VaR)衡量供应商的风险厌恶程度,并将其作为供应商的优化约束条件之一。在斯坦伯格顺序博弈的模型框架下,零售商做定价和订货量决策,供应商做批发价决策。本文求得供应商批发价在VaR约束下的理论上下界,研究了风险厌恶程度对最优批发价的影响。与风险中性环境下的结果相比,在设立合理目标利润的前提下,高风险厌恶程度可能使得供应商提高批发价,低风险厌恶程度则对供应商批发价无影响。当目标利润设立很高时,供应商为了逐利将会降低批发价诱导零售商提高订货量。