scholarly journals Impact of I4.0 technologies and their interoperability on performance: future pathways for supply chain resilience post-COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme F. Frederico ◽  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Rohit Agrawal

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of I4.0 technologies and their interoperability on supply chains (SCs) performance and how the integration of such technologies and their interoperability can create pathways for SCs resilience post-COVID-19. This is of paramount importance in the context of COVID-19 as the investigation around I4.0 technologies may provide relevant insights on how SCs may better respond to unexpected situations like the current pandemic with the use of digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachA survey research method was designed based on some constructs extracted from the literature regarding the main disruptive technologies, interoperability, elements of supply chains processes (SCPs) performance such as integration, collaboration, transparency, efficiency, responsiveness and profitability. The data were collected from March to July 2020 from different regions of the world when the peak of the first wave of the pandemic had occurred. The survey resulted in 115 valid responses. The study used a combination of descriptive, correlation and multiple regression methods to analyse the data.FindingsThe study indicates that disruptive technologies significantly impact SCPs performance (integration, collaboration, responsiveness and transparency) and their resilience. The findings did not support the notion that these technologies improve the efficiency of SCs, a significant contrast to the existing literature. Our findings also refute the existing understanding that interoperability moderates the impact of disruptive technologies on SCPs performance and enhancing the resilience of SCs. However, the findings show that the integration of I4.0 technologies and their interoperability has a positive impact on SCPs profitability.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings strongly advocate that this integration plays an important role in improving SC performance, and a future pathway of SC resiliency post-COVID-19. Considering that the I4.0 trend will impact SCs in the coming years, this study brings a relevant contribution to researchers and practitioners.Originality/valueThis study makes a unique contribution by investigating a novel causal relationship between the main elements (I4.0 technologies, interoperability, processes performance and strategic outcomes) related to the SC in this new context.

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martinson Ankrah Twumasi ◽  
Yuansheng Jiang ◽  
Monica Owusu Acheampong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors influencing rural youth farmers’ credit constraints status and the effect of credit constraint on the intensity of participation of these farmers in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The econometric estimation is based on cross-sectional data collected in 2018 from the Brong Ahafo region in Ghana. The sample data set consists of 450 rural youth farmers. The collected data were analyzed through different econometric techniques, using the endogenous switching regression model (ERSM). Findings The direct elicitation approach employed in this study revealed that out of the 450 farmers, 211 (47 percent) of the respondents were credit constrained compared to 239 (53 percent) of their counterparts who were unconstrained. The ERSM indicated that youth farmers education, age, savings, parents occupation reduced the probability of the rural youth farmer to be credit constrained but cumbersome loan application procedure and loan disbursement time positively affect credit constraint. Moreover, farmers that are credit constrained have lower intensity of participation in agriculture activities than a random farmer from the sample. This suggests that access to credit has a positive impact on the intensity of participation in agriculture activities. Research limitations/implications In this study, only rural youth farmers in a particular region were considered. However, there are youths all over the nation. Therefore, future researchers could consider other youth’s farmers elsewhere in the country. Originality/value Although existing studies have examined rural youth farmers’ participation in agriculture and credit constraint separately, the unique contribution of this paper is the analysis of credit constraint of rural youth farmers as well as the impact of credit constraint on the intensity of participation in agriculture activities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srecko Stamenkovic ◽  
Biljana Ratkovic Njegovan ◽  
Maja S. Vukadinovic

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of organizational justice on the ethical climate in organizations in Serbia.Design/methodology/approachIn the study, 3,413 employees participated whose task was to assess the dimensions of organizational justice (procedural, distributive and interactional) as well as the dimensions of ethical climate (egoism, benevolence and principle).FindingsThe obtained results show that the dimensions of organizational justice are significant predictors of dimensions of ethical climate. The dimension of distributive justice significantly predicts the dimensions of egoism and principle, while the dimensions of procedural and interactional justice significantly predict the dimensions of benevolence and principle. Concerning the structure of the relationship between dimensions of organizational justice and ethical climate, the results also showed that there is intra-national diversity depending on the region of the Republic of Serbia where the organization operates. Ethical climate based on maximization of personal interest is more connected to economically more developed regions with a larger population, while ethical climate based on duties related to norms, laws, rules and policies characterizes less developed regions with a smaller population.Originality/valueIn the context of contemporary Serbian business surrounding, the obtained results are discussed regarding the possibilities for improvement of ethical climate, which should be accompanied and supported by the positive impact of organizational justice.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings COVID-19 has had a dramatic and damaging effect on supply chains and distributors. This briefing considers why, and what strategies there may be to cope. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 245-256
Author(s):  
Rebecca Gove ◽  
Sidney Htut ◽  
Mo Eyeoyibo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the content and style of clinic letters written by psychiatrists and to compare these with national guidelines and standards. To then consider the impact that writing directly to patients and carers has on their feeling of inclusion and understanding via a questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach Two audits were completed, the first was carried out in 2012 and the second during 2014 with both being over a three-month period. The first 50 clinic letters sent out during these periods were examined using an audit tool that was developed using national standards from the Department of Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. A questionnaire was then devised in 2016 and sent to patients and carers regarding their views on the simplified clinic letters that were written directly to them. Findings In the original audit none of the letters were simplified and written to the patient whereas in the re-audit 66 per cent were simplified. The questionnaire sent out to patients and carers revealed that 50 per cent of patients felt that the simplified letter helped them to feel more included and gave them a better understanding of their care. Originality/value This paper highlights the potentially positive impact of writing simplified clinic letters directly to patients with intellectual disability and their carers. It also includes a clinic letter format designed so that medical information is not lost in the written communication and so that the service’s workload is not impacted on by having to write two separate letters to the patient and to their GP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdel Hafiez Ali Hasaballah ◽  
Omer Faruk Genc ◽  
Osman Bin Mohamad ◽  
Zafar U. Ahmed

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the influences of relational variables on export performance and the interactions among relational variables in the emerging market context of Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mail questionnaire sent to Malaysian companies that export to Arab-speaking countries and achieved a response rate of 27.92 percent, resulting in a sample of 106 exporters.FindingsThe results of the path analyses indicate a positive impact of relational variables (adaptation, cooperation and communication) on export performance. However, the authors found that the impact was mediated by trust and commitment, rather than being direct.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that the impact of relational variables on export performance is complex and indirect. Mediators and moderators play important roles in this relationship.Practical implicationsFirms should invest in export relationships with the aim of building trust and commitment, which are the primary factors that affect export performance.Originality/valueThe authors have shed light on the way relational variables affect export performance. Moreover, this study contributes to a better understanding of small emerging markets, which are poorly represented in studies in this field.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 793-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Louis ◽  
Cindy Lombart ◽  
Fabien Durif

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the main dimensions of a retailer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, respect for the consumers and respect for the workers) (e.g. Maignan, 2001; Brunk, 2010a; Öberseder et al., 2014) on consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Mediation (through consumers’ trust in this retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity) and moderation effects (depending on the groups of consumers considered) are also studied. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted on 547 consumers, representative of the Quebec population. These consumers were asked to select a retailer of their choice that they were familiar with (notably with its CSR activities) and to complete a questionnaire with regard to that retailer. Findings This research highlights that: the impact of a retailer’s CSR activities on consumers’ loyalty differs according to the dimensions considered (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, the consumers and the workers), is fully or partially mediates by consumers’ trust in this retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity and depends on the groups of consumers considered (the very responsible consumers, the local sceptical recyclers and the least responsible consumers). Research limitations/implications This research indicates that when CSR is considered not as an aggregate construct, but in terms of its dimensions, their impacts on consumers’ loyalty towards the retailer may differ or appear under certain conditions. Moreover, this research points out that consumers’ trust in the retailer is a partial mediator (for the philanthropic activities dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the very responsible consumers and the local sceptical recyclers) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Consumers’ trust in the retailer is also a full mediator (for the respect for environment dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the very responsible consumers) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Lastly, retailer’s perceived brand equity is a full mediator (for the respect for environment dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the three groups of consumers considered) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Practical implications This paper indicates to retailers that the dimensions respect for the consumers and the workers of their CSR activities do not have an impact on consumers’ loyalty. By contrast, for a retailer to be perceived by consumers as engaged in philanthropic activities or being environmentally friendly has a positive impact on consumers’ loyalty. Originality/value In this research, CSR is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct and the impacts of its main dimensions (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, respect for consumers and respect for workers) on an important and strategic variables for retailers, loyalty, are highlighted. Moreover, this research also indicates that the impacts of a retailer’s CRS dimensions on consumers’ loyalty depend on individuals and may follow different paths (through consumers’ trust in the retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity).


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Al Naimi ◽  
Mohd Nishat Faisal ◽  
Rana Sobh ◽  
S.M. Fatah Uddin

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate the antecedents of resilience and to highlight the importance of resilience in achieving reconfiguration in supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on literature on supply chain resilience and collects data from 253 companies in Qatar to understand the influence of the antecedents of supply chain resilience and the impact of resilience on reconfiguration using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings show that antecedents like risk management culture, agility and collaboration positively affect the supply chain resilience. Further, the study establishes that companies can leverage their supply chain resilience to reconfigure supply chain in case of disruptions.Practical implicationsThis study is important for supply chain managers in Qatar, as the country faced major disruption of supply chains in wake of the blockade imposed by its neighbors with which it had the only land route and maximum trade. The findings from this study should aid mangers in developing resilient supply chains.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the role of supply chain resilience in achieving reconfiguration. Further, novelty of the work reported in this paper lies in its context where supply chains recently faced actual disruptions.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Liu ◽  
Tiru Arthanari ◽  
Yangyan Shi

PurposeThis paper examines the establishment of supply chain robustness against corruption by utilizing risk interactions.Design/methodology/approachBased on empirical results from the New Zealand dairy industry, a system dynamics model is established to explore the underlying relationships among variables.FindingsThe results show that although certain supply chain risks seem unrelated to corruption, their mitigation would help mitigate the impact of corruption due to risk interactions; and mitigation of some of the risks is more effective in mitigating the impact of corruption. Leverage risks have been defined and identified in this research, which expands the extant knowledge in reducing the impact of corruption on supply chains.Originality/valueThe research illustrates how the impact of corruption can be studied in an integrated way with dairy supply chain SD analysis. It is a pioneering study to mitigate the impact of corruption on supply chains from supply chain robustness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ala' Omar Dandis ◽  
Amr Anwar Jarrad ◽  
Jamal M M Joudeh ◽  
Ibrahim Lewis Mukattash ◽  
Anas Ghassan Hassouneh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of multidimensional service quality on word of mouth (WOM) in university on-campus healthcare centers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from self-administered questionnaires involving a sample of 407 currently enrolled student-patients visiting the on-campus university healthcare centers in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Non-probability convenience sampling was performed in this study. Factor analysis and multiple and hierarchical multiple regression methods were used to analyze the data and test the proposed relationships.FindingsThe results show that the primary dimensions (administration quality, interpersonal quality and technical quality) had a significant and positive impact on WOM, with administration quality appearing as the most influential factor leading to WOM. At the subdimensions level, the findings of this study revealed that interaction activity had the most significant predictive value on WOM compared to the other service quality subdimensions. An insignificant relationship between atmosphere, tangibles, relationship activity and WOM was found.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that university administrators and managers of other high-contact service sectors (e.g. hospitality and travel services, tourism education services, financial and insurance services and public services) ought to take into consideration both service quality subdimensions and satisfaction as significant strategic endpoints, as these inputs provide a roadmap for administrators to elicit positive WOM from customers with regard to their businesses.Originality/valueThis study provided its contribution by presenting a comprehensive model of WOM formation and offering specific insights for the on-campus healthcare centers in higher education institutions. This is also the first study conducted in the Middle East, particularly in Jordan.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen Bemelmans ◽  
Hans Voordijk ◽  
Bart Vos ◽  
Geert Dewulf

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore both the antecedents and the impact of a buying company having preferred customer status. Specific attention is paid to an, until now, unexplored antecedent: the buyer’s maturity as perceived by the supplier. In terms of impact, the focus is on the link between obtaining preferred customer status from a specific supplier and the buyer’s satisfaction with its collaboration with that supplier. Design/methodology/approach – Two case studies in the Dutch construction industry were conducted and, in each case, representatives of three companies were interviewed: one supplier plus two of its customers, one of them having a preferred status. As such, a total of four dyadic matched-pair inter-organizational relationships have been investigated. Findings – First, it is beneficial for buying companies to obtain preferred customer status at their suppliers, since this will have a positive impact on the buying company’s satisfaction with the collaboration. Second, if buying companies aim to obtain preferred customer status at their suppliers it is important that they are perceived as mature in managing supplier relationships. Practical implications – Although buying companies and suppliers often both want to increase their mutual business, there can be many factors that impede this. The framework presented in this research can help companies overcoming these impediments. Originality/value – This is the first study exploring the impact of being a preferred customer on the buyer-supplier relationship in the construction industry.


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