Revisiting critical factors of logistics outsourcing relationship: a multiple-case study approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinh Van Thai ◽  
Shams Rahman ◽  
Dong Mai Tran
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Logistics Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Factors ◽  
Operational Factors

PurposeThis paper aims to examine critical factors of successful logistics outsourcing relationship from the perspectives of both LSPs and shippers employing case studies in Singapore and Vietnam as examples of well-established and growing logistics outsourcing markets.Design/methodology/approachThe case study design is adopted to empirically examine logistics outsourcing practices. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with senior managers from four cases in Singapore and seven cases in Vietnam. These case organisations are engaged comprehensively in logistics outsourcing activities and encompass both international firms that have their local operations and those local firms whose operations expand internationally.FindingsResults suggest that the success of logistics outsourcing may depend on five strategic factors and five operational factors, with some of them being the same between LSPs and shippers in both countries and in line with the literature. There also seemed to be a difference between logistics outsourcing practitioners in a developed country (Singapore), and those in a developing country (Vietnam), in which factors, i.e. having the right people and management support, business processes integration and cultural intelligence, tend to be emphasised and practised more in the former. A strategy matrix of logistics outsourcing was mapped accordingly.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalisation of this study would require further empirical examination from more quantitative research, for example, the use of surveys with shippers who engage with LSPs.Practical implicationsFindings from this research can assist managers in charge of outsourcing to reflect on their practices and devise and implement appropriate strategies for successful logistics outsourcing. Especially for growing logistics outsourcing markets and not-yet-standardised practices like Vietnam, the findings of this research are significant as they provide policy and managerial insights into how logistics outsourcing can be performed successfully. Specifically, adequate guidelines and resources including training relating to strategic factors of logistics outsourcing must be provided.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first studies that categorise success factors of logistics outsourcing into strategic and operational factors and postulates their conceptualisation in a strategy matrix that can be applied in future research.

Assessing sustainability of employee suggestion schemes: a framework

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-372
Author(s):  
Flevy Lasrado
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Potential Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Change Strategies ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
System Effectiveness

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the employee suggestion scheme of three organizations based in the United Arab Emirates. A framework that consists of five sustainability factors identified based on an empirical study has been applied. The sustainability factors identified through this study include leadership and organizational environment, system capability, system effectiveness, organizational encouragement and system barrier. The paper draws conclusions about the key practices necessary to foster sustainability of the employee suggestion system. The paper then presents a final framework that the organizations can apply to assess their suggestion schemes and to develop potential change strategies. The study findings reveal the importance of five factors, and with more cases, future research can be conducted to identify further practices relevant to specific industry. More levels of maturity for sustainability suggestion system could also be defined with future research. Design/methodology/approach – The assessment framework was developed drawing on a thorough review of the literature and data collected and analyzed using various statistical tools. The developed assessment framework was validated using case study method. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit relevant information during the case study. Findings – An assessment framework comprising five major factors for sustainability of suggestion scheme of has been presented. The five factors include: leadership and work environment, system capability, system effectiveness, organizational encouragement and system barriers. Sustainability of a suggestion system can be understood as a three-stage model comprising three stages: the initial stage, the developmental stage and the advanced stage. The key practices associated for each of these stages are discussed in detail. Research limitations/implications – The framework has taken into consideration the critical success factors, and critical success factors emerged from the literature review conducted for this study. The framework therefore could be further refined by conducting more case studies and can propose maturity levels. Originality/value – The paper has developed a framework that can be used to assess the sustainability of the suggestion scheme in an organization. This model has been applied to assess the individual schemes and draw upon potential change strategies.

scholarly journals Collaborative innovation: catalyst for a destination’s event success

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 2499-2516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Phil Crowther ◽  
Leo Jago ◽  
John Heeley ◽  
Scott Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Innovation ◽  
Targeted Marketing

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to theory concerning collaborative innovation through stakeholder engagement with reference to Glasgow City Marketing Bureau’s (GCMB’s) management strategies, which represent UK best practice in events procurement, leveraging and destination branding.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a case study design to facilitate an in-depth evaluation of the destination marketing organisation’s (DMO’s) critical success factors. Multiple perspectives on GCMB’s collaborative innovation are achieved through semi-structured interviews with senior managers from the bureau, key stakeholders and other DMOs.FindingsGCMB’s success results from long-term, extensive, collaborative engagement, a unique institutional structure and sustained political and financial support through to transformational leadership, strategic event selection and targeted marketing through “earned” distribution channels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study takes a single case study approach and focusses on GCMB’s event-led branding strategy. Given the importance but relative neglect of long-term inter-personal relationships in collaborative innovation, future research should focus on the development of social capital and adopt a longitudinal perspective.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights into the collaborative innovation process with a range of stakeholders, which underpins GCMB’s events strategy and its leveraging of the city brand. In particular, the study highlights the need for entrepreneurial leadership and the development of long-term relationships for effective engagement with stakeholders.Originality/valuePrevious research has focussed on outcomes and neglected pre-requisites and the process of collaborative innovation between destination stakeholders. This study examines this issue from the perspective of a successful DMO and presents a conceptual framework and new engagement dimensions that address this gap in knowledge.

Evaluation of success factors for medical device development using grey DEMATEL approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milind Shrikant Kirkire ◽  
Santosh B. Rane
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Medical Device ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Device Development ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Device Development ◽  
Medical Device Manufacturers

Purpose Successful device development brings substantial revenues to medical device manufacturing industries. This paper aims to evaluate factors contributing to the success of medical device development (MDD) using grey DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) methodology through an empirical case study. Design/methodology/approach The factors are identified through literature review and industry experts’ opinions. Grey-based DEMATEL methodology is used to establish the cause-effect relationship among the factors and develop a structured model. Most significant factors contributing to the success of MDD are identified. An empirical case study of an MDD and manufacturing organisation is presented to demonstrate the use of the grey DEMATEL method. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to check robustness of results. Findings The results of applying the grey DEMATEL methodology to evaluate success factors of MDD show that availability of experts and their experience (SF4) is the most prominent cause factor, and active involvement of stakeholders during all stages of MDD (SF3) and complete elicitation of end-user requirements (SF1) are the most prominent effect factors for successful MDD. A sensitivity analysis confirms the reliability of the initial solution. Practical implications The findings will greatly help medical device manufacturers to understand the success factors and develop strategies to conduct successful MDD processes. Originality/value In the past, few success factors to MDD have been identified by some researchers, but complex inter-relationships among factors are not analysed. Finding direct and indirect effects of these factors on the success of MDD can be a good future research proposition.

Lean Six Sigma implementation: multiple case studies in a developing country

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 523-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Reeduan Mustapha ◽  
Fauziah Abu Hasan ◽  
Mohd Shaladdin Muda
Keyword(s):  
Developing Country ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Internal Resistance ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose This paper aims to report the results of a study on the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a developing country. The purpose of this paper is to determine the barriers, critical success factors (CSFs) and implementation strategy of LSS. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was taken, in which a multiple-case study designed to gather data on the LSS implementation process was used. Findings The literature and interviews show that any organization can customize these methodologies according to their needs. This also indicates that there are no stringent rules to follow, and that the process of adoption and implementation is quite flexible. The findings from the multiple-case study identify that the CSFs for implementing LSS are management support and commitment, communication, culture change, education and training and a recognition and reward system. The salient features which serve as barriers are lack of top management commitment, lack of knowledge, lack of training, and internal resistance. Practical implications The findings have implications for consultants and practitioners with regard to the implementation of LSS within organizations and to focus on the selection LSS tools for implementation. Originality/value This paper reports on the implementation of LSS in Malaysia can be valuable to consultants, practitioners and researchers of LSS in developing countries.

Success factors in managing the sponsor–sponsee relationship—a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis for state-owned enterprises in Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-596
Author(s):  
Bjoern Ivens ◽  
Florian Riedmueller ◽  
Peter van Dyck
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Novel Method

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide meaningful information about sponsorship management in state-owned enterprises.Design/methodology/approachQualitative and quantitative data from Germany are analyzed in a case study approach using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (Fs/QCA)—an analytic method relevant for describing configurational patterns of causal factors.FindingsThe case study of sponsorships from state-owned enterprises in Germany reveals four alternative configurations of top-management support, sponsee prominence, standardized processes, and sponsorship leverage explaining sponsor satisfaction.Originality/valueThe paper combines two underrepresented but important aspects of sponsorship research, i.e. sponsorship management in state-owned enterprises, in an empirical study. Further, present study adds to sponsorship literature by pointing to fuzzy-set Fs/QCA as a relatively novel method that can capture the phenomenon of complex causality.

A systematic literature review of healthcare supply chain and implications of future research

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuj Dixit ◽  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Sunil Kumar Dubey
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Drug Manufacturing ◽  
Customer Training

Purpose This paper aims to review the healthcare supply chain (HSC) literature along various areas and to find out the gap in it. Design/methodology/approach In total, 143 research papers were reviewed during 1996-2017. A critical review was carried out in various dimensions such as research methodologies/data collection method (empirical, case study and literature review) and inquiry mode of research methodology (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), country-specific, targeted area, research aim and year of publication. Findings Supply chain (SC) operations, performance measurement, inventory management, lean and agile operation, and use of information technology were well studied and analyzed, however, employee and customer training, tracking and visibility of medicines, cold chain management, human resource practices, risk management and waste management are felt to be important areas but not much attention were made in this direction. Research limitations/implications Mainly drug and vaccine SC were considered in current study of HSC while SC along healthcare equipment and machine, hospitality and drug manufacturing related papers were excluded in this study. Practical implications This literature review has recognized and analyzed various issues relevant to HSC and shows the direction for future research to develop an efficient and effective HSC. Originality/value The insight of various aspects of HSC was explored in general for better and deeper understanding of it for designing of an efficient and competent HSC. The outcomes of the study may form a basis to decide direction of future research.

Knowledge management

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Shokri-Ghasabeh ◽  
Nicholas Chileshe
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Research Study ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Methodological Triangulation

Purpose – A research study has been undertaken at the University of South Australia to introduce application of lessons learned process in construction contractors ' bidding process in the context of knowledge management. The study aims to identify barriers to effectively capture lessons learned in Australian construction industry and how knowledge management can benefit from lessons learned application. Design/methodology/approach – The research study has been undertaken through conducting a “methodological triangulation” and “interdisciplinary triangulation”. This involved an extensive literature review of knowledge management, organisation learning, lessons learned and associated processes and administration of a questionnaire to a sample of construction contractors operating in Australia to elicit opinions on the main barriers to capturing lessons learned, practices such as existence and retention of documentation procedures. A total of 81 useable responses were received from 450 organisations. Response data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics with correlation analysis to examine the strength of relationship among the barriers. Findings – The top-3 barriers to the effective capturing of lessons learned were “lack of employee time”, “lack of resources” and “lack of clear guidelines”, whereas, “lack of management support” was the least ranked barrier. The study established that despite the majority of the ACCs having formal procedures for recording the tenders submitted and their outcomes, only a minority actually retained the lessons learned documentation for each project. The larger contractors were found to be more aware of the importance of lessons learned documentation. A comparative analysis with previous studies also found a disparity in the ranking of the barriers. Research limitations/implications – The majority of the participants were small construction contractors in Australia. The reason is that the researchers were not aware of the contractors ' size prior to inviting them for participation in the research study. Second the findings may not generalize to other industries or to organisations operating in other countries. Originality/value – The findings of this survey help ACCs to understand the importance of lessons learned documentation as part of lessons learned implementation and identify the barriers to effectively document their lessons learned. The study provides insights on the barriers and proposes advocated solutions in form of drivers and enablers (critical success factors) of organisational learning capturing among the Australian construction contractors. By reviewing the current literature, “post-project reviews” and “lessons learned” as important elements of organisation learning knowledge transfer, are addressed. Finally, contribution of this study to knowledge and practice has been discussed in this paper.

scholarly journals Innovation and cross-functional teams

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 84-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Marasquini Stipp ◽  
Márcio Lopes Pimenta ◽  
Daniel Jugend
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Incremental Innovation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Tax Management ◽  
Functional Teams ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The aim of this paper is to characterize how innovation may happen through cross-functional teams (CFT) in an organization of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study helped to characterize several behavior patterns, team structures and respective links with generating innovation in internal processes and public answering contexts. Findings The results highlight that formal-temporary teams present a higher capacity to generate incremental innovation in products, whereas permanent-informal teams have a higher capacity to generate innovation in the internal processes and public answering contexts. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research relate to the fact that this is a single case study, and although it is an important case to examine innovation and CFTs, by its very nature, it is not possible to extend and generalize the obtained data to other organizations. The evaluation of its propositions was merely qualitative, and future research is needed to validate its characteristics. Practical implications Several settings of CFTs are presented, as well as their ability to generate different types of innovation, such as the computerization of documents, petitions and papers, which decreases the time to answer the taxpayer. Moreover, CFTs can help to create products, such as computer programs that can be used not only locally but also in several public organizations related to tax management. Originality/value The field research provides the perceptions of the respondents regarding CFT characteristics that can lead to specific types of innovation, as well as the types of products or services that can be generated by these processes.

Territorial capital as a company intangible

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariachiara Barzotto ◽  
Giancarlo Corò ◽  
Mario Volpe
Keyword(s):  
Great Difficulty ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Growth ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
A Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to explore to what extent being located in a territory is value-relevant for a company. Second, to understand if a company is aware of, and how it can sustain, the territorial tangible and intangible assets present in the economic area in which it is located. Design/methodology/approach – The study presents an empirical multiple case-study, investigating ten mid-/large-sized Italian companies in manufacturing sectors. Findings – The results indicate that the sampled manufacturing companies are intertwined with the environment in which they are embedded, both in their home country and in host ones. The domestic territorial capital has provided, and still provides, enterprises with workers endowed with the necessary technical skills that they can have great difficulty in finding in other places. In turn, companies support territorial capital generation through their activities. Research limitations/implications – To increase the generalisability of the results, future research should expand the sample and examine firms based in different countries and sectors. Practical implications – Implications for policy makers: developing effective initiatives to support and guide a sustainable territorial capital growth. Implications for managers and investors: improving managerial and investors’ decisions by disclosing a complete picture of the enterprise, also outside the firm boundaries. Originality/value – The study contributes to intangibles/intellectual capital literature by shedding light on the importance of including territorial capital in a company’s report to improve the definition of the firm’s value. Accounting of the territorial capital would increase the awareness of the socio-economic environment value in which companies are located and its use.

Organizational change for sustainability education: a case study of one university’s efforts to create and implement institution-wide sustainability competencies

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-515
Author(s):  
Vanessa R. Levesque ◽  
Cameron P. Wake
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Similar Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Institutional Sustainability ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how the process of creating and implementing sustainability competencies across a university illuminate dynamics of organizational change. The push to advance education for sustainable development in higher education will likely require transformation of existing policies and practices. A set of shared sustainability competencies could guide the integration of sustainability throughout an institution. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a case study of one US university, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) that developed institutional-level sustainability competencies. The process used to create and implement sustainability competencies is outlined, and key factors that influenced the associated organizational change are identified. Findings Very few US universities have institutional-level sustainability competencies. At UNH, drivers of organizational change such as overcoming disciplinary boundaries, developing a common vision and working from the bottom-up enabled the creation of institutional sustainability competencies, but the same processes were not enough to drive deeper implementation of the competencies. Originality/value This paper not only identifies the context-specific drivers of the development of institutional sustainability competencies, but also identifies universal themes that can be applied to other institutions embarking on a similar process. Additionally, this paper serves as a foundation for future research exploring how the process of creating institutional sustainability competencies may be linked to how effective they are in shaping subsequent sustainability education.

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