Characterizing Coordination in Humanitarian Supply Chains

Analysis Methodology ◽

Coordination has been reported as a main issue in humanitarian supply chain. Although it is recognized as a potential driver for efficiency, it is not broadly studied in real cases. This chapter presents a case study for humanitarian supply chain. Using Lambert's framework for SCM, humanitarian supply chain is characterized identifying its structure, business processes, and management components. Once humanitarian supply chain is understood, a short review is performed to identify how coordination is being integrated into humanitarian supply chains body of literature, and principles, techniques, and technologies applied for coordination in humanities supply chain are identified. Finally, using content analysis methodology, coordination issues are mapped through humanitarian actors in Colombia by understanding the supply chain strategy of three principal actors for Colombian humanitarian supply chain.

The Humanitarian Supply Chain Assessment Tool (HumSCAT)

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management ◽

10.1108/jhlscm-09-2018-0064 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 221-249

Author(s):

Ruth Banomyong ◽

Puthipong Julagasigorn ◽

Paitoon Varadejsatitwong ◽

Pairach Piboonrungroj

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Recovery Phase ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Preparation Phase ◽

Purpose An understanding of the “AS-IS” stage of a relief operation is the basis for further action in humanitarian supply chain management. The purpose of this paper is to develop a toolbox called the Humanitarian Supply Chain Assessment Tool (HumSCAT). This toolbox is comprised of a set of basic tools which can be classified into each phase of disaster relief. Design/methodology/approach The HumSCAT is proposed by paralleling frequently used tools in commercial supply chains with the objectives and characteristics of relief phases. A case study was used to validate the HumSCAT along with six tools provided in the preparation phase. Findings The HumSCAT consists of seven tools in the preparation phase, nine tools in the response phase and ten tools in the recovery phase. The case study illustrates how to use the HumSCAT and the six tools. The latter were found to be useful for improving the relief chain. Research limitations/implications The list of tools is not exclusive. Other tools might be applicable as long as they meet the objectives and characteristics of the phase. A tool should be adjusted accordingly to the contexts. Tools in other phases should be validated in future research. Practical implications The HumSCAT may serve as a reference toolbox for practitioners. Its output can be used for further designing of the “TO-BE” status of humanitarian relief chains. Originality/value The HumSCAT is proposed as a toolbox for academics and practitioners involved in humanitarian supply chains.

The potential role of philanthropy in humanitarian supply chains delivery: the case of Thailand

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management ◽

10.1108/jhlscm-05-2017-0017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 284-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ruth Banomyong ◽

Puthipong Julagasigorn

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Real Life ◽

Multinational Firm ◽

Supply Chain Collaboration ◽

Content Type ◽

Strategic Philanthropy ◽

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework on how strategic philanthropy can be included in humanitarian supply chains delivery. This framework explains the modalities where strategic philanthropy can be successful when collaborating with key humanitarian supply chain actors. Design/methodology/approach A philanthropy delivery framework is developed based on the literature related to strategic philanthropy and humanitarian supply chains. The delivery framework is further validated with the real-life case study of a multinational firm during the 2011 Thai floods. Findings Procter and Gamble (P&G) was involved in the Thailand flood 2011 relief efforts in three phases: preparation, immediate response, and reconstruction phase. The company supported and distributed a water purifier through a non-governmental relief agency, the Princess Pa Foundation, under the Thai Red Cross Society, that enabled P&G to not only gain the trust of the targeted community during all the phases but in the continued usage of their water purifier after the event. Community leaders and P&G’s modern trade retailers played an important role in collaborating in this humanitarian supply chain to enable the successful delivery and usage of the donated water purifier. Research limitations/implications This proposed delivery framework is appropriate for in-kind products and services philanthropy. The case study describes how strategic philanthropy can be implemented in a specific case, i.e. flood disaster. Practical implications Academia, practitioners, and companies who are involved in humanitarian reliefs may adopt and adapt this framework in order to enable a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the humanitarian supply chain. Originality/value The delivery framework suggests that firms can develop successful strategic philanthropy through systematic humanitarian supply chain collaboration. It explains how a company can operate its philanthropic programs through collaboration with others as well as describes how these different actors can work together.

The idea of transport independence in the Russian Arctic

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management ◽

10.1108/ijpdlm-05-2017-0200 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (9) ◽

pp. 913-930 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Antonina Tsvetkova ◽

Britta Gammelgaard

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Management Practices ◽

Core Competencies ◽

Strategy Implementation ◽

Institutional Factors ◽

Russian Arctic ◽

Content Type ◽

Supply Chain Strategy

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how supply chain strategies emerge and evolve in response to contextual influence.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative single-case study presents the journey of a supply chain strategy, conceptualised as the idea of transport independence in the Russian Arctic context. Data from 18 semi-structured interviews, personal observations and archival materials are interpreted through the institutional concepts of translation and editing effects.FindingsThe study reveals how supply chain strategies evolve over time and can affect institutional factors. The case study further reveals how contextual conditions make a company reconsider its core competencies as well as the role of supply chain management practices. The findings show that strategy implementation through purposeful actions can represent a powerful resistance to contextual pressures and constraints, as well as being a facilitator of change in actual supply chains and their context. During the translation of the idea of transport independence into actions, the supply chain strategy transformed itself into a form of strategic collaboration and thereby made supply chains in the Russian Arctic more integrated than before.Research limitations/implicationsMore empirical studies on strategy implementation in interaction with contextual and institutional factors are suggested. An institutional process perspective is applied in this study but the authors suggest that future research should include a human dimension by an exploration of day-to-day routines and challenges that employees face when strategising and the actions they take.Originality/valueThe study provides an understanding of how a new supply chain strategy emerges and how it changes during implementation. In this process-oriented study – merging context, process and strategy content – it is further shown that a supply chain strategy may affect the context by responding to contextual and institutional challenges.

Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains

10.31219/osf.io/m82ar ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Helen S.Y. CHEN

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Design Science ◽

Sustainable Supply Chain ◽

Bottom Line ◽

Sustainable Operations ◽

Sustainability Performance ◽

Humanitarian Operations ◽

This is a multidisciplinary study on operationalizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in humanitarian operations through supply chain management methods. It is motivated by the belief that for SDGs to be pursued in humanitarian operations, they need to be contextualized in the idiosyncratic settings and approached systematically. Towards this end, this paper develops and operationalizes a strategic sustainable humanitarian supply chain framework using the design science approach. The study starts with analyzing the humanitarian operations characteristics and identifying the critical supply chain capabilities required for sustainable operations. It then re-conceptualizes sustainability in the humanitarian context and proposes a formula of sustainability performance in humanitarian operations. After that, the humanitarian supply chain structural components are delineated and decomposed into operational elements in order to identify the configurations that lead to optimal sustainability performance. The findings then converge into a framework to enable the identification of context-contingent sustainable supply chain strategies in humanitarian operations. This paper makes three contributions to SDG research: 1) it contextualizes sustainability in the humanitarian setting through postulating the concept and formula of net sustainability value as the single bottom line in humanitarian operations; 2) it increases operationality of SDGs in the humanitarian sector through the design of a strategic framework for sustainable humanitarian supply chains; and 3) it increases the interdisciplinarity of SDG research by using a generic supply chain framework that can be applied to integrate multilevel multidisciplinary sustainability studies.

Measuring humanitarian supply chain performance in a multi-goal context

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management ◽

10.1108/jhlscm-07-2015-0028 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 300-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Ira Haavisto ◽

Jarrod Goentzel

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Humanitarian Assistance ◽

Supply Chain Performance ◽

Content Type ◽

Humanitarian Operations ◽

Setting Theory ◽

Definition Of ◽

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to deepen the understanding of supply chain performance objectives in the humanitarian context by striving to understand the underlying goals and conceptual variables behind the measurement of performance, such as efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The research is an in-depth case study with one humanitarian organization. The data are gathered with mixed methods over a two-year period. Interviews were conducted in August 2010 and April 2012, and a survey conducted in October 2012. Findings – Misalignments are detected among different groups in humanitarian operations and between their goals and processes. These misalignments could possibly be corrected through long-term thinking in short-term operations by considering sustainability aspects throughout humanitarian assistance, for example. In addition, efficiency was a commonly identified objective in the case organization, although the definition varied widely and extended beyond the traditional definition of productivity to include planning, accountability and quality. Practical implications – Better communication and definition of terms is necessary to align goals and the power hierarchy in humanitarian supply chains, where operations seem to be structured more according to donor requirements then beneficiary needs. Originality/value – This is an in-depth case study, applying goal-setting theory to study supply chain performance. The study further responds to the public “aid efficiency” discussion by striving to recognize how efficiency is understood and how it can be measured in a humanitarian supply chain.

Humanitarian supply chain performance management: a systematic literature review

Supply Chain Management An International Journal ◽

10.1108/scm-09-2013-0349 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (5/6) ◽

pp. 592-608 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Hella Abidi ◽

Sander de Leeuw ◽

Matthias Klumpp

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Literature Review ◽

Performance Measurement ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Performance Management ◽

State Of The Art ◽

The State ◽

Content Type ◽

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the state of the art of performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains; to categorize performance measurement indicators in the five supply chain phases of Gunasekaran and Kobu (2007) and evaluate them based on the evaluation criteria of Caplice and Sheffi (1995); and to define gaps and challenges in this field and give insights for future research in this domain. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review has been conducted using a structured method based on Denyer and Tranfield (2009) and Rousseau et al. (2008). The state of the art on humanitarian supply chain performance management with a focus on measurement frameworks and indicators and their applications in practice is classified in three categories. The first category is the definition and measurement of success in humanitarian supply chains. The second category is managing performance, which focuses on describing and analyzing the actual practice of managing performance. The third category shows the challenges in performance management that humanitarian supply chain actors deal with. Findings – Findings reveal that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains is still an open area of research, especially compared to the commercial supply chain sector. Furthermore, the research indicates that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains has to be developed in support of the supply chain strategy. Based on the findings of the literature review on performance measurement and management in the commercial and humanitarian field, a first classification of 94 performance measurement indicators in humanitarian supply chains is presented. Furthermore, the paper shows key problems why performance measurement and management systems have not been widely developed and systematically implemented in humanitarian supply chains and are not part of the supply chain strategy. The authors propose performance measurement guidelines that include input and output criteria. They develop a research agenda that focuses on four research questions for designing, deploying and disseminating performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. Practical implications – The result helps the humanitarian supply chain community to conduct further research in this area and to develop performance measurement frameworks and indicators that suit humanitarian supply chains. Originality/value – It is the first systematic approach to categorize research output regarding performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. The paper shows the state of the art in performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains and develops a research agenda.

Big data and predictive analytics in humanitarian supply chains

The International Journal of Logistics Management ◽

10.1108/ijlm-02-2017-0039 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 485-512 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Rameshwar Dubey ◽

Zongwei Luo ◽

Angappa Gunasekaran ◽

Shahriar Akter ◽

Benjamin T. Hazen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Survey Data ◽

Predictive Analytics ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Swift Trust ◽

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how big data and predictive analytics (BDPA), as an organizational capability, can improve both visibility and coordination in humanitarian supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conceptualize a research model grounded in contingent resource-based view where the authors propose that BDPA capabilities affect visibility and coordination under the moderating effect of swift trust. Using ordinary least squares regression, the authors test the hypotheses using survey data collected from informants at 205 international non-government organizations.FindingsThe results indicate that BDPA has a significant influence on visibility and coordination. Further, the results suggest that swift trust does not have an amplifying effect on the relationships between BDPA and visibility and coordination. However, the mediation test suggests that swift trust acts as a mediating construct. Hence, the authors argue that swift trust is not the condition for improving coordination among the actors in humanitarian supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of the study is that the authors have used cross-sectional survey data to test the research hypotheses. Following Guide and Ketokivi (2015), the authors present arguments on how to address the limitations of cross-sectional data or use of longitudinal data that can address common method bias or endogeneity-related problems.Practical implicationsManagers can use this framework to understand: first, how organizational resources can be used to create BDPA, and second, how BDPA can help build swift trust and be used to improve visibility and coordination in the humanitarian supply chain.Originality/valueThis is the first research that has empirically tested the anecdotal and conceptual evidence. The findings make notable contributions to existing humanitarian supply chain literature and may be useful to managers who are contemplating the use of BDPA to improve disaster-relief-related activities.

Effectiveness of Blockchain in overcoming barriers in Humanitarian Supply Chain

Psychology and Education Journal ◽

10.17762/pae.v58i1.1100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 2228-2235

Author(s):

Hrishikesh Palande, Dr. Shilpa Parkhi

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

New Technologies ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Independent Contractors ◽

Global Institutions ◽

Blockchain Technology ◽

Environmental Causes ◽

In the era of Industry 4.0 many new technologies are emerging and changing the status quo in many industries and sectors. On the other hand, people around the world are grappling with serious humanitarian issues of hunger, poor infrastructure effecting housing, education, healthcare. These problems are a result of complex causes ranging from natural disasters, environmental causes and human enforced causes such as ill governance, terrorism and forceable displacement of population belonging to certain communities. To address the humanitarian crisis global institutions are tirelessly working to assuage the suffering of people in crisis. Back bone of such initiatives is the Humanitarian Supply Chains which are often a complex linkage of Global non-profit organizations, private players, independent contractors, and local volunteers This paper aims at identifying the areas in humanitarian supply chain which can be improved by implementation of Blockchain technology. Barriers to humanitarian supply chains are identified from the extensive literature review. Using the responses received from experts in Humanitarian Supply Chains and Blockchain, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted giving us 4 factors in the context of Blockchain Implementation.

Perspectives on sustainability in humanitarian supply chains

Disaster Prevention and Management An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dpm-10-2013-0192 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 610-631 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Ira Haavisto ◽

Gyöngyi Kovács

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Aid Effectiveness ◽

Supply Chain Design ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Content Type ◽

Humanitarian Supply Chain ◽

Societal Expectations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for analysing how humanitarian organisations (HOs) address different expectations regarding sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative and qualitative content analysis is used to assess the annual reports (ARs) of HOs for their discussions on sustainability overall, and in relation to contextual expectations, subsystems and supply chains, organisational structure and strategy. Findings – HOs address sustainability primarily from the perspective of contextual expectations from society and beneficiaries. Some fits between supply chain design and societal expectations are attended to, but fits between programmes and contextual expectations are not discussed explicitly. Research limitations/implications – ARs express what organisations want to portray of their activities rather than being direct reflections of what occurs in the field, hence the use of ARs for the study delimits its findings. However, HOs rarely publish sustainability reports. Practical implications – Even though there is a general pursuit of the elusive aim of aid effectiveness, organisational structures need to be further aligned with societal aims as to support these. Social implications – Beneficiaries are still seen as external to the humanitarian supply chain and humanitarian programmes, though their role may change with the introduction of more cash components in aid, voucher systems, and ultimately, their empowerment through these. Originality/value – The suggested conceptual framework combines elements of contingency theory with a prior four perspectives model on sustainability expectations. The framework helps to highlight fits between the humanitarian context, operations and programmes as well as misalignments between these.

Using collaborative research methodologies in humanitarian supply chains

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management ◽

10.1108/jhlscm-06-2018-0041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 371-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yasmine Sabri ◽

Mohammad Hossein Zarei ◽

Christine Harland

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Research Methodology ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Collaborative Research ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Research Process ◽

Content Type ◽

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an existing collaborative research methodology process (Sabri, 2018), contextualise it for application in humanitarian supply chains and test it empirically. Design/methodology/approach Building on collaborative research methodology and humanitarian supply chain literature, the Sabri’s (2018) collaborative research methodology process is further developed to comprise eight phases of collaborative research contextualised for the humanitarian supply chain domain. The process is applied in a collaborative research case of academia–practitioner knowledge co-creation in a humanitarian supply chain setting, focussing on environmental sustainability improvement. The collaborative case analysis suggests a number of refinements to the elements of the process. This study undertook two cycles of academia–practitioner collaborative research. Findings In testing the process, a noticeable improvement in the collaboration among different humanitarian stakeholders was observed, leading to improved stakeholder management. The implementation improved the sustainability awareness and social inclusion of the affected population. Rurality, remoteness, security issues and resistance of field staff against change were among the main challenges for supply chain researchers to engage in collaborative research in the humanitarian domain. Originality/value The paper addresses the rigour‒relevance‒reflectiveness debate in the humanitarian supply chain domain. A collaborative research methodology process derived from action research is further developed using humanitarian literature, and then it is applied in a humanitarian logistics case focussed on environmental sustainability. The present collaborative research process facilitates engaged scholarship among the humanitarian stakeholders, as the researchers’ roles move from observatory to participatory knowledge broker.