A systematic review of the literature on supply chain agility

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically examine the scholarly articles associated Murali Sambasivan with the diverse aspects of supply chain agility (SCA). The review highlights research insights, existing gaps and future research directions that can help academicians and practitioners gain a comprehensive understanding of SCA. Design/methodology/approach The present study has adopted author co-citation analysis as the research methodology, with a view to thoroughly investigating the good-quality articles related to SCA that have been published over a period of 22 years (1999-2020). In this study, 126 research papers on SCA – featuring diverse aspects of agility – from various reputed journals have been examined, analysed and assimilated. Findings The salient findings of this research are, namely, agility is different from other similar concepts, such as flexibility, leanness, adaptability and resilience; of the 13 dimensions of agility discussed in the literature, the prominent ones are quickness, responsiveness, competency and flexibility; literature related to SCA can be categorised as related to modelling the enablers, agility assessment, agility implementation, leagility and agility maximisation. This research proposes a more practical definition and framework for SCA. The probable areas for future research are, namely, impediments to agility, effective approaches to agility assessment, cost-benefit trade-offs to be considered whilst implementing agility, empirical research to validate the framework and SCA in the domain of healthcare and disaster relief supply chains. Practical implications This paper provides substantial insights to practitioners who primarily focus on measuring and implementing agility in the supply chain. The findings of this study will help the supply chain manager gain a better idea about how to become competitive in today’s dynamic and turbulent business environment. Originality/value The originality of this study is in: comprehensively identifying the various issues related to SCA, such as related concepts, definitions, dimensions and different categories of studies covered in literature, proposing a new definition and framework for SCA and identifying potential areas for future research, to provide deeper insights into the subject and highlight areas for future research.

Learning Agility and the Changing Nature of Leadership

“Learning Agility and the Changing Nature of Leadership: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice” explores the theoretical foundation and reviews the conceptual evolution of learning agility. Learning agility assessment has been closely connected to high-potential identification and development. It is asserted that the definition of high potential should expand beyond upward mobility to reflect what is needed for leadership effectiveness in today’s volatile and dynamic business environment. Combining the learning agility literature with the findings from recent research on adaptability, the chapter proposes a theory-based model of learning agility to enhance its conceptual clarity. This model appears to encompass existing learning agility assessment tools quite well. Subsequently, the chapter reviews the empirical findings from several learning agility studies, especially its incremental validity in explaining leader success, and examines its relationship with other constructs. The chapter closes with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications.

RELIABILITY OF TESTS FOR SPEED AND AGILITY ASSESSMENT IN CADET BASKETBALL PLAYERS

The aim of this research is to determine whether the Illinois test (IL), T-test (Tt), 4x5m Shuttle run (4x5m), 20 m Sprint (S20m), 10 m Sprint (S10m) are reliable tests in assessing the speed and agility of cadet basketball players. The strategy of this research involved a traditional quantitative approach to research with a correlation studies design. The total sample consisted of 38 male participants. The mean age of the participants was -AGE=16.03 years, body height-BH=183.5 cm; body mass-BM=74.1 kg; Body Mass Index-BMI=22.08 kg/m2. The most reliable agility test when performing without a ball is ILNB, while less reliable are TtNB and the 4x5mNB, both without a ball. A reliable test that is performed without a ball to assess the speed of a cadet basketball player is the S10mNB. On the other hand, all speed and agility tests when performed with a ball are reliable for testing cadet basketball players. The proposed speed and agility tests have proven to be reliable for cadet basketball players.

Supply chain agility assessment of an Indonesian humanitarian organization

PurposeThe article presents an evaluation of the supply chain agility of the Indonesian humanitarian organization Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT). It discusses the flexibility, responsiveness and effectiveness of ACT's supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe supply chain agility metrics were assessed based on interviews with representatives from ACT and the National Agency for Disaster Management (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana [BNPB]). Recommendations were made based on the assessment results.FindingsThe findings of this study indicated that ACT's supply chain agility maturity was at level 2 or repeatable. This meant that ACT's humanitarian supply chain (HSC) had demonstrated agility only on limited occasions. ACT's supply chain agility can be improved by enhancing the flexibility component.Practical implicationsThe study shows how to assess the supply chain agility of a humanitarian organization and identify the components/capabilities of agility that need improvement. The same assessment can be conducted by other humanitarian organizations to enhance their supply chain agility to improve their emergency response in the event of a disaster.Originality/valueThe study provides insights into the supply chain agility of a locally based humanitarian organization in an emerging country, which is rarely discussed in the literature.