Positioning Strategies for Social Cause Organizations: A Multivariate Analysis of Dimensions and Ideals

The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for exploring positioning strategies for social cause organizations (SCO) in an attempt to better utilize their distinguishable nature and ability to foster aspects of desired change. Although much research has been considered regarding SCOs and their ability to attract understandable interest and passion, limited work has investigated their unique positioning strategies. Statistical positioning tools will provide an analytical perspective of the attributes these organizations possess and what influences they may have on individual perceptions. Published marketing materials from select SCOs will be examined. Analysis will reveal perceptual maps based upon respondent attribute ratings. “Ideal” SCOs will then be identified with multivariate regression. Results will be further tested to discern the predictive capabilities of the maps. Last, theoretical and managerial implications will be forwarded for discussion.     

MANAGING CHANGE IN SUPPLY CHAINS: A PROCESS COMPARISON

The coordination required to successfully implement supply chain initiatives suggest that supply chain management change processes may possess some unique characteristics. Yet, empirical studies are scarce to support this logic. Using an empirical design and data obtained from managers, and drawing largely from Lewin's change process conceptualization, this study compares the process of supply chain management change to non‐supply chain management change. Further investigation into monitoring and control of supply chain management change is advised.     

DEVELOPING AND MEASURING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

To investigate the construct of Supply Chain Management and its antecedent construct of a Supply Chain Orientation, reliable, valid scales of each are needed. In this study, we developed measurement scales for a supply chain orientation (SCO) and supply chain management (SCM). Validity and reliability of the developed scales were established and the relationship between a SCO, SCM, and business performance was also established, providing evidence of nomological validity. The implications of these findings for managers and researchers are discussed.     

A Natural Resource Scarcity Typology: Theoretical Foundations and Strategic Implications for Supply Chain Management

World population growth and increased consumption stemming from economic leveling are leading to scarcity of a number of natural resources on a global scale. Scarcity of critical natural resources such as oil, water, food, and precious metals has the potential to greatly impact commercial activity as the twenty‐first century progresses. The challenge of continuing to provide needed goods and services in the face of these constraints falls to supply chain managers, who are ultimately responsible for delivering utility to customers. Unfortunately, there has been almost no research focused on supply chain strategies aimed at mitigating natural resource scarcity’s (NRS) potential effects. The current research positions NRS as a supply chain risk and proposes an NRS typology based on key resource attributes. Supply chain mitigation strategies to counter each resource status are offered, with an overall objective of improving supply chain performance. The study recommends future research aimed at further developing theory and methods for countering NRS based on resource, systems and behavioral theories. In addition, this study has critical implications for practitioners faced with the growing threat of NRS in their supply chains.     

An inside perspective on carbon disclosure

Part of the underlying vision of CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) is to enhance firms’ climate change strategies by encouraging them to measure their emissions and corresponding risks and opportunities. Drawing on interviews with 38 firms in seven countries that disclose to CDP, we found that the benefits firms experience from the measurement and disclosure process are more diverse in nature than expected. They can be both operational and strategic, and internal as well as external. From our analysis of the firms’ experiences, we draw several implications for managers. First, managers should beware of various biases that may inhibit investments in profitable emission reduction opportunities. Second, participating in a disclosure-oriented process can be beneficial, even for a firm that ultimately decides not to disclose. Third, when disclosing greenhouse gas-related information, managers need to address multiple groups of stakeholders, not just investors. Fourth, when searching for emission reduction opportunities and in organizing the disclosure process, managers should not neglect opportunities that exist elsewhere in the supply chain.     

The Impact of Work-Related Values on the Readiness to Change in Estonian Organizations

This study contributes to our understanding of how work-related values, including ethics, are connected with the readiness to change in Estonian organizations. Research in Estonian companies involved 747 respondents. The author examined the influence of work-related values on attitude towards change and organizational learning. Empirical research in Estonian organizations indicates that work-related values predict attitude towards change and organizational learning. This study indicates the need for ethical conduct to achieve a competitive advantage in Estonia. Guidelines for managers and a model of value-based change management are subsequently developed.     

DEBIASING STRATEGIES IN SUPPLY MANAGEMENT DECISION‐MAKING

Human judgment and decision making under uncertainty are vulnerable to decision biases leading to deviations from the standard assumptions of the rational paradigm in economics. This fact is currently not widely reflected by research on decision making in sourcing contexts. However, supply managers are aware of the judgment and decision challenges that result from existing and increasing levels of uncertainty in the external, upstream supply chain, and deploy decision supporting strategies for debiasing their judgments. The analysis of supply management decisions using 441 data units from 133 embedded cases from 15 buying organizations revealed high levels of such debiasing strategies. However, the seemingly most effective mitigation strategy recommended in the general debiasing literature ‐ creating awareness of the underlying mechanics causing decision biases ‐ was only employed by one buying organization, indicating a need to further investigate debiasing strategies specifically in supply management contexts.     

The Relationship Between Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Stakeholder Pressure and Corporate Sustainability Performance

In 2009, Greenpeace launched an aggressive campaign against Nestlé, accusing the organization of driving rainforest deforestation through its palm oil suppliers. The objective was to damage the brand image of Nestlé and, thereby, force the organization to make its supply chain more sustainable. Prominent cases such as these have led to the prevailing view that sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is primarily reactive and propelled by external pressures. This research, in contrast, assumes that SSCM can contribute positively to the reputation of an organization as a “good citizen” and, thereby, counter the impression that external stakeholder pressure is the only driver of SSCM. The study draws on Resource Dependence Theory in analyzing the three competing models of the potential stakeholder, SSCM and the corporate sustainability performance relationship. A dataset of 1,621 organizations allows the statistical comparison of these three models. Findings suggest that stakeholder pressure and SSCM both contribute to an organization’s sustainability performance. Thus, supply chain managers will perceive benefits from SSCM other than merely the reduction of risk from reputational damage through stakeholder activism.     

Computer‐based data and organizational learning: The importance of managers’ stories

While many organizations are investing large amounts of money to provide computer‐based data to their managers, little is known about how, or even whether, managers use these data to learn about the business environment. This issue is explored by examining how grocery product managers use supermarket scanner data to learn about changes in the marketing environment. Managers’ stories play a central role in the four‐step process used by one product management organization as it learns from analyzing computer‐based data. First, a manager examines the data and looks for unexpected results—findings that contradict one or more of her stories about the marketing environment. If something is found, the manager carries out a relatively unstructured, multistage process to make sense out of the unexpected result. This process can be viewed as a dialogue between the result and a set of tools at the manager's disposal (including analyses of computer‐based data). Next, the manager tells the story to share her insights with peers and superiors, developing a common understanding. Finally, the manager creates an official story, which is used to “sell”; new marketing approaches to people outside the product manager organization—the sales force and supermarket buyers.     

Understanding Managers’ Reactions to Blockchain Technologies in the Supply Chain: The Reliable and Unbiased Software Agent

Organizations investing in supply chain information systems struggle to ensure successful adoption and implementation. Projects fail because of technical caveats, inability to meet business needs, and poor management of implementation. Implementation of blockchain technologies across a network of supply chain partners is more complex than internally focused technologies. It is necessary for partner firms to implement, contribute, and share information, and employees to actively use the capabilities of the technology to realize potential. Blockchain technologies can substitute for traditional interfirm intermediaries acting as an unbiased software agent embedded in the supply chain network. Understanding managers’ perceptions of and willingness to use blockchain technologies is crucial for successful implementation. Integrating design theory with classic diffusion processes, we conducted a scenario‐based role‐playing experiment with industry professionals to examine managers’ perceptions of blockchain technologies and willingness to use. We find that trustworthiness with regard to competence and perceived distributive justice is the focal drivers of managers’ willingness to use the technology. Additionally, both risk and interactional justice are not drivers of willingness to use blockchain technology despite significant claims to that effect. We provide implications for how managers can leverage these drivers to influence supply chain partners’ willingness to use the technology.     

Using Country Sustainability Risk to Inform Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Design Science Study

The sustainability of our global supply chains is an essential concern in strategic supply chain management research. Modern information and communication technologies enable stakeholders to punish buying firms for any sustainability‐related grievances at their suppliers, even in remote locations. This study investigates how the notion of country sustainability risk can inform sustainable supply chain management, in particular with respect to sustainability risk assessment at the individual supplier level. Drawing on institutional theory, we provide insights surrounding the emergence of environmental, social, and governance‐related country‐level sustainability risks and show their implications for and application in sustainable supply chain management. The study employs a design science methodology, based on cooperation with a multidivisional German technology firm, to develop a supply chain sustainability risk (SCSR) map as technological solution design. This article contributes to the study of SCSR by reconciling the scholarly SCSR discourse with the buying firms’ pursuit of efficiency. Moreover, it elucidates the augmentation of a research agenda through a design science approach. In practical terms, the technological solution design can directly inform managers about SCSR at the country level and serves as a decision basis for the management of individual suppliers.     

Barriers and stimuli to the use of information technology in retailing

The retail marketing environment is continuously changing. Changes in retail format, retailing processes and the competitive environment continue to create problems for retail management. This article examines the barriers and stimuli to the adoption of innovation in infonnation technology. Our objective is to demonstrate how managers might anticipate the problems associated with managing significant change and develop appropriate strategies to deal with such problems. Previous research has indicated that it is important to explore the views of a range of managers in the organization. Much of the previous research has relied on a single respondent from many organizations to provide an accurate picture. This research does not follow that tradition. It uses the views of more than one hundred managers within one organization. The research explores the relative attractiveness of the innovation to individual managers, the organization's receptivity to change and the presence or absence of a 'product' champion. It ends with recommendations on ways of improving the rate of acceptance of such technologies.     

Assessing the Efficiency of Risk Mitigation Strategies in Supply Chains

Mitigating supply chain risk is a critical component of a company's overall risk management strategy. Drawing upon Contingency Theory, we posit that the appropriateness and effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies are contingent on the internal and external environments and that there is no one‐size‐fits‐all strategy. While literature on risk management has proposed a variety of tools and techniques for effectively evaluating and managing supply chain risks, comprehensive assessment of the efficiencies of alternative risk mitigation strategies has not been addressed in the literature. Such an assessment will help managers select the appropriate mitigation strategy for a given decision‐making environment. To this end, this study is first of its kind in evaluating and proposing efficient supply chain risk mitigation strategies in the presence of a variety of risk categories, risk sources, and supply chain configurations. We combine an empirically grounded simulation methodology with data envelopment analysis and nonparametric statistical methods to analyze and rank alternative mitigation strategies. We find that the more efficient strategies focus on flexibility rather than on redundancy for supply chain failures. Our research presents several interesting and useful managerial insights for deciding what strategies are most capable of mitigating risks in a variety of contexts.     

Current and Desired Employee Communication Patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Evidence on Four Ghanaian Organizations

In this study, the author explores employees' expectations of organizational communication patterns including internal communication behavior in organizations. In-depth interviews of employees and managers were used as data from four Ghanaian organizations. Results show that employees want a change from the current pattern of overcentralized communication system in organizations to a more horizontal interpersonal communication. Findings also show the importance of effective and interpersonal communication as processes that can affect employees' attitude to work. Additionally, results show that aspects of national culture, structures and systems, and management practices influence the pattern of communication in organizations. The results suggest that work organizations would thrive only if both managers and employees work collectively as a team and understand each other through effective communication media institutionalized in the various organizations.     

The Effects of the Global Financial Crisis on Supply Chain Members in Non‐BRIC Emerging Markets

The global economic crises that began in 2008 had profound effects on the supply chains of many multinational firms across all industries including altering some fundamental supply chain characteristics. This study discusses the effects of the crises on lower‐level supply chain members in the context of the textile and garment industry in emerging markets. The fieldwork for this research and the integration of new United Nations data provide evidence for the vulnerability of those supply chain members that provide only commoditized basic services that do not depend on talent skills or resource availability. Most of these, less sophisticated supply chain members are located in non‐BRIC emerging economies, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Haiti, Honduras, and so on. We present a framework that is transferable across industries. The framework is useful for managers when evaluating the feasibility and reliability of different suppliers from emerging and developing countries in particular. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Middle managers' perception of subordinates' customer orientation in the banking sector

This study examined personal and contextual factors at work that influence middle-level managers' perception of their immediate subordinate's customer orientation (SCO). Data were based on 120 managers from seven organizations from the Cyprus banking sector. Results of structural equation modelling indicate that managers' trait of emotional intelligence has a significant indirect effect on their perceptions of their SCO via positive affect at work. Recommendations for further research are discussed.     

A Word to the Wise: How Managers and Policy-Makers can Encourage Employees to Report Wrongdoing

When successful and ethical managers are alerted to possible organizational wrongdoing, they take corrective action before the problems become crises. However, recent research [e.g., Rynes et al. (2007, Academy of Management Journal 50(5), 987–1008)] indicates that many organizations fail to implement evidence-based practices (i.e., practices that are consistent with research findings), in many aspects of human resource management. In this paper, we draw from years of research on whistle-blowing by social scientists and legal scholars and offer concrete suggestions to managers who are interested in encouraging internal reporting of problems requiring attention, and to observers of questionable activity who are considering reporting it. We also identify ways that research suggests policy-makers can have a more positive influence. We hope that these suggestions will help foster evidence-based practice regarding whistle-blowing.     

Disaster Resilience Through Public–Private Short‐Term Collaboration

While contingency planning may provide a perspective for anticipating critical incidents, supply chain managers must develop competencies to address the long‐term disruptions that stem from both natural and man‐made disasters. The broad‐reaching nature of disasters brings public and private entities together and often requires collaboration to revitalize disrupted supply chains. Leveraging supply chain governance logic through the dual lenses of resource management and competing values, a research framework is introduced to address the nature of public–private short‐term collaboration and its influence on supply chain resilience. The largely unstudied concept of short‐term collaboration is at the heart of a model focusing on the alignment and adjustment of potentially disparate organizational values (public/private) to establish collective responsiveness while facilitating the fulfillment of mutual goals for a single event and/or discrete repeat events. We offer research propositions pertaining to the model and conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and the dire need for future research.     

Blockchain Applications in Supply Chain Transactions

Blockchains, a disruptive technology with potentially many applications in modern‐day supply chain (SC) transactions, have not been adequately reflected by theory. Researchers and business managers must understand where and when blockchains’ application may be expected and investigated. The present study clarifies the discussion about blockchain application areas (BAAs) in SC transactions and their relevance for businesses. This study combines the findings from three methodological approaches: an extant literature review, a Delphi study, and a survey of 151 German machinery and equipment sector business managers. The results further our understanding of blockchains’ business opportunities among SC transactions and verify and extend Iansiti and Lakhani’s (Harvard Business Review 2017; 95: 118) blockchain adoption framework. Verified customer reviews and product quality certification are identified as the most relevant blockchain usages in SC transactions. Interestingly, we anticipate the least likely adoption of blockchains to occur for document‐signing processes despite arguments within the literature that suggest otherwise. Two newly identified BAAs—logistics and delivery systems—and token‐curated registries rank among the top four most relevant. The present study’s valuation of BAAs advances theory and will likely affect business strategies by indicating where, when, and why businesses should participate in blockchain networks.     

An Exploration of Managerial Views on Positioning Services in Ghana

ABSTRACT

The paper constitutes an analysis of the views of managers of service firms on positioning strategies in Ghana. The research employed a qualitative research method. Data were collected from 21 service managers and analyzed using content analysis procedures. The results indicate that for service managers, the perceived dominant positioning strategies of their organizations were: service quality, customer relationship, innovation, availability of service, community support, and leading organization, among others. The findings suggest that the dominant managerial views of Ghanaian service managers form a ‘hybrid’ of those of the Western manager. This research is important in clarifying this position. Additionally, as an exploratory piece, the study provides bases for further research on a topic in Ghana with a rather scant evidence of research.