THE BENEFITS OF USING E‐BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY: THE SUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

The use of e‐business technologies between supply chain organizations has primarily been examined from the viewpoint of buying firms or retailers, with little attention given to the benefits accrued to suppliers. Further, previous studies have been limited to either financial or marketing performance measures, or a narrow range of operational measures. This study builds on research in this area by testing a model of the relationship between supplier use of e‐business technologies in communication with their primary buyer, degree of buyer‐supplier coordination, and a complete set of benefits that include strategic and operational performance measures. Using data from 241 first‐tier OEM suppliers in the computer industry, the findings show that supplier use of e‐business technologies positively impacts organizational benefits both directly and indirectly by promoting buyer‐supplier coordination.     

Testing the Negative Effects of Time Pressure in Retail Supply Chain Relationships

In today's rapidly evolving business environment, retailers must develop highly responsive supply chains in order to satisfy constantly changing market demands. One approach to achieving this objective is to leverage the capabilities of other supply chain members to achieve cycle time compression of key business activities. However, when viewed through the theoretical lenses of Social Exchange Theory and Reciprocity, a potential conflict exists between facilitating supply chain responsiveness and maintaining close retailer–supplier relationships. The purpose of this research is to quantitatively test how the imposition of time pressure affects key elements of retail supply chain relationships. Scenario based experimental methodology was utilized to test the effects of time pressure on two distinct types of retailer–supplier relationships. Results of this research offer evidence to support the notion that time pressure can reduce collaborative behaviors, relationship loyalty, and relationship value in critical retailer–supplier relationships.     

Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating competitive advantage through streams of innovation

In today's fast-paced competitive environment, firms face the need to be increasingly nimble and adaptive. While often able to establish a certain level of performance based upon existing technologies, firms are equally as often to be left flat-footed in the face of emerging, novel technologies. We discuss strategic entrepreneurship as the means through which firms simultaneously exploit their current competitive advantages while exploring for future opportunities. Achieving a balance between exploration and exploitation consists of more than merely allocating resources evenly between the two processes. As discussed, exploration and exploitation are operationally, structurally, and culturally distinct processes.     

Crossing the great divide of strategic entrepreneurship: Transitioning between exploration and exploitation

Managing uncertainty effectively is perhaps one of the most significant challenges a firm's decision makers face today. Strategic entrepreneurship—defined as exploration for future sources of competitive advantage, combined with exploitation of current sources of competitive advantage—has been proposed as a means via which decision makers can manage uncertainty. In this article, we discuss the transition between exploration and exploitation activities within organizations as a vital part of strategic entrepreneurship; this transition process can involve various types of internal firm challenges. Additionally, we highlight various sources for these internal challenges and mechanisms through which firms can overcome them.     

A THREE‐STAGE IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION

Leading companies know that collaboration and creativity in supply chain (SC) relationships are critical to future competitiveness. Yet, many companies struggle to collaborate effectively. This reality raises the question: “How can managers overcome the cultural and structural impediments to SC collaboration?” Through a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, we identify core practices and key requirements to successful SC collaboration. Contingency and force field theories help transform our field study findings into a three-stage model for improving SC collaboration. The constant challenge of persuading other managers and companies to pursue SC collaboration highlights the need for a proven-path approach to SC collaboration.     

AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE ALONG SEVERAL DIMENSIONS OF RISK

This research operationalizes several supply chain risk sources and investigates their relationships with supply chain performance. The responses of 760 executives from firms operating in Germany reveal that demand side and supply side risks do have a negative impact on performance whereas regulatory, legal and bureaucratic risks, infrastructure risks, as well as catastrophic risks do not. The analysis and results augment previous research regarding the impact of supply chain risks on the operational performance of firms and shareholder value and provide a detailed analysis of supply chain risk sources as contextual variables in strategic decision‐making.     

DEVELOPING SOCIAL IDENTITY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Competition involves not firm against firm but rather supply chain against supply chain, but few studies explain theoretically the subsistence of a supply chain as a social entity or the operating mechanisms through which firms socialize to obtain better business performance. On the bases of social identity theory and social capital theory, the authors suggest that the salience of supply chain identity accumulates social capital in a supply chain, which then facilitates supply chain management and improves business performance.     

基于价值的供应链结构分析

本文从股东价值出发,研究了构成供应链价值增值的结构性因素,即供应链库存、运输与配送、设施、信息和组织形式,并进一步分析了这些价值驱动要素在实现供应链目标中的管理杠杆作用,为供应链设计、运营和管理提供了一个基本框架。     

国内近20年关于比较优势与(国家)竞争优势问题研究的统计与评论

迈克尔·波特1990年出版的《国家竞争优势》在海外学术界引起了热烈的论战,但国内的研究不但严重滞后,且出现完全推崇的"一边倒"格局,质疑者屈指可数,整体研究质量堪忧。本文通过对1980-2009年国内公开发表的关于比较优势和(国家)竞争优势的文献进行检索,就检选出的417篇期刊论文和37篇硕博论文的研究内容和研究手段进行归纳,从"两优势"的研究入手,探讨了国内经济与管理领域研究存在的主要问题,分析了产生问题的原因,希望能够促进该领域研究水平的提高。     

An integrated approach to managing extended supply chain networks

In an effort to improve their competitive position in a rapidly changing marketplace, many companies have replaced their traditional supply chains with extended supply chain networks built on a foundation of supply chain collaboration. These extended networks require the use of decision support tools and technologies to improve both operating efficiencies and customer service, but many companies have struggled to realize the expected benefits of these tools and the increased collaboration. This article recommends that companies adopt an integrated strategy of people, processes, and technology to achieve their competitive supply chain goals. Our recommendation is backed by the results of a survey we conducted of senior-level practitioners concerning the importance and challenges of supply chain collaboration. The article concludes with a set of managerial recommendations to improve a company’s collaborative efforts within its supply chain.     

An improved method for managing catastrophic supply chain disruptions

This article analyzes the differences between frequent and rare risks for supply chain disruptions, and proposes a new, improved risk measurement and prioritization method to account for the characteristics of rare risks. The varying idiosyncrasies of decision makers are integrated into this method such that risk management can be brought into alignment with an individual manager's preferences. Also woven into this tapestry is the notion of detection, which is familiar to those who have applied failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), but novel in the arena of supply chain risk management. Rare risks in the supply chain are, by their nature, unsettling: unforeseen disruptions are always present, probability estimates are imprecise, and comprehensive data collection is impossible. These difficulties are taken into account by the presented risk management framework. While the proposed ordinal scales are perhaps unsettling to many who desire greater precision, measurement methods must fit the precision that is possible. By considering rare risks along with frequent risks, managers can be better positioned to deal with the unforeseen.     

开放型经济下新疆比较优势向竞争优势转化的理论思考

新疆在参与国内外市场竞争中应认识和发挥自己的优势,将比较优势转变为竞争优势是振兴新疆经济需要解决的一个重要的理论问题。与传统的比较利益理论相对应,新疆近年来在国际贸易战略上突出表现为资源密集型和劳动密集型产品出口。本文的研究表明:单纯的比较优势,不一定能成为竞争优势。注重质量和效益的对外贸易不能停留在现有的比较优势上,需要将这种比较优势通过有效途径转化为竞争优势。     

如何将服务贸易的比较优势转化为竞争优势

服务贸易不同于货物贸易,服务贸易的比较优势、竞争优势也与货物贸易不同。服务贸易具有不可分离性、不可触知性、不可储存性等特点。服务贸易比较优势主要是以人力资本为基础。企业的长期发展,必须将比较优势转化为竞争优势。要加快国内服务业发展,进一步开放服务贸易市场,优化和升级我国国际服务贸易结构,提高整体竞争力。     

竞争优势探寻——价值链分析法的运用

价值链分析法是由波特提出的,将其作为分析评价企业竞争优势的一种战略工具,通过成本分析和差异分析,找出公司在价值生产过程中的利弊。如今,价值链分析已经成为企业战略管理创造和提高竞争优势的基本途径。企业要获取有利的竞争优势就要实施基于价值链的战略,通过价值链活动和价值链关系的调整来实施其基本战略。     

Blockchain technology for enhancing supply chain resilience

With the soaring value of bitcoin and frenzy over cryptocurrency, the blockchain technology that sparked the bitcoin revolution has received heightened attention from both practitioners and academics. Blockchain technology often causes controversies surrounding its application potential and business ramifications. The blockchain is a peer-to-peer network of information technology that keeps records of digital asset transactions using distributed ledgers that are free from control by intermediaries such as banks and governments. Thus, it can mitigate risks associated with intermediaries’ interventions, including hacking, compromised privacy, vulnerability to political turmoil, costly compliance with government rules and regulation, instability of financial institutions, and contractual disputes. This article unlocks the mystique of blockchain technology and discusses ways to leverage blockchain technology to enhance supply chain resilience in times of increased risks and uncertainty.     

也谈供应商管理

在今日企业的经营生产活动中,强调供应链一体化,外购、外协部品在生产工具成本中所占的比例往往占到总成本的一半抑或更高。供应商不单影响生产成本,更决定了企业生产产品的质量与过程的产出率。因此,保证企业在尽可能大的范围内选择并获取优质服务,也保证投标者有一个公平竞争的机会是每个企业必须面对的难题。