International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

Rogers, Helen; Baricz, Norbert; Pawar, Kulwant S.

2016 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-07-2016-0210

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and classify the available types of 3D printing services, with the scope of determining the potential implications that such services could have on the supply chains of manufacturing firms and creating a research agenda for future studies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review the current literature on the potential supply chain impacts of 3D printing and evaluate the 3D printing services provided by 404 firms in selected European markets.FindingsThe results show that 3D printing services form a rapidly evolving industry, with new service providers entering the market on a regular basis. Evidence from the European markets investigated suggests that services can be classified into three distinct categories: generative, facilitative and selective services.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper represents an attempt to take stock of a fast-moving and potentially paradigm-shifting market. The implications are dynamic as new applications, business models and techniques are continually being developed. Further studies are required to substantiate the findings.Practical implicationsThree categories of 3D printing services that could significantly impact supply chain configurations of the future are proposed. Several issues specific to 3D printing services raised in the research agenda require further scrutiny and substantiation before services can reach their full potential.Originality/valueThis paper provides an overview of the growing 3D printing services industry, highlighting how the market might change as additive manufacturing technology matures.

Lagorio, Alexandra; Pinto, Roberto; Golini, Ruggero

2016 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-01-2016-0008

PurposeThe last decades have witnessed an increased interest in urban logistics originating from both the research and the practitioners’ communities. Sustainable freight transports today are on the political, social and technological agenda of many actors operating in urban contexts. Due to the extent of the covered areas and the continuous progress in many fields, the resulting body of research on urban logistics appears quite fragmented. From an engineering management perspective, the purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review (SLR) that aims to consolidate the knowledge on urban logistics, analyse the development of the discipline, and provide future research directions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the main evidence emerging from a SLR on urban logistics. The corpus resulting from the SLR has been used to perform a citation network analysis and a main path analysis that together underpin the identification of the most investigated topics and methodologies in the field.FindingsThrough the analysis of a corpus of 104 articles, the most important research contributions on urban logistics that represent the structural backbone in the development of the research over time in the field are detected. Based on these findings, this work identifies and discusses three areas of potential interest for future research.Originality/valueThis paper presents an SLR related to a research area in which the literature is extremely fragmented. The results provide insights about the research path, current trends and future research directions in the field of urban logistics.

Reimann, Felix; Shen, Pei; Kaufmann, Lutz

2016 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-11-2015-0278

PurposeBuilding on the dual-system approach and resource-advantage theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a particular personality trait of negotiators – namely, agreeableness – moderates the effectiveness of using coercion and reward power to appropriate value in buyer-supplier negotiations.Design/methodology/approachSimulated negotiations in buyer-supplier dyads with 152 participants are analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe analysis shows that negotiators’ agreeableness moderates the effectiveness of using coercion and reward power for suppliers, but not for buyers. Negotiators in the role of suppliers use reward power more effectively and coercion power less effectively if they have high agreeableness. Buyer negotiators benefit from using coercion, regardless of their personality.Research limitations/implicationsThis research focuses on two common negotiation tactics and one particularly relevant personality trait. Future research might examine additional tactics and personality traits, and might delve deeper into explaining the observed differences between negotiators in the role of buyer and supplier.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that negotiators on the supplier side can improve their effectiveness by choosing tactics that fit their personality. Negotiators on the buyer side should consider using coercion power, regardless of their personality.Originality/valueThis research introduces dual-system theory to the supply chain management (SCM) literature and suggests that SCM research can benefit from simultaneously examining conscious decision processes and subconscious influences. It further suggests that the effects of dual-system interactions are sensitive to context, and more theory accounting for differences between buyers and suppliers in a dyad should be developed.

Riley, Jason M.; Klein, Richard; Miller, Janis; Sridharan, V.

2016 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management

doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-10-2015-0246

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine if internal integration, information sharing, and training constitute direct antecedents to organizations’ warning and recovery capabilities. Assuming that organizations periodically face various supply chain risks, the authors intend to show that managers can develop these antecedent competencies in ways that bolster their supply chain risk management (SCRM) capabilities.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the relationships between the antecedents and SCRM capabilities, the authors used Q-sorts and confirmatory factor analysis to develop new warning and recovery measures. The authors then collected survey data from 231 hospital supply managers and analyzed these records using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that internal integration and training positively affect organizations’ warning and recovery capabilities, in both a direct and indirect manner. The authors also illustrate how managers can leverage their SCRM capabilities to affect operational performance.Research limitations/implicationsThese results suggest that by developing antecedent competencies like internal integration and training, firms may bolster their warning and recovery capabilities, and ultimately operational performance of the organization.Originality/valueThe findings provide hospital supply organizations and other inventory management teams with a novel approach to managing an evolving array of supply chain risks. Rather than investing in costly risk management techniques, like inventory stocks, organizations can use internal integration and training to improve their SCRM capabilities.