Analysis on the effects of global supply chain reconfiguration on China's high-end equipment manufacturing industryZhang, Xufan; Fan, Xue; He, Mingke
2024 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-11-2022-0346
The challenges faced by China's high-end equipment manufacturing (HEEM) industry are becoming clearer in the process of global supply chain (GSC) reconfiguration. The purpose of this study is to investigate how China's HEEM industry has been affected by the GSC reconfiguration, as well as its short- and long-term strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted a multi-method approach. Interviews were conducted in Phase 1, while a three-round Delphi survey was conducted in Phase 2 to reach consensus at the industry level.FindingsThe GSC reconfiguration affected China's HEEM supply chain (SC). Its direct effects include longer lead times, higher purchasing prices and inconsistent supply and inventory levels of key imported components and materials. Its indirect effects include inconsistent product quality and cash flows. In the short term, China's HEEM enterprises have sought to employ localized substitutes, while long-term strategies include continuous technological innovation, industry upgrades and developing SC resilience.Originality/valueThis study not only encourages Chinese HEEM enterprises to undertake a comprehensive examination of their respective industries but also provides practical insights for SC scholars, policymakers and international stakeholders interested in how China's HEEM industry adapts to the GSC reconfiguration and gains global market share.
The effect of perceptions of justice in returns on satisfaction and attitudes toward the retailerJones, Angela L.; Miller, Jason W.; Whipple, Judith M.; Griffis, Stanley E.; Voorhees, Clay M.
2024 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-01-2022-0007
In the competitive retailing environment, retailers who provide service experiences that stand out from the competition can gain a competitive advantage. Increasingly, an important aspect of the service experience involves product returns, in particular, the fairness of returns policies and procedures. Previous research studies support that interpersonal justice and informational justice relate positively to consumer attitudes and behaviors. In this paper, the authors examine the relative effects of interpersonal justice and informational justice on return satisfaction, positive word-of-mouth (PWOM) and trust. Additionally, the authors examine the moderating effects of returns process convenience and returns policy restrictiveness as indicators of procedural justice.Design/methodology/approachA scenario-based experiment methodology was used to test the relationships of interest.FindingsResults support that the effects of interpersonal justice on the outcome variables are stronger than the effects of informational justice. There is also support for a moderating effect of returns process convenience on the relationships between interpersonal justice and each outcome variable, as well as partial support for the moderating effect of returns policy restrictiveness on the relationship between interpersonal justice and PWOM.Originality/valueThe research extends previous work on the effects of justice on customer outcomes. Results support the importance of retailers treating customers with fairness during the returns experience and further support the benefits of providing a convenient returns experience.
Intelligent algorithms applied to the prediction of air freight transportation delaysMendonça, Guilherme Dayrell; Oliveira, Stanley Robson de Medeiros; Lima Jr, Orlando Fontes; Resende, Paulo Tarso Vilela de
2024 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-10-2022-0328
The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the data from consignors, logistics service providers (LSPs) and consignees contribute to the prediction of air transport shipment delays in a machine learning application.Design/methodology/approachThe research database contained 2,244 air freight intercontinental shipments to 4 automotive production plants in Latin America. Different algorithm classes were tested in the knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) process: support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), artificial neural networks (ANN) and k-nearest neighbors (KNN).FindingsShipper, consignee and LSP data attribute selection achieved 86% accuracy through the RF algorithm in a cross-validation scenario after a combined class balancing procedure.Originality/valueThese findings expand the current literature on machine learning applied to air freight delay management, which has mostly focused on weather, airport structure, flight schedule, ground delay and congestion as explanatory attributes.
Supply chain resilience as a system quality: survey-based evidence from multiple industriesGruchmann, Tim; Stadtfeld, Gernot M.; Thürer, Matthias; Ivanov, Dmitry
2024 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-06-2023-0203
Experiencing more frequent, system-wide disruptions, such as pandemics and geopolitical conflicts, supply chains can be largely destabilized by a lack of materials, services or components. Supply chain resilience (SCRES) constitutes the network ability to recover after and survive during such unexpected events. To enhance the understanding of SCRES as a system-wide quality, this study tests a comprehensive SCRES model with data from multiple industries.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a theoretical framework conceptualizing SCRES as system quality, extending the classical proactive/reactive taxonomy by multiple system states consisting of the supply system properties, behaviors and responses to disruptions. Underlying hypotheses were tested using an online survey. The sample consists of 219 responses from German industries. Maximum likelihood structural equation modeling (ML-SEM) and moderation analysis were used for analyzing the survey data. The study was particularly designed to elaborate on supply chain theory.FindingsTwo pathways of parallel SCRES building were identified: proactive preparedness via anticipation and reactive responsiveness via agility. Both system responses are primarily built simultaneously rather than successively. The present study further provides empirical evidence on the central role of visibility and velocity in achieving comprehensive SCRES, while flexibility only exerts short-term support after a disruption. The study additionally points to potential “spillover effects” such as the vital role of proactive SCRES in achieving reactive responsiveness.Originality/valueThe present study confirms and expands existing theories on SCRES. While stressing the multidimensionality of SCRES, it theorizes the (inter-)temporal evolution of a system and offers practical guidelines for SCRES building in various industrial contexts. It thus supports the transformation toward more resilient and viable supply chains, contributing to the increasing efforts of middle-range theory building to achieve an overarching theory. The study also points to potential future research avenues.
Supply chain job and vocational fit: links to supervisor ability, benevolence and integrityMeurs, James A.; Lowman, Graham H.; Gligor, David M.; Maloni, Michael J.
2024 International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management
doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-05-2023-0192
Supply chain has long faced a persistent workforce shortage. To help both organizations and the field create environments that are more conducive to employee retention, the authors investigate the outcomes of supply chain employee trust in their supervisor.Design/methodology/approachApplying person-environment fit theory, the authors evaluate the well-established antecedents to trust in supervisor ability, benevolence and integrity (ABI) relative to person-job (P-J) fit and person-vocation (P-V) fit of US supply chain employees.FindingsConfirmatory factor analysis indicates that ABI is best modeled as dimensions of a second-order formative trust construct rather than as its antecedents. However, PLS-SEM provides somewhat unconvincing support for the impacts of ABI-trust. Instead, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) delineates that all three ABI dimensions are not always needed for P-J and P-V fit in supply chain. Some employees respond to affective-based (i.e. benevolence) trust and others to cognitive-based (i.e. ability and integrity) trust.Practical implicationsThe QCA results offer specific recommendations for supply chain organizations to enhance employee trust in supervisors to succeed in the struggle for labor.Originality/valueThe results counter extant trust theory, encouraging scholars to consider ABI as distinct dimensions of trust. The study also demonstrates the importance of considering QCA in supply chain research to meaningfully expand contributions to theory and practice.