Managing dependence in logistics outsourcing relationships: evidence from China

As third-party logistics (3PL) plays an increasingly important role in businesses, managing dependences between 3PL providers and users has become critical for business success. Drawing on the resource dependency theory (RDT), we propose that logistics integration and interorganisational relationships are two effective approaches for 3PL users to cope with their dependence on 3PL providers and to achieve better financial performance. The model was empirically tested using data collected from 134 3PL users in China. The results show that both inter-organisational relationships and integration and their interplay effectively carry the positive influence of dependence on financial performance. We also find that while both interorganisational relationships and integration are effective for Chinese-controlled 3PL users to leverage their dependence on 3PL providers for financial performance improvement, foreign-controlled 3PL users rely solely on interorganisational relationships to manage their dependence.     

Effects of external uncertainties and power on opportunism in supply chains: evidence from China

This study examines the determinants of opportunism in supply chain relationships in emerging markets. Drawing on transaction cost theory and resource dependence theory, we propose that external uncertainties (environmental uncertainty and legal unprotectability) influence opportunism through power (coercive and non-coercive). The results, based on 240 companies in China, indicate that environmental uncertainty enhances supplier opportunism directly and indirectly through the buyer’s use of coercive power over the supplier, while legal unprotectability enhances supplier opportunism directly, but reduces it indirectly through the buyer’s use of non-coercive power. While buyer coercive power increases supplier opportunism, buyer non-coercive power decreases it.     

Relational benefits and manufacturer satisfaction: an empirical study of logistics service in supply chain

Using data collected from US manufacturing firms, this research evaluates logistics service from the eyes of manufacturers. The study leads to a close look at how manufacturers view third party logistics services to provide important strategic and operational values to manufacturers. The results indicate that the building of a long-term relationship is mediated by trust and commitment from manufacturers. When manufacturers believe that the logistics service provider is honest and passionate, and care about their business, they will make a commitment toward a long-term business relationship.     

Perception differences between buyer and supplier: the effect of agent negotiation styles

This study investigates the effects of individual negotiation styles on a buyer’s stated behaviour and a supplier’s anticipation of the buyer’s behaviours with regard to opportunism and compliance in a multi-echelon production network under different firm-level governance mechanisms. We design a between-subjects matched-scenario experiment to collect data from both sides of a buyer?supplier dyad. We find that agent negotiation styles do exert influences on opportunism but not compliance. Specifically, we find that the effects of firm-level governing mechanisms dominate the effects of individual negotiation styles with regard to compliance, while individual negotiation styles have influence beyond firm-level governing mechanisms with regard to opportunism. Theoretical contributions of our findings to the current literature and managerial implications to practice are discussed.     

Innovation output and state ownership: empirical evidence from China’s listed firms

Abstract

China has experienced a surge in innovation output in which state-owned enterprises (SOE) play an essential role. Using panel data of Chinese listed firms, this paper examines the influence of state ownership on innovation output at the firm level. Controlling for size, we analyse the effects of central and local government control on the number of firms’ patent applications in different time periods. Doing so, standard assumptions on state ownership’s inhibiting character are confirmed. However, we then qualify these findings by running separate models for different regions and sectors finding that the impact of state-control on innovation performance depends on a number of conditions. More precisely, state control of firms has a negative impact on innovation output in particular in China’s Northeast region and in mid-tech sectors whereas under other circumstances it does either not matter or can even exert a positive influence.     

Measurement and analysis of vibration levels for express logistics transportation in South China

Trunk transportation and terminal distribution are two important parts of express delivery in China. Heavy truck and medium truck are two main vehicles of trunk transportation. Mini van and two‐wheel electric bicycle are widely used for terminal distribution. Four vehicles mentioned previously and a sedan car were chosen for vibration level measurement and analysis in this paper. The results revealed that vibration levels were significantly higher in the vertical axis, and decreased with the increase of payload, and increased with the increase of speed again. Similar power spectral density peak frequencies were found in a comparison study with previous results in the low‐frequency region (1‐10 Hz), occurred at approximately 2 Hz in the van and sedan car and at 3 to 4 Hz in the truck and at 4 to 5 Hz in the two‐wheel electric bicycle. Except the two‐wheel electric bicycle, the second peak frequency occurred at approximately 20 to 30 Hz in the sedan car and at 10 to 20 Hz in the mini van and at 20 to 40 Hz in the heavy truck, which were also similar to the previous studies. Vibration levels of the sedan car were the lowest, and the trunk transportation vehicles (heavy truck, medium truck) were the highest. The terminal distribution vehicles (mini van, two‐wheel electric bicycle) were somewhere in the middle.     

Risk management framework for outsourcing in the defence sector: a case from India

A nation automatically becomes strong if it has self-sufficiency to fulfil its defence requirements. India is moving in the direction to attain self-reliance in the defence sector. The aim of this paper is to analyse the critical issues faced in outsourcing by an organisation in Indian Defence Sector and extend easy, quick, complete and practically implementable risk mitigation strategies for enabling better decision-making. In this research, a list of 20 risk criteria is finalised on the basis of the literature survey and expert’s opinion. Analysis in this research shows that, three criteria which can seriously affect the outsourcing are Material shortage risk, Quality Risk and On-time delivery risk. The paper employs an integrated framework which includes ‘Grey Theory, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Risk Management Matrices’ for a comprehensive risk management in the defence sector. The paper delivers a 10-point risk management action plan to counter the various problems faced during outsourcing in the defence sector, especially in the Indian context. In brief, this paper investigates the various important issues related to outsourcing, which are faced by organisations working in Indian Defence Sector and extends a practically implementable methodology to derive a practically amicable solution for the case organisation.     

Responsible governance in science and technology policy: Reflections from Europe,China and India

This Issues and Opinions Essay provides insights on developments and challenges related to responsible governance in the field of science and technology (S&T) across Europe, China and India. The Essay presents an overview of policy debates and some key public policy documents in these three geopolitical areas, exploring how responsibility is viewed and outlined in the policy domain. Considerations on the range of processes and actors affecting the relationship between science and society in China and India are also presented. Finally, the Essay introduces ‘responsiveness’ as a possible area for comparative research work on responsibility in S&T and relevant policy collaboration amongst the three regions.     

信任、合作与工程项目管理绩效关系研究——来自承发包双方独立数据的证据

信任对工程项目管理绩效的影响已得到学术界的广泛认同,但主流研究尚未从理论逻辑和实证分析角度圆满解答信任影响工程项目管理绩效的作用机理,且缺少对承发包人双方信任关注点差异性的考量.在关系治理理论的研究逻辑下,将信任划分为能力信任、诚信信任和制度信任,并引入合作作为关系行为,构建了“信任—合作—工程项目管理绩效”的理论模型.通过对工程项目中承发包双方问卷数据的独立处理,一方面证明了信任对工程项目管理绩效的积极促进作用,及合作在其中发挥的部分中介变量作用;另一方面,进一步揭示了承发包双方信任关注点的差异性,即发包人强调源于承包人能力和诚信的信任;承包人则关注源于发包人诚信和制度规范的信任.     

Taxonomy of information technology strategy and its impact on the performance of third-party logistics (3PL) in China

This paper develops a taxonomy of information technology strategies used by third-party logistics (3PL) firms in China based on a cluster analysis of survey data from 105 of these 3PL firms. The information technology strategies have been classified into three major groups: supportive, technological, and aligned. The paper also investigates the effect of information technology strategies on information technology advantage, competitive advantage, and financial performance. The results of the study indicate that efforts to improve information technology systems can only be effective if the information technology improvements are properly aligned with a company's overall strategy. It is found that companies that attempt to improve their information technology systems without the proper alignment of information technology with the company's overall strategy can achieve information technology advantages relative to their competitors, but not competitive advantages or improved financial performance. This study is the first attempt to develop an information technology strategy taxonomy for 3PL companies in China. It provides valuable guidance and insights for managers in the development of information technology strategies in 3PL companies.     

The changing geography and ownership of value creation: evidence from mobile telecommunications

Through an innovative trade-in-task case study, we explore how Nokia, which is historically one of the most important mobile phone manufacturers in the world, offshored the development and production of three distinct mobile phones at three different points in time. Adjacent to these processes, we find that the value creation in areas such as design and manufacturing knowledge has rapidly shifted away from advanced economies to emerging economies. Moreover, we find that the value added captured by Nokia decreased dramatically over the studied time period. Based on our results, we uss more generally the challenge of multinational corporations to preserve value and how the realisation of the benefits of offshoring must be assessed with respect to the altered requirements for controlling value-adding activities.     

A comparison of institutional systems affecting software advancement in China and India: The role of outsourcing from Japan and the United States

The emergence of new innovation depends on co-evolution with institutional systems. Innovations will stagnate if they cannot adapt to institutions, as illustrated by the rise and subsequent fall of some Japanese innovations in the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly, conspicuous software advancements in China and India can be attributed to their unique institutional systems. While both countries share certain similarities that enable them to develop advanced software that attracts leading countries, the outsourcing partners of the two countries—China with Japan, and India with the US—are related to disparities in their institutional systems that have an impact on their software development. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis to identify such similarities and disparities. Since innovation is shifting from developers’ sites to a process of diffusion and utilization with broader interactions with institutional systems, this analysis can provide important insight into the development of science and technology in a global context.     

An empirical study of impacts of production mix,product route efficiencies on operations performance and profitability: a reverse logistics approach

This research studies the impact of two reverse logistics business strategies on profitability of the firm through operations management (OM). The study is employed on scrap steel industry. The first strategy is production mix efficiency (PME), which is involved in the process of producing goods. The second strategy is product route efficiency (PRE), which engages in the transportation of goods. Our finding indicates that OM alone does not have a positive impact on profitability. However, the two strategies have a positive effect on profitability, which provides a potential answer to firms trying to improve profitability.     

Research,development and growth in state-owned enterprises: empirical evidence from Ecuador

ABSTRACT

Investment in R&D is essential for the survival and growth of organizations. Recent literature has focused on the study of effects of R&D on the growth of private companies. However, there is no research studying the effects of R&D on the growth of Latin American public companies. This paper estimates, using an endogenous growth model, the effect of investments in R&D on sales growth in public enterprises of Ecuador. Data corresponding to a sample of 86 public companies have been taken from the Survey of Activities of Science and Technology (ACTI) of Ecuador for the period 2012 to 2014. These data are estimated by OLS. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive relation between investment in research and development and the growth of sales in public companies.     

Research and innovation in higher education: empirical evidence from research and patenting in Brazil

Scientometrics - The encyclicals, also known as papal letters, are documents that have a profound influence on the Catholic Church and, as a result, on the West. This research seeks to explore the...     

The development of a decision support framework for a quantitative risk assessment in multimodal green logistics: an empirical study

The objective of this research was to develop a decision support framework (DSF) to assess quantitative risk in multimodal green logistics. This risk assessment is the combination of a number of models, the failure mode and effects analysis, the risk contour plot, the quantitative risk assessment, the analytic hierarchy process and the data envelopment analysis which can support a user to perform risk assessment in various decisions. The contribution of this research is that the risk assessment model can generate an optimal green logistics route in accordance with weight from the user. The highlight of this DSF is that the quantitative assessment model can reduce bias on risk assessment of logistics route. An in-depth case study, recommendations, limitations and further research are also provided.     

Chinese state and society in epidemic governance: A historical perspective

This paper looks at the role of state and society in the history of epidemic governance in China for an appreciation of the way China manages the current COVID-19 epidemic.     

Blockchain applications in supply chains,transport and logistics: a systematic review of the literature

This paper presents current academic and industrial frontiers on blockchain application in supply chain, logistics and transport management. We conduct a systematic review of the literature and find four main clusters in the co-citation analysis, namely Technology, Trust, Trade, and Traceability/Transparency. For each cluster, and based on the pool of articles included in it, we apply an inductive method of reasoning and discuss the emerging themes and applications of blockchains for supply chains, logistics and transport. We conclude by discussing the main themes for future research on blockchain technology and its application in industry and services.     

Collection network design with capacity planning in reverse logistics: static and restricted-dynamic models

This study proposes two collection network design models that determine the locations and capacities of collection centres and the allocations of refuse at demand points to the opened collection centres: a single-period static model for time-invariant demands and a multi-period restricted-dynamic model for time-variant demands over a planning horizon. The capacities of collection centres are not given, but decision variables are used to obtain cost savings by minimizing surplus capacities. The maximum allowable distance between collection centres and demand points and the minimum recovery rates of collection centres are also considered. Two heuristics are proposed for each of the two problems after formulating them as integer programming models. Computational experiments were conducted on various test instances, and the results are reported. It is shown from the test results that the restricted-dynamic approach outperforms the static model significantly when the refuse demands are time variant. Finally, some managerial insights are derived.