No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
A knowledge management perspective of supplier development: Evidence from supply chain scholars and consultants
Abstract
As a critical supply chain management strategy and topic, supplier development has been intensively used in industries and actively studied in academia. A recent comprehensive review indicates an increasing interest in incorporating knowledge management in supply chain management, but supplier development has been rarely researched from the perspective of knowledge management. This study incorporates the knowledge chain theory to supplier development and investigates the importance of each knowledge management activity in supplier development. Using the survey data from a sample of active scholars and consultants who are committed to supplier development, this study supports the significant role of knowledge management in supplier development. Specifically, these scholars and consultants suggest that both buying and supplying firms should at least moderately conduct each knowledge management activity in supplier development in order to achieve desired outcomes. We also find that the roles of buying and supplying firms vary across 9 knowledge management activities. In addition, our respondents indicate that the definition of supplier development raised based on the the knowledge chain theory is at least moderately successful in all the evaluation criteria. Based on the quantitative and qualitative evidence from our respondents, this study revises the definition slightly to make it more comprehensive and clear. This study contributes to extant research by confirming the necessity of implementing knowledge management activities in supplier development, validating the heterogeneous roles of knowledge management activities in supplier development, and raising a revised definition of supplier development from the knowledge management perspective.
... Regarding the significance of this study, knowledge management if effectively deployed, would enhance the performance, resilience capacity and innovation capability of service organisations (Alias et al. 2018); including innovativeness and entrepreneurial orientations of money deposit banks (Valmohammadi et al. 2019). Another significance of this study is that knowledge management provides employees with opportunity for growth when they share knowledge that is relevant in solving pressing problems in the workplace (Chen et al. 2018). Knowledge management is a process of creating, acquiring, and storing, distributing and utilizing knowledge to enhance organisational performance (Chen et al. 2018). ...
... Another significance of this study is that knowledge management provides employees with opportunity for growth when they share knowledge that is relevant in solving pressing problems in the workplace (Chen et al. 2018). Knowledge management is a process of creating, acquiring, and storing, distributing and utilizing knowledge to enhance organisational performance (Chen et al. 2018). ...
... Edeh and Ukpe (2019) asserts that tacit knowledge sometimes outweighs explicit knowledge because of the originality of the former. KM is seen as a process of developing and utilizing knowledge to attain organisational goals (Darroch 2005;Mills and Smith 2011;Chen et al. 2018;Kholiavko et al. 2020). Ever since workplace economy has metamorphosed into knowledge economy, managers, human resource professionals have equally adjusted their strategy to embrace KM as a practice of recognising people with core competencies. ...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of knowledge management on innovation capability in the banking sector. Research methodology: Cross-sectional research design was employed in this study as it supports the use of questionnaire for data collection. Fifteen deposit money banks constitute the accessible population. Questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. A sample size of 272 was drawn from the overall population of 920. Overall, 259 staff participated in the study. Demographic characteristics of participants were analysed with frequency distribution while linear regression was used to analyse formulated hypotheses with the aid SPSS. Findings: This study found that knowledge management has significant positive effects on innovation capability. Research limitations: The research limitation is associated with cross-sectional survey and geographical scope. Future studies should employ longitudinal survey that support data collection for a year. Secondly, future studies should be carried out in other countries other than Africa. Practical implications: The implication of the finding is that managers and directors of banks should encourage knowledge management practices in their workplaces as this has proven by this study to improve innovation capability in terms of marketing innovation capability , product innovation capability and process innovation capability. Originality/Value: There is no research that has investigated the effects of knowledge management on innovation capability. Thus, this study provides new insight on promoting innovation capability through knowledge management .
... Previamente la atención se ha focalizado en el proceso o flujo de productos, mientras que hoy en día se centra en el flujo de información. En la literatura se observa una estrecha relación entre la gestión del conocimiento y la innovación, ambas se consideran como factores relevantes de ventaja competitiva (Chen et al., 2018). ...
... La teoría de las capacidades dinámicas está conectada con la teoría de la gestión del conocimiento, la cual proporciona una descripción de las actividades específicas que relacionan la administración del conocimiento con la competitividad a través del aprendizaje y la innovación (Chen et al., 2018). Para explicar cómo las actividades de la gestión del conocimiento resultan en una mayor competitividad Holsapple y Singh (2001) desarrollaron la teoría de la cadena de conocimiento, la cual explica cómo las actividades de gestión del conocimiento que se realizan en eventos de gestión del conocimiento resultan en una mayor competitividad empresarial. ...
... Sunil y Routroy (2018) lo perciben como una iniciativa de la empresa compradora cuya función consiste en asistir a los proveedores clave a contribuir de manera competitiva de conformidad con los requisitos de los clientes. Chen et al. (2018) especifican que son las actividades relacionadas con la gestión del conocimiento que desarrollan las empresas compradoras y proveedoras con el propósito de satisfacer las necesidades de suministro de la empresa compradora mejorando también el desempeño de la empresa proveedora. Sulungbudi et al. (2019) también identifican la gestión del conocimiento como un elemento de valor que permite desarrollar, coordinar e integrar una serie de capacidades que podría conducir a mejoras de desempeño, tanto de la empresa compradora como de los proveedores. ...
En la actualidad, las empresas manufactureras se han centrado en la administración de la cadena de suministro y cómo mejorar su competitividad. Las ventajas competitivas son más fuertes si se trabaja en colaboración con los proveedores. En este contexto se analiza la importancia de investigar la relación del desarrollo de proveedores con la mejora de la capacidad competitiva a través de la innovación. El objetivo de este artículo es realizar una revisión sistemática de la literatura relacionada con el desarrollo de proveedores y la competitividad, en particular, la innovación como una ventaja competitiva en ambientes industriales o de manufactura. Los resultados se obtuvieron de artículos científicos recuperados de las bases de datos Ebsco, Scopus, Web of science y Google Académico que fueron publicados entre 2017 y 2021. Se siguió un proceso de selección con la metodología PRISMA. Los resultados demostraron que la tendencia ha ido en incremento en los últimos 5 años principalmente en países desarrollados. Se observa que México tiene una mínima participación en estas investigaciones.
... Supplier development is increasingly being recognised as a supply chain strategy that can improve a supplier's performance and, as a result, meet the buyer's short and long term supply needs (Chen et al., 2018). Supplier development covers a broad range of activities, which include training, technical assistance, supplier evaluation, investing resources in the supplier organisation, and the sharing of equipment and information, in order to improve supplier performance (Arroyo-López et al., 2012;Chen et al., 2018;Modi & Mabert, 2007). ...
... Supplier development is increasingly being recognised as a supply chain strategy that can improve a supplier's performance and, as a result, meet the buyer's short and long term supply needs (Chen et al., 2018). Supplier development covers a broad range of activities, which include training, technical assistance, supplier evaluation, investing resources in the supplier organisation, and the sharing of equipment and information, in order to improve supplier performance (Arroyo-López et al., 2012;Chen et al., 2018;Modi & Mabert, 2007). In the private sector, investigations have shown that supplier development positively influences knowledge transfer (KT) and, subsequently, performance improvement of the buyer (Modi & Mabert, 2007;Gosling et al., 2015). ...
... Supplier development activities encompass various means of KT from the buying organisation to the supplier (Wagner, 2010). Similarly, Chen et al. (2018) add that supplier development increases the stock of new knowledge in the suppliers' repository, which ultimately improves its performance and capability. However, these studies have not addressed the interplay between KT, AC and operational performance in supplier development. ...
Organisations are increasingly relying on supplier development as a supply chain strategy to improve organisational performance through knowledge transfer. Prior research suggests that effective knowledge transfer requires absorptive capacity, allowing organisations to identify, assimilate and convert external knowledge into commercial value. The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to examine the effectiveness of knowledge transfer in institutionalised supplier development and, secondly, to examine the mediating effect of absorptive capacity on the relationship between knowledge transfer and operational performance. We used multiple hierarchical regression and mediation analyses using a bootstrapping procedure to analyse 171 responses from self-administered questionnaires from stratified randomly selected small and medium-sized local contractors in Zambia’s construction industry. Findings reveal that knowledge transfer has a positive influence on the operational performance of local contractors. The study also found that knowledge transfer improves absorptive capacity, which significantly improves operational performance. The study shows that some of the dimensions of absorptive capacity do not significantly mediate the relationship. However, the relationship between knowledge transfer and the operational performance of local contractors is mediated by overall absorptive capacity. The paper contributes to understanding the role of absorption capacity in knowledge transfer and performance in the construction industry. Besides, the findings confirm that the effect of absorption capacity as a whole is more significant than its dimensions. Policy and managerial implications of the study findings have also been advanced.
... Examples of supplier development practices include training, technical assistance, supplier evaluation, sharing equipment and information in order to improve supplier performance (Sucky and Durst, 2013;Sancha et al., 2015;Sillanpää et al., 2015). Furthermore, Chen et al. (2018) extend the definition of supplier development as a set of knowledge management activities that are carried out by both the buyer and supplier and are designed to meet supply needs of the buying organisation by facilitating continuous performance and capability improvement. ...
... Supplier development activities encompass various means of KT from the buying organisation to the supplier (Wagner, 2010). Similarly, Chen et al. (2018) add that supplier development increases the stock of new knowledge in their suppliers' repository, which ultimately improves its performance and capability. In summary, the above studies recognise the importance of knowledge as a strategic resource and highlight the role of supplier development in facilitating KT. ...
... Therefore, training enables KT where a buyer or third-party acts as a 'teacher' organisation and a supplier as a 'student' who receives knowledge to improve performance (Kim et al., 2015). Chen et al. (2018) argue that supplier development increases the stock of new knowledge in their suppliers' repository, which ultimately improves its performance and capability. ...
Public procurement as a tool for socio-economic development has
attracted considerable attention from supplier development researchers. Supplier development strengthens the management of suppliers and improves their capabilities through knowledge transfer. The article examines how institutionalised supplier development initiatives are associated with knowledge transfer and the moderating role of institutional factors. The article applied multiple regression and moderation analyses on a sample of 171 contractors. Findings reveal that training and the 20% subcontracting policy are significantly associated with knowledge transfer, while the construction
finance, preferential, and reservation schemes are not. Regulatory compliance and government support moderate the relationship between institutionalised supplier development and knowledge transfer. Interactions indicate that low regulatory compliance is associated with high knowledge transfer, while government support is associated with high knowledge transfer at all levels. The article contributes to research by demonstrating the influence of regulatory
compliance and government support on the implementation of institutionalised supplier development.
... It is an intentional effort of the buying organization to improve the performance of the supplier to contribute to the short-or long-term supply needs of the buying organization (McKevitt and Davis 2014; Benton, Prahinski, and Fan 2020). Supplier development covers a wide range of activities from low involvement such as competitive pressure and supplier evaluation, to high involvement such as knowledge transfer through training of supplier personnel (Modi and Mabert 2007;Arroyo-López, Holmen, and de Boer 2012;Chen, Ellis, and Holsapple 2018). Knowledge transfer involves the ability of the organization to acquire knowledge from the external environment and share it internally in order to improve its operations through knowledge exploitation (Blome, Schoenherr, and Eckstein 2014). ...
... Chen, Ellis, and Holsapple (2015) further describe the supplier development as a paradigm of knowledge sharing that emphasizes the importance of knowledge to both the buyer and the supplier in improving performance. In this context, knowledge transfer from organizational actors such as individuals, teams and the organization itself, significantly contribute to performance improvement (Nagati and Rebolledo 2012;Chen, Ellis, and Holsapple 2018). These activities stimulate knowledge transfer in that they involve direct interactions between the buyer and supplier employees (Modi and Mabert 2007). ...
... The transient nature of the construction industry presents unique challenges compared to those of the manufacturing industry (Smyth and Duryan 2020), which result in discontinuities in knowledge transfer within and between organizations. Therefore, the study hypothesizes that: Linking knowledge transfer to operational performance There is increasing recognition that knowledge management improves operational performance through effective knowledge transfer and application (Chen, Ellis, and Holsapple 2018). The knowledge-based view has identified knowledge as a strategic resource that, if leveraged correctly through organizational routines, lead to positive competitive performance outcomes (Grant 1996). ...
The purpose of the study is, first, to examine how, and which institutionalized supplier development initiatives are associated with knowledge transfer, and, second, to investigate the mediating role of knowledge transfer between institutionalized supplier development and operational performance. Data were collected through a survey of SME contractors in the construction industry in Zambia. A total of 171 successful questionnaires were analyzed using hierarchical regression and the bootstrapping procedure. The findings show that direct institutionalized supplier development approaches such as the 20% subcontracting policy and training are related to knowledge transfer. The findings also reveal that knowledge transfer mediates the relationship between the 20% subcontracting policy and operational performance, as well as between training and operational performance. However, there is no evidence of a relationship between knowledge transfer and indirect supplier development such as the construction finance initiative, preferential and reservation schemes. Regarding policy implications, the study suggests that policymakers should prioritize direct institutionalized supplier development initiatives that stimulate knowledge transfer. The original contribution of the article is the application of indirect and direct supplier development and knowledge transfer in the context of public-funded construction projects.
... Chen et.al. [29] found that all supplier development activities are heavily knowledge-based. Knowledge has been identified as the most strategically significant resource of a firm [42]. ...
... Knowledge has been identified as the most strategically significant resource of a firm [42]. The fundamental role of an organization is to integrate various knowledge resource (Chen et.al., [29]). The concept of knowledge integration is subsumed in the The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Francisco J. ...
... Garcia-Penalvo . knowledge management ontology (Chen et.al., [29]) in which knowledge management is defined as structured activities aimed at improving an organization's capacity to acquire, share, and use knowledge in ways that enhance its survival and success [14]. Supply chain management (SCM) scholars recognizing the importance of knowledge as a strategic resource in supply chains (Chen et.al., [29]) it is because of intensive and efficient knowledge flows and knowledge sharing across organizations [45]. ...
The market in which firms compete magnifies the need for buying firms to effectively manage and develop their supply chain. One of the important notions in the management and development of the supply chain is the implementation of supplier development program. Previous extensive literature review has identified various types of activity in the supplier development program, which categorized as low involvement activity to high involvement activity. Further, extensive literatures on supplier development program implementation and its implication on supplier’s capability are also available. However, there is still limited empirical research for investigating the determinants of knowledge sharing effectiveness in supplier development programs. Aimed at bridging that gap, this study attempts to investigating the role of supplier’s organizational culture, information and communication technology (ICT), and perceived behavioral control as the determinants of knowledge sharing effectiveness by mentorship in the supplier development program (SD). A survey questionnaire was employed to collect data from 200 suppliers after conducting mentorship training at the suppliers’ site. The data were analyzed using bootstrap resampling method (with 5,000 resamples). The bootstrap samples are used to estimate the Partial Least Square (PLS) path model. The results of path analysis indicated that all variables are significantly associated with knowledge sharing effectiveness with mentoring mechanism (p-values< 0.05) except collaborative culture to knowledge sharing effectiveness which was insignificant. It was also observed that ICT and perceived behavioral control affected the effectiveness of knowledge sharing by mentorship in the SD program.
... Examples of supplier development practices include training, technical assistance, supplier evaluation, sharing equipment and information in order to improve supplier performance (Sucky and Durst, 2013;Sancha et al., 2015;Sillanpää et al., 2015). Furthermore, Chen et al. (2018) extend the definition of supplier development as a set of knowledge management activities that are carried out by both the buyer and supplier and are designed to meet supply needs of the buying organisation by facilitating continuous performance and capability improvement. ...
... Supplier development activities encompass various means of KT from the buying organisation to the supplier (Wagner, 2010). Similarly, Chen et al. (2018) add that supplier development increases the stock of new knowledge in their suppliers' repository, which ultimately improves its performance and capability. In summary, the above studies recognise the importance of knowledge as a strategic resource and highlight the role of supplier development in facilitating KT. ...
... Therefore, training enables KT where a buyer or third-party acts as a 'teacher' organisation and a supplier as a 'student' who receives knowledge to improve performance (Kim et al., 2015). Chen et al. (2018) argue that supplier development increases the stock of new knowledge in their suppliers' repository, which ultimately improves its performance and capability. ...
Public procurement as a tool for socio-economic development has attracted considerable attention from supplier development researchers. Supplier development strengthens the management of suppliers and improves their capabilities through knowledge transfer. The article examines how institutionalised supplier development initiatives are associated with knowledge transfer and the moderating effect of institutional factors. The article applied multiple regression and moderation analyses on a sample of 171 contractors. Findings reveal that training and the 20% subcontracting policy are significantly associated with knowledge transfer, while the construction finance, preferential and reservation schemes are not. Regulatory compliance and government support moderate the relationship between institutionalised supplier development and knowledge transfer. Interactions indicate that low regulatory compliance is associated with high knowledge transfer, while government support is associated with high knowledge transfer at all levels. The article contributes to research by demonstrating the influence of regulatory compliance and government support on the implementation of institutionalised supplier development.
Keywords:
Knowledge transfer; Institutionalised Supplier Development; Institutional Factors; Small and medium-sized contractors; Construction Industry.
DOI: 10.1504/IJPM.2020.10033237
... Information sharing can be considered a platform for knowledge transfer, which disseminates implicit knowledge to help both parties tackle problems in the production process (Lee et al., 2018;Modi & Mabert, 2007). Chen et al. (2018) argued that supplier development and knowledge management activities are interdependent and need to be implemented simultaneously to achieve desired outcomes. Thus, higher information sharing with and by suppliers supports the supplier development activities, improving supplier capabilities and performance in terms of highquality materials, lower-cost offering, on-time delivery. ...
... Furthermore, a higher level of information exchange with suppliers (i.e., information sharing by and with suppliers) also reinforces the association of supplier development and supply chain development. It is consistent with the idea of Modi and Mabert (2007) and Chen et al. (2018), which showed a significant link between supplier communication and operational knowledge transfer activities. As such, a high level of information sharing by suppliers would improve the inter-organizational relationship, leading to the involvement of firms in supplier's operation. ...
Along with information technology adoption, supply chain coordination through information sharing activities has become essential to achieve supply chain effectiveness and resilience. This paper presents the results of an empirical study investigating the moderating roles of information technology link and information sharing on the relationship between supplier development, knowledge absorption from customers, and supply chain performance. Statistical techniques such as measurement test, correlation analysis, and regression analysis are applied to analyze the data collected during the Round 4 of the High Performance Manufacturing (HPM) Project. The data sample includes 304 manufacturing plants operating in 13 countries including Brazil, China, Finland, German, Italy, Israel, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Analytical results indicate that a supply chain would perform better when focal firms invest their effort in supplier development and knowledge absorption activities and develop a strong link with suppliers and customers through information technology systems. Information technology links with suppliers and customers have significant moderating roles in strengthening the relationship between supplier development, knowledge absorption from customers, and supply chain performance. Moreover, information sharing exchange with suppliers were found to make the association between supplier development and supply chain performance becomes more pronounced. The empirical results contribute to the existing literature of information sharing and supply chain coordination in supply chain management. In addition, this study provides several practical implications, such that information technology linkage and information sharing activities should be considered as the platforms for organizations to interact with different supply chain partners for achieving high supply chain performance.
... SC management and KM are two important research streams, but few works have treated the link between them [20]. During the past 20 years, important contributions have been published and some studies [22][23][24] support that there is a growing interest in applying KM to SCs. The literature is, however, fragmented, and the research has sometimes taken diverging directions. ...
... Systems to assess suppliers' contributions to the business (in operations, and projects) [24,67] Helping companies and suppliers to work collaboratively, by means of joint knowledge creation and sharing, and enhancing the value created in the entire SC ...
In the last decades, business competition has been increasingly among supply chains (SCs) rather than individual firms. Today, considering the challenges of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, it is becoming even more vital to coordinate and co-manage company resources, activities, and innovative efforts at the SC level. Consequently, knowledge, which is a critical resource for companies, needs to be managed properly not only in single firms but also across SCs. For the education of business managers, this implies a double challenge: first, to make students and future executives become aware of the knowledge management (KM) practices that can be adopted; second, to facilitate the assimilation of these practices for the effective management of SCs, to ensure higher economic and environmentally sustainable performances. Standard definitions and classifications can be of great help, but the current studies are very fragmented. This study contributes by exploring the literature and examining the KM practices that are proposed and defined by the different authors. A systematic review and a descriptive analysis of selected papers showed the trend and focus of papers in the KM and SC fields. In addition, based on the definitions and classifications drawn from the literature, this paper discusses a possible systematization of the key KM practices in SCs. The major contribution of this paper is the effort of re-definition and re-classification of KM practices and their potential importance for effective and sustainable SC management. This analysis can be especially useful for organizing KM courses targeted to current and future business managers.
... However, despite considerable growth in research on knowledge sharing within the supply chain (Andersen & Christensen, 2000;Bessant, 2004;Chen, Ellis, & Holsapple, 2018;Cheng & Fu, 2013;Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000;Dyer & Singh, 1998;Hult, Ketchen, & Slater, 2004), the role of knowledge sharing as a moderator between operational risks and supply chain performance (SCP) remains unclear. More specifically, research is absent which investigates if knowledge sharing could moderate the negative impact of operational risks on FSCs performance. ...
... Lai, Tong, and Lai (2011) examined the role of trust in knowledge sharing within a supply chain. Others studied knowledge sharing through institutional orientations in the supply chain (Cheng & Fu, 2013), the impact of ambidexterity and agility (Tuan, 2016), barriers and benefits of knowledge sharing (Al-Busaidi & Olfman, 2017), the impact of contextual factors on knowledge sharing behavior (Dey & Mukhopadhyay, 2018) and suppliers development and knowledge sharing (Chen et al., 2018;Chen, Ellis, & Holsapple, 2015). ...
Despite the unprecedented growth in research on knowledge management and supply chain risk management, most prior studies discuss these two topics in isolation. Also, there is a scarcity of empirical research on both topics. By pulling together seemingly unrelated concepts of knowledge sharing and supply chain risk management, this study devises an integrated model investigating the extent to which operational risks affect supply chain performance and the moderating role of knowledge sharing. The dataset is 225 responses collected from the firm managers of the Australian food supply chains (FSCs) and analyzed through structural equation modeling. The findings uncover that operational risks significantly undermine FSCs performance. However, knowledge sharing inversely moderates the adverse effect of operational risks, such that the higher the knowledge sharing, the lower the adverse performance effect of operational risks and vice versa. The findings enhance managerial discernment about the criticality of frequently occurring operational risks and the role of knowledge sharing in risk mitigation. The novelty of this study lies in the unified model that simultaneously delves into the performance effect of operational risks and moderating influence of knowledge sharing on risk‐performance nexus.
Citation: Ali, I. and Gurd, B. (2020), “Managing operational risks through knowledge sharing in food supply chains” Knowledge and Process Management, In-press: https://doi.org/10.1002/kpm.1645
... An increased information sharing with and by suppliers plays a supportive role in supplier development activities, leading to improvements in supplier capabilities and performance, including the provision of high-quality materials, cost reductions, and on-time delivery (Chen, Ellis and Holsapple, 2018). Therefore, manufacturers are more inclined to select and develop suppliers who demonstrate a higher level of information sharing, as it enhances their understanding of the suppliers' situations (Carr and Kaynak, 2007). ...
Purpose: This study empirically investigates effect of information technology (IT) link on supply chain performance through information sharing, supplier development, and knowledge absorption from customers.
Methodology/Approach: The data sample including 135 Vietnamese manufacturing plants was collected through a paper-based questionnaire survey. Statistical techniques such as correlation and regression analysis are applied for hypotheses testing.
Findings: It was shown that supply chain performs better when focal firms invest in supplier development and knowledge absorption. Those activities are strengthened by developing IT link and information sharing with suppliers and by customers.
Research Limitation/Implication: Sample size is relatively small due to limited time and resources; subjective measurement of constructs are limitations that can be addressed in future research.
Originality/Value of paper: This paper fills the gap in literature related with application of supply chain information in developing countries. It indicated that IT links should be regarded as the platform for information sharing among supply chain partners which lead to higher supply chain performance.
... 2012),(Compeau et al. 1999;Tahir et al. 2021; Liou et al. 2021;Golghamat Raad and Shirazi, 2019;Wang et al. 2017) 3 Organizational commitment(Saini et al. 2018;Zaim et al. 2015;Zhang and He 2015;Nesan 2012),(Chen et al. 2018; He, 2016; Li et al. 2022) 4 Organization capability (Saini et al. 2018), (Bock et al., 2005; Chen et al, 2018; Cooper, 2017) 5 Power and sense of ownership of knowledge (Mohajan 2017; Garrick and Chan 2017; Zhang and He 2015; Hau et al. 2013; Joia and Lemos 2010; Oliveira et al., 2022), (McDermott and O'dell, 2001; Toimbek, 2021; Sungkur and Santally, -Feng et al. 2017; Zhang and He 2015; Hau et al. 2013; Nesan 2012; Zhang et al., 2022; Joia and Lemos 2010; Saini et al. 2018)10 Personal contact and interaction(Mohajan 2017(Mohajan , 2016Jin-Feng et al. 2017;Zhang and He 2015;Zaim et al. 2015; Hau et al. et al. 2018;Zhang and He 2015),(Van laarhoven and Pedrycz, 1983;Nonaka and Krogh, 2009) 18 Education level(Zaim et al. 2015;Oliveira et al., 2022;Erdil et al., 2022) ...
The knowledge sharing creates a collaborative environment which contributes to creation of flexibility and meeting demands in supply chain. It guarantees the access of members to external knowledge and overall supply chain improvement in competitive environment. The steel industry as the second “key” and “strategic” industry after oil and petrochemical industry in Iran as one of the important countries in middle-east and due to its importance for development but also due to the characteristics of its cost accounting system is selected as case study. Regarding to, this study aimed to design a comprehensive list containing all knowledge sharing (KS) motivational factors for steel industries supply chain. Thus, a mixed method of qualitative (a three-phase Delphi method) and quantitative (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-DEMATEL) has been adopted. At first stage, the 33 motivational factors of KS were identified through literature review. Then using Delphi method, respondents were provided with the findings from the literature to shortlist and merge the factors based on steel industry supply chain features. Due to different theoretical and practical standpoints of views about KS motivators in steel industry supply chain, 30 respondents (experts) participated. The final factors extracted via Delphi method was 15. Then, DEMATEL method was used to find interdependence among factors. At the end, cost accounting system for each factor were asked from knowledge management departments in steel supply chain. The results indicated that majority of the costs in steel industry supply chain is spent in decreasing power and sense of ownership of knowledge, improving culture and expectations, and improving personal contact and interaction, team culture, rewards, strategic thinking, and individual management of time, respectively. Whereas, the results of DEMATEL technique indicated that team culture, power, and sense of ownership of knowledge; personal contact and interaction; trust; culture; and expectations are the 5th high ranking factors. Although there are plenty of techniques used for improving team culture such as community of practice, after action review, Knowledge caf’e, it is not so dominant in cost accounting system. Hopefully, departments consider power and sense of ownership of knowledge more carefully. Managers in steel supply chain pay more attention to cultural issues by having educational courses. Strategic thinking is not among the highest-ranking factors, but there are costs spent for it in steel supply chain which should be pondered upon it.
... First, KM capacity in the studied literature is described from various viewpoints. Notably, scholars imply it as KM activity and KM infrastructure capacity (Mills & Smith, 2011); KM infrastructure capacity (Attia & Essam Eldin, 2018;Andreeva & Kianto, 2012;Bahar et al., 2020;Chang & Chuang, 2011;Gürlek & Çemberci, 2020); or KM activity (Chen et al., 2018;Gharakhani & Mousakhani, 2012;C. Li et al., 2020;Sahibzada et al., 2020;Tseng & Lee, 2014). ...
Aim/Purpose: The study attempts to analyse the influences of knowledge management capacity on company performance and supply chain practices. It also examines whether supply chain practices significantly and positively impact company performance. Background: Knowledge management capacity is an essential tactical resource that enables the integration and coordination among supply chain stakeholders, but research examining the link between knowledge management capacity and supply chain practices and their impacts on company performance remains scarce. Methodology: The study uses correlation analysis and factor analysis to confirm the theoretical framework’s validity and structural equation modelling to test hypotheses. The data are obtained from 115 halal food firms in China (with a response rate of 82.7%). Contribution: This study’s findings contribute to the Social Capital Theory by presenting the impacts of different supply chain practices on company performance. The findings also suggest the impact of intangible resources on enhancing company performance, contributing to the Resource-based View Theory. These results are a crucial contribution to both academicians and corporate managers working in the Halal food industry. Managers can apply these findings to discover and adopt knowledge management capacity with practical anticipation that these concepts will align with their company strategies. Also, the research motivates managers to concentrate their knowledge management on enhancing companies’ supply chain practices to achieve improved company performance. Findings: This study is an initial effort that provides empirical evidence regarding the relationships among supply chain, knowledge management, and company performance from the perspective of China’s halal food industry. The results prove that knowledge management capacity is the supply chains’ primary success determinant and influencer. Besides, knowledge management capacity positively influences company performance, and supply chain practices directly influence company performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Managers can apply these study findings to determine and increase knowledge management capacity with practical anticipation that these concepts will align with their company strategies. Also, the research motivates managers to concentrate their knowledge management on enhancing companies’ supply chain practices to achieve improved company performance. Recommendation for Researchers: The study presents a new theoretical framework and empirical evidence for surveying halal food businesses in China. Impact on Society: These results are a significant contribution to the research field and industry focusing on halal foods. Future Research: First, this research focuses only on halal food businesses in China; thus, it is essential to re-examine the hypothesized relations between the constructs in other Chinese business segments and regions. Next, the effect of variables and practices on the theorized framework should be taken into account and examined in other industries and nations.
... This study explores the institutional factors that influence the implementation of ISDIs in the construction industry in Zambia. Supplier development generally involves any intentional effort by the purchasing organisation, be it a public, private or third party, to improve the performance and capabilities of the supplier or a local contractor in this case, to contribute to the short or long term supply needs of the buyer (Chen et al., 2018;DavidMark McKevitt & Davis, 2014). In addition to research in the private sector, researchers have also begun to extend supplier development research in the public sector procurement, which represents about 12% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 20% for developing countries (Callens et al., 2021;OECD, 2017;Patil, 2017). ...
The study seeks to examine the institutional factors influencing institu-tionalised supplier development initiatives in the construction industry in Zambia. A qualitative strategy was used to capture expert perspectives using a semi-structured interview protocol. The implementation of the initiatives is strongly affected by political influence. The findings also show that corruption has contributed to unfair competition between local and foreign contractors. Furthermore, the criterion for engaging local contractors in the initiatives is not clear. Other factors include inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems due to the lack of a robust regulatory system. However, the findings reveal that information dissemination has been very effective. There is a consensus that the initiatives have relatively contributed to the empowerment objective and knowledge transfer. The study recommends enacting binding legislation on specific projects financed entirely by the government and local contractors as award criteria to encourage main contractors to ensure an ideal subcontracting environment for contractors. The study also proposes procuring entity ratings based on the successful application of the reservation and preferential schemes. Furthermore, contractors should take preliminary ABOUT THE AUTHORS Shem Sikombe has over nine (9) years of teaching , administrative and research experience at the university level.
... The involvement of top level management in making strategies for adoption of KM is necessary to make a good relationship with buyer and supplier. If the lack of information visibility prevails between the supply chain partners, then it will put the organization into delays and poor responsiveness (Natti and Ojasalo, 2008;Chen et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
The food industry is crucial in delivering healthy products for life saving of the society. The identification of key barriers of knowledge management (KM) is desired to enhance the sustainability of the industry. KM has been seen as a part of sustainable development by reducing the bullwhip effect in the entire supply chain. The core objective of the existing research is to prioritize the essential factors of KM adoption in sustainable supply chain (SSC) based on fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) method.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to fulfill objectives of this study, an extensive review of literature and a questionnaire-based field visits were conducted. A total of five major barriers categories and 22 sub-barriers categories were identified in food sector of Pakistan using experts' inputs. This study employed fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP).
Findings
Managerial barriers, innovation and technological barriers categories are found to be highly prioritized among others. Further, the sensitivity analysis is applied to check the incremental changes of ranked barriers. This prioritization of barriers and incremental changes in them is expected to serve food sector for long-term sustainability and competitive advantage for importers and exporters. Finally, the findings of this research are very helpful for industrial experts, practitioners, consultants and government officials in effectively developing policies regarding KM adoption in line with sustainable goals.
Research limitations/implications
The present work is conducted in the Pakistani context; however, the benchmark model may be tested and applied to other developing countries to compare the outcomes. For further research, the identified barriers may also be evaluated to establish their inter-relationships, using ISM, DEMATEL, ANP, etc. Similarly, the results of this study can also be compared with that of other fuzzy multi-criteria techniques like fuzzy TOPSIS, fuzzy VIKOR, fuzzy ELECTRE, fuzzy PROMETHEE, or fuzzy VIKOR.
Practical implications
This research study can facilitate policymakers, government bodies, stakeholders and supply chain professionals to recognize the key barriers they may encounter in adopting KM practices in their SSC. Additionally, this work helps managers to evaluate the identified barriers by computing their relative importance in adopting KM practices at managerial levels like strategically, tactically and operationally activities in business. This study also facilitates industrial management in formulating policies and action plans in case of implementation, eliminating the barriers in adoption of KM, and SSC successfully.
Originality/value
Few research studies were conducted on KM adoption in industries of China, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, but due to workforce diversity these industries have dissimilar views of experts about KM adoption. This study significantly contributed to fill the existing literature gap for prioritization of key barriers against KM implementation in Pakistani context.
In the disruptive environment, the supply chains are unpredictable, volatile, and complex. By effectively applying knowledge, information, data, human intelligence, and new technologies, businesses with knowledge-based supply chains may successfully navigate the disruptive environment. This study has made an attempt to identify and evaluate the challenging factors that essential for knowledge-based supply chains to attain resilience. Due to the high effectiveness in determining the relationship among the factors, the study used the Fuzzy DEMATEL methodology. A total of 25 factors from the literature review were explored and validated by expert’s judgement to be grouped as causal and effect group variables. The Fuzzy DEMATEL results exhibit that digital technologies-based supply chains, agility, green perspective, personalization, last mile delivery, e-Procurement, mentoring & coaching for knowledge retention are the significant causal factors to be considered by the knowledge-based supply chains. Furthermore, the strategic measures are investigated and evaluated using the Best-Worst Method (BWM) application, which reveals that the two most important strategic solutions that have the potential to improve resilience in knowledge-based supply chains are a focus on socially sustainable supply chains and Industry 4.0 technologies. The report can help businesses think through important methods for long-term resilience.
Knowledge management has been extensively studied in various fields such as strategic management, project management, and supply chain management. As a result, numerous measurements have been developed to measure knowledge management processes, strategies, capabilities, or activities. However, a review of existing measurement instruments from 17 studies demonstrates that those instruments vary greatly in the number of measurement items, ranging from 1 to 59, and that none of them, with one exception, covers all the nine distinct classes of knowledge management activities identified by the knowledge chain theory. This study aims at using the knowledge chain theory to measure knowledge management activities in supply chain management. As a starting point, our instrument begins with the nine classes of knowledge chain activities, including knowledge acquisition, selection, generation, assimilation, emission, measurement, control, coordination, and leadership. This new instrument is tested via an online survey of 156 supply chain professionals in the United States. Evidence of construct validity and reliability is provided by both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Both theoretical and practical contributions are also discussed.
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a taxonomic scheme of knowledge management systems (KMSs) and a set of technologies and managerial practices supporting supply firms in knowledge management processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a field analysis involving a sample of suppliers operating in high-tech manufacturing and service industries, this paper investigates the use of KMSs in the sample investigated.
Findings
The paper shows that suppliers are generally reluctant to use updated and innovative KMSs replacing traditional ones. This gap confirms that suppliers have difficulties in facing rapid technological changes. The field analysis also points out that suppliers investigated perceive knowledge management mainly as an issue of knowledge transfer and knowledge storage while appear to be neglected the phase of knowledge creation.
Originality/value
Moreover, the paper highlights a misalignment between the intensity of use of knowledge management practices that support the phase of knowledge creation and knowledge management tools that should support such practices.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to update a global ranking of 27 knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC) academic journals.
Design/methodology/approach
The ranking was developed based on a combination of results from a survey of 482 active KM/IC researchers and journal citation impact indices.
Findings
The ranking list includes 27 currently active KM/IC journals. The A+ journals are the Journal of Knowledge Management and the Journal of Intellectual Capital . The A journals are the Learning Organization , Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Knowledge and Process Management , VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems and International Journal of Knowledge Management . A majority of recently launched journals did not fare well in the ranking. Whereas a journal’s longevity is important, it is not the only factor affecting its ranking position. Expert survey and citation impact measures are relatively consistent, but expert survey ranking scores change faster.
Practical implications
KM/IC discipline stakeholders, including practitioners, editors, publishers, reviewers, researchers, students, administrators and librarians, may consult the developed ranking list for various purposes. Compared to 2008, more researchers indicated KM/IC as their primary area of concentration, which is a positive indicator of discipline development.
Originality/value
This is the most recent ranking list of KM/IC academic journals.
To develop and gain competitive advantage, Chinese manufacturers are innovating by developing solutions that include both tangible and intangible components. Service-dominant logic, which views supply chains as co-creation and resource integration networks, provides a useful perspective for investigating the roles of services, suppliers and customers in innovation. This study empirically explores how innovations are developed through services, co-creation with customers and supplier integration in China. This study uses an exploratory multiple-case-study approach. The data collection involves six manufacturing firms from the Pearl River Delta in China. We empirically identify two types of services (support services and solution services), two methods of co-creation (information acquisition and co-production) and two types of integration (internal integration and supplier integration). This study finds that support services and internal integration positively associate with information acquisition from customers. Solution services require both supplier integration and co-production with customers. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the roles of services in innovation and how to acquire resources and knowledge that is critical for innovation through collaboration with supply chain partners. The findings also provide guidelines to managers on how to use services, co-creation and integration to innovate efficiently and effectively.
Suppliers play an increasingly central role in helping firms achieve their new product development (NPD) goals. The literature implicitly assumes that suppliers are able to meet or exceed the quality standards and technological expectations of the firm, and yet, in practice, suppliers often lack the technological capabilities needed to undertake collaborative NPD. In such situations, a firm may choose to intervene and actively develop the supplier's technological and product development capabilities. We develop a theoretical framework that conceptualizes supplier development activities within interorganizational NPD projects as part of a bilateral knowledge-sharing process: design recommendations, technical specifications, and new technology flow from supplier to the firm, and in turn, the firm can implement supplier development activities to upgrade the supplier's technological capabilities. Antecedents (supplier responsibility, skills similarity, single sourcing strategy) and consequences of supplier development activities (on supplier, product, and project performance) are examined using a sample of 153 interorganizational NPD projects within UK manufacturers. We find broad support for our hypotheses. In particular, we show that the relational rents (in the form of improved product and project performance) attained from supplier development activities in new product development are not achieved directly, but rather indirectly, via improvements in the supplier's creative and technological capabilities. Our results emphasize the importance of adopting a strategic view of the potential returns available from investing in the NPD capabilities of key suppliers, and provide clues about underlying reasons for the suboptimal experiences of many companies' collaborative NPD projects.
Knowledge management has been identified as a key enabler to achieve organisation’s value chain competitiveness. It, however, has been facing fresh challenges in a global supply chain setting. This paper proposes a global knowledge chain management (GKCM) framework that identifies and prioritises critical knowledge that a global supply chain can focus on to support integrated decisions. The framework explores three types of global context knowledge, namely global market knowledge, global capacity knowledge and global supply network configuration knowledge. Empirical study has been undertaken within the manufacturing industry to evaluate the GKCM framework. Analytic network process has been explored as a key method to assess the importance of the global knowledge constructs from supply chain managers’ perspectives. A key contribution of the paper is that it advances existing knowledge chain management approaches within one organisation and its local supply chain to include the global context knowledge applicable to global manufacturing settings, and highlights how the GKCM framework can support global supply chain integrated decisions.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to test the market‐based asset framework by examining the role of marketing process improvements in the relationship between a buyer firm's supplier‐related activities and its performance.
Design/methodology/approach
– Interviews with executives who were involved in supplier development were conducted to learn more about supplier development and to help in the development of the survey constructs. A self‐report survey was then developed online to collect data for the study. In total, 338 executives responded and partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses developed in the study.
Findings
– Marketing process improvements were found to mediate the relationship between a firm's supplier development efforts and firm performance, thus providing empirical support for the market‐based asset framework. The study also found that a firm's supplier development activities can lead to improvements in its marketing processes.
Originality/value
– For too long, a firm's supply chain has been seen as the primary domain of the supply chain and operations department, even though supply chain decisions and errors have a considerable impact on the ability of marketing professionals to perform. The findings in this study demonstrate the value of the relationship between a firm's supply chain and its marketing activities and as such makes the case for marketing executives to be more involved in supply chain activities.
Information technology is inseparable from contemporary knowledge management (KM). Although anecdotal evidence and individual case studies suggest that effective knowledge management initiatives contribute to superior firm performance, other kinds of empirical investigations are scarce, and more to the point, most of them are based on perceptions of survey participants embedded in the firms being studied. Moreover, studies analyzing the question of whether superior KM performance can predict superior market-based valuation appear to be virtually nonexistent. Findings of such studies would be of value to those who champion and direct a firm’s KM efforts, and to the firm’s strategists, planners, and operational managers. Here, we empirically examine the relationship between KM performance and firm valuation; the former is assessed by international panels of independent KM experts and the latter is evaluated in terms of market-based measures. Based on data spanning eight years, the results show that superior KM performance has a statistically significant positive association with firm valuation in terms of Tobin’s q, price-to-book ratio, and price-to-sales ratio. This study contributes to the management literature by using independent expert judges and archival data to substantiate the notion that KM competencies are an important ingredient in a firm’s performance as indicated by market-based valuation.
This study covers a decade of academic research in the Supply Chain Management (SCM) field, offering an in-depth analytical review focused on the existing trends and gaps in the supply chain literature. Nine academic journals were investigated and a subject categorization is developed for SCM research. A content analysis was then conducted on 405 articles, focusing on the categories covered within the SCM literature, various levels of the chain examined and sample populations and industries studied, as well as the research methods employed. Finally, a conceptual framework of the most highly researched categories in SCM indicates that there is a need for more research that seeks to understand the nature of multiple links in SCM chains and networks, as opposed to focusing on dyadic and inter-firm relationships.
Given assumptions about the characteristics of knowledge and the knowledge requirements of production, the firm is conceptualized as an institution for integrating knowledge. The primary contribution of the paper is in exploring the coordination mechanisms through which firms integrate the specialist knowledge of their members. In contrast to earlier literature, knowledge is viewed as residing within the individual, and the primary role of the organization is knowledge application rather than knowledge creation. The resulting theory has implications for the basis of organizational capability, the principles of organization design (in particular, the analysis of hierarchy and the distribution of decision-making authority), and the determinants of the horizontal and vertical boundaries of the firm. More generally, the knowledge-based approach sheds new light upon current organizational innovations and trends and has far-reaching implications for management practice.
Honda of America has developed a comprehensive approach to teaching the principles of lean production to its suppliers. The centerpiece of these efforts is a program called BP (for "Best process", "Best Performance", "Bs Practice"), in which a crossfunctional team of personel born Honda and the supplier work intensively for week or even months on narrowly-targeted improvement projects in the supplier's plant. BP has been quite successfid in enhancing supplier performance; suppliers participating in the program in 1994 average productivity gains of 50% on lines reengineered by BP. However, Honda found there was high variation in the extent to which suppliers were able to transfer the lessons taught beyond the line or plant where the BP intervention occurred. We explore the reasons for this variation touching on how the BP process interacts with the broader relationship between customer and supplier, organizational learning, technology transfer, and the transplantation of Japanese management practices to the U.S. The case studies we present of three of Honda's U.S. suppliers illustrate the dynamics of the learning process and the complex relationship that emerged between "teacher" and "student". We found that achieving self sufficiency with the lean production techniques taught by BP is more likely when the supplier has a moderate degree of identification with and dependency on the customer. If these are too high the supplier will be tempted to continue to rely on the customer for assistance; if they are too low, the learning relationship may break down. It appears that Honda has achieved the most supplier self reliance with larger U.S.-owned companies, who have an identity as strong, competent actors, and thus try to reduce dependence on Honda by mastering the new knowledge quickly. Yet these larger suppliers may be less responsive to Honda's needs that small-to-medium suppliers whose capabilities can be boosted through Honda's supplier development activities.
The literature concerning the evolution of the supply chain (SC) has highlighted that supply systems have undergone massive changes. The SC is a multi-objective system (economic, productive, strategic, environmental, social, etc.) crossed by a variety of flows (financial, material, information, technology, etc.). In such a complex system, the management of the processes of adoption, creation, storage, transfer, sharing and application of knowledge appears to be the necessary response to the new challenges posed to the SC by globalization and sustainability issues. This paper provides a systematic review of knowledge management (KM) in SCs in order to identify the state of the art in the literature, highlight research gaps, and define appropriate research questions to be addressed. To this end, eighty-two papers were selected and studied in detail. The paper shows that although there are a growing number of papers addressing KM in SC, many research issues are still neglected. In particular, the paper highlights eight main gaps in the SC literature. The first three gaps concern the factors affecting the adoption, creation, storage, transfer, sharing, and application of KM practices. The next three gaps address the systems to support knowledge management. The seventh gap considers the barriers to the adoption of KM practices. The eighth gap looks at the impact of adoption of KM practices on performance. Starting from these eight gaps, nine research questions have been formulated. These research questions represent possible areas of investigation to improve the body of knowledge in the field of KM in SC.
Big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) has been at the forefront of interest for both academics and practitioners. Scholars have acknowledged the importance of BDPA in achieving business value and firm performance. However, the role of BDPA assimilation on supply chain and organizational performance has not been thoroughly investigated. To address this gap, this paper follows a resource-based view perspective to: (i) conceptualise assimilation as a three stage process that is, acceptance, routinization, and assimilation; (ii) identify the influence of resources such as big data connectivity and information sharing under the mediation effect of top management commitment on big data assimilation (capability building), and (iii) the impact of big data assimilation on supply chain performance and organizational performance. Based on our findings, we argue that big data connectivity and IS under the mediation effect of top management commitment is positively related to BDPA acceptance, which is positively related to BDPA assimilation under the mediation effect of BDPA routinization, and positively related to SCP and OP. Finally, we provide the managerial implications of our findings, the limitations of our study and future research directions.
Supply chain management and business-to-business procurement present several drawbacks in terms of knowledge management. Every stage of a supply chain lacks an effective approach to integrate data workflows for knowledge acquisition. Thus, semantic technologies such as the simple knowledge organization system (SKOS) are being adapted to the requirements of the knowledge management systems of companies. The literature is focused on assets, data, and information elements of exchange among supply chain partners, even though improved integration and collaboration require more complex features of know-how and knowledge. This article proposes a new software architecture named SKOSCM to offer a brokerage service for e-procurement in supply chains. The approach uses ontologies and a Web-based platform that improves collaboration among supply chain partners. A case study is proposed in order to validate the software architecture’s development.
The resource-based view explains why some firms outperform others, obtaining superior rents from strategic resources. The challenge is in the measurement of strategic resources, for example, knowledge, and their effects on firm performance. Moreover, results may differ depending upon the unit of analysis (supply chains versus individual firms, manufacturing-oriented versus service-oriented companies), the moderating variables used (e.g., turbulence), and the ways data was collected (e.g., different questionnaires in different countries). To systematically address these challenges in the existing knowledge, this paper measures the role of knowledge development and culture of competitiveness on firm performance. Empirical evidence is collected from a survey with 843 valid responses from Brazilian firms, tested through linear regressions. The importance of knowledge on firm performance is reaffirmed; however, under turbulent market conditions, performance is impacted differently: while product-oriented firms have to increase efforts on knowledge development (specially through process management), service-oriented focus on their culture of competitiveness (specially through process flexibility).
Purpose
We apply expectancy theory to advance a conceptual framework which identifies factors that motivate and affect the adoption of supplier development activities.
Design/methodology/approach
We conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify salient contributions and conceptual gaps within prior supplier development studies. These conceptual gaps motivate our use of expectancy theory and the broader management literature to develop a conceptual framework of supplier development adoption.
Findings
Our study results in the development of a two-stage conceptual framework in which two behavioral constructs – supplier development expectancy and valence – play an important role in mediating the effects of activity-, firm-, interfirm-, and environment-level factors on the adoption of supplier development activities. Accordingly, we advance eleven testable propositions that underlie the logical development of our framework.
Research limitations/implications
Our application of expectancy theory facilitates the integration of constructs culled from disparate theories into a cohesive conceptual framework. Highlighting the central role of motivational force, our conceptual development provides a behavioral explanation for the indirect effects of activity-, firm-, interfirm-, and environment-level factors on supplier development adoption.
Practical implications
We advance a set of factors associated with three successive stages of the supplier development planning process – partner selection, activity selection, and scope selection – that managers should consider when adopting a supplier development activity.
Originality/value
In contrast to prior research, which largely draws from economic or strategic theories, we employ a behavioral approach to advance a novel set of factors that influence supplier development adoption.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive and useful insight into the knowledge management (KM) in the supply chain (SC) research and provide gaps and future research implications. The literature review includes a metadata analysis of KM in SC research along a number of dimensions, the existing dimensions as well as dimensions which are previously not been presented within the current area to predict the future role of KM in SC.
Design/methodology/approach
– The study is to examine the status of KM in SC within academic and industrial research in the last 14 years. The systematic literature review of KM in SC is based on 176 peer reviewed articles selected through a multi-stage process, from 1,063 studies during January 2001-June 2014.
Findings
– An increase in the interest level of incorporating KM in SC is clearly visible while studying available literature. The statistics prove that research in the field of KM in SC is overwhelmingly empirically oriented. Another major finding shows that the survey model score highest among all the research method used in the discipline. In general, the research is more interpretive in nature and provides a frame for theoretical critique. The result indicates that there is a need to use of advanced data analysis techniques with traditional data analysis technique.
Originality/value
– The review simply provides statistical summary which is easy to understand for practitioner and provide increased insights on the current state of research for the KM in SC.
In the crisis-prone and complex contemporary business environment, modern organisations and their supply chains, large and small, are challenged by crises more than ever. Knowledge management has been acknowledged as an important discipline able to support the management of complexity in times of crisis. However, the role of effective knowledge retrieval and sharing in the process of crisis prevention, management and survival has been relatively underexplored. In this paper, it is argued that organisational crises create additional challenges for knowledge management, mainly because complex, polymorphic and both structured and unstructured knowledge must be efficiently harnessed, processed and disseminated to the appropriate internal and external supply chain actors, under specific time constraints. In this perspective, a process-based approach is proposed to address the knowledge management needs of organisations during a crisis and to help management in establishing the necessary risk avoidance and recovery mechanisms. Finally, the proposed methodological approach is applied in a knowledge-intensive Greek small and medium enterprise from the pharmaceutical industry, producing empirical results, insights on knowledge pathologies during crises and relevant evaluations.
As a key supply chain management practice, supplier development has been found to yield positive performance and capability consequences. However, it remains unclear why these consequences are achieved. Even though supplier development is predicated on knowledge management activities, it is rarely studied from a knowledge management perspective. In order to bring greater clarity to the connections between supplier development and its consequences, we leverage the knowledge chain theory to capture buyers' and suppliers' knowledge management activities in supplier development. Through an extensive review and systematic classification of supplier development activities in the literature, this study generates a reliable catalog of supplier development activities, finds support for the knowledge management perspective, and reveals the extent to which supplier development activities are knowledge-based activities. In addition, we generate an integrated definition, a meaningful taxonomy, and a comprehensive implementation approach for supplier development. Further, we illuminate how positive performance and capability consequences of supplier development can be achieved through the design and execution of knowledge activities embedded within supplier development activities. This study contributes to extant research by articulating the important role of knowledge and knowledge management in supplier development and advancing a comprehensive, unified, organized foundation for understanding supplier development and its link with performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recent advances in the field of computer networks and Internet have increased the significance of electronic commerce. Through electronic networks, companies can achieve integration by tightly coupling processes at the interfaces between each stage of the value chain. Electronic linkages in the value chain have been fundamentally changing the nature of inter-organizational relationships. Organizations are redesigning their internal structure and their external relationships, creating knowledge networks to facilitate communication of data, information, and knowledge, while improving coordination, decision making, and planning. This study is devoted to examining the types of knowledge flow in collaborative supply chain, and proposing a knowledge management architecture to facilitate knowledge management in collaborative supply chain. Three cases are presented to outline how different industries build their e-business model under different architectures. Also, knowledge flows are discussed in these e-business models. These case studies reveal the benefits that organizations can achieve through the implementation of electronic commerce technologies in collaborative supply chain. The results also show that different network type of supply chain, the amount of transaction, and the main collaborative function in the supply chain will lead to different type of knowledge flow and the tools adopted, and ultimately different knowledge management system.
Knowledge acquisition begins with identifying knowledge in an organization's external environment and concludes with transforming that knowledge into a representation that can be used by the organization. This can manifest as any of 10 kinds of activities belonging to the knowledge acquisition class. This paper identifies and tests each kind of knowledge acquisition activity and finds empirical support for the propositions that the kinds of activities in the knowledge acquisition class can be performed in ways contributing to an organization's competitiveness. Additionally, for 9 of the 10 knowledge acquisition activities, the study offers empirical support that when technology is more important in the way activities are performed, those activities yield more strongly positive competitive impacts. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Purpose
Toyota's management system, more formally known as the Toyota production system (TPS) is one of the most benchmarked business improvement strategies in modern industry. While many companies try to emulate Toyota's success using a variety of different approaches, most practitioners are not aware how Toyota replicates TPS at suppliers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the in‐house capabilities that are transferred from Toyota to suppliers as a way to more deeply understand how TPS can evolve.
Design/methodology/approach
This work studies Toyota's supplier development practices by evaluating organizational documents using latent semantic analysis (LSA). LSA is a theory and method for extracting and representing the contextual‐usage and meaning of words and phrases by statistical computation applied to text. LSA is based on singular value decomposition (SVD), which is a mathematical matrix decomposition technique using factor analysis.
Findings
This work shows that Toyota targets processes, rather than whole systems, in assisting suppliers to be more effective at abnormality management. Findings also show that Toyota's approval process doesn't necessarily support major kaizen at suppliers yet does encourage minor day‐to‐day kaizen. Finally, this work reports that the Toyota Way for suppliers does not have to be adopted by suppliers, but does represent “A Way” to interact with suppliers to drive both culture and productivity simultaneously.
Originality/value
The paper uses a new method for analyzing Toyota's supplier development practices by mathematically representing and analyzing Toyota's organizational documents. This new method allows various components and features of Toyota's supplier development process to be represented and described in a way that offers many unique insights.
Service Quality continues to be a major concern amongst consumers. As a result, in order to provide the continuous improvement of service quality that will lead to consumer satisfaction, this study explores the impact of external knowledge and knowledge chain on service quality. The results of this study found that absorptive capacity of the external knowledge is indeed an important source of competitive advantage. Hence, enterprises should apply the knowledge chain in order to gather external knowledge from customers, suppliers and competitors, as well as transforming the knowledge to enhance their service quality.
Today, there is a growing recognition by researchers and practitioners about the importance of managing knowledge as a critical source for competitive advantage. Various assertions about competitiveness through knowledge management (KM) are consistent with results of empirical studies and lessons learned on the knowledge highways and byways. In spite of these macro-level contentions and success stories, there has been little investigation of a systematic means for studying connections between KM activity and competitiveness. This paper advances a knowledge chain model that identifies and characterizes KM activities an organization can focus on to achieve competitiveness. The model is analogous to Porter's value chain and is grounded in a descriptive KM framework developed via a Delphi-study involving international KM experts. It is comprised of five primary activities that an organization's knowledge processors perform in manipulating knowledge resources, plus four secondary activities that support and guide their performance. Each activity is discussed in detail, including examples. Evidence is provided from the literature illustrating each activity's role in adding value to an organization to increase its competitiveness through improved productivity, agility, reputation, and innovation. In conclusion, we present some observations about avenues for future research to extend, test, and apply the model in business practices.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of supplier development programs on the short‐term performance of suppliers and the more long‐term development of their capabilities given the relational learning context of the dyad.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through a survey of strategic suppliers from original equipment manufacturers of the automotive industry located in Mexico.
Findings
Results suggest that basic and widely used forms of supplier development hardly lead to improved operational and financial performance of suppliers. More demanding and less frequently used forms of supplier development may lead to improved supplier performance given the suppliers have sufficient absorptive capacity and the presence of an adequate collaborative and relational learning context.
Research limitations/implications
Only suppliers of firms in the automotive industry were surveyed; participant suppliers were referred by buying firms operating in Mexico.
Practical implications
When designing supplier development activities, buying firms need to take into consideration that high involvement and investment on supplier development activities is required when their goal is to improve the supplier base.
Social implications
Governments organizing supplier development programs should consider the importance of promoting knowledge transfer activities above evaluation and feedback to assure the success of their efforts to develop the national supply industry.
Originality/value
The value of supplier development programs is explored in this paper, taking into account the efforts of the buying firms to transfer knowledge and the moderating effect of the relational and learning context. Relevant recommendations for the design of such programs to buyers, suppliers and government are discussed.
A set of ground rules and vocabulary to facilitate focused discussion about the structure of organization and management theories are proposed. The many previous efforts at defining and evaluating theory help establish criteria for theory construction and evaluation. In the establishment of these criteria, description is distinguished from theory, and a matrix of criteria for evaluating the variables, constructs, and relationships that together compose a theory is developed. The proposed matrix may be useful both for defining the necessary components of good theory and for evaluating and/or comparing the quality of alternative theories. Finally, a discussion of the way theories fit together to give a somewhat broader picture of empirical reality reveals the lines of tension between the two main criteria for evaluating theory.
Operations managers rely on the purchasing function to obtain production inputs from suppliers and to ensure supplier performance. The link between supplier development activities performed by buying firms with their suppliers, in terms of operational outcomes and impact on competitive advantage for the buying firm has been well documented. However, a buying firm should, prior to setting up a supplier development program and investing in supplier development activities, establish goals it wants to achieve and determine how to achieve these goals. Until now, supplier development goals in general and their relationship with supplier development activities have received little research attention. The results from this empirical study suggest that the relationship between the goal to improve a supplier's capabilities and knowledge transfer from the buyer to the supplier firm is moderated by the degree of human interaction. Buying firms pursuing the strategy to improve supplier capabilities rely more intensively on training and co-location of buyer and supplier employees to leverage the knowledge transfer to the supplier firm.
Researchers, marketers, and pundits often assert that knowledge management (KM) is an important, or even essential, basis for competitiveness. The Knowledge Chain Model has been advanced as a basis for understanding linkages between KM activities and organizational performance. Based on a general ontology of KM, this model identifies five primary and four secondary activities as focal points for enhancing an organization's competitive position. Both anecdotes and survey results support the model. A prior paper explored the primary classes of activity found in the Knowledge Chain Model, finding that each is comprised of distinct subclasse's that are candidates for enhancing organizational performance. Here, we similarly explore the model's secondary KM activity classes to uncover the subclasses of which they are comprised, thereby arriving at a more detailed understanding of their potential for launching competitive initiatives. A literature review yielded over 300 variations of the four secondary activities. We consolidate these into 29 distinct activity types and organize them into the four secondary activity classes. A typology of activity types is developed for each class. The result is a more in-depth version of the Knowledge Chain Model that gives greater guidance to practitioners in assessing current KM initiatives or striving to incorporate KM into their organizations and their competitive strategies. Together with the earlier primary activity class paper, a total of 61 distinct activity types have been identified for the Knowledge Chain Model. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Journal of Supply Chain Management is the premier journal in the purchasing and supply discipline. This article chronicles the history of the Journal, including a review of the subject categories of articles during certain time periods, types of research performed, types of research design employed, types of data analysis applied, and individual and institutional contributions. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Journal's past and a set of prescriptions for its future.
In recent years, supply relationships have undergone a process of change which the authors interpret as the transition from an adversarial model of vertical relations regulated by the invisible hand of market competition, to one based on cooperation and organized by the visible hand of the buyer. The term “organized vertical market” is proposed for this model. The incentivesto collaboration and the role of potential competition and reputation earned from past behaviour in deterring opportunism are highlighted. In the empirical section, the study considers the evolution of supply relations of Italtel, the leading Italian firm in the telecommunication equipment industry. Qualitative and quantitative evidence in support of the authors’ view is provided. The findings of the empirical analysis suggest that the changes in Italtel’s supply relations indicate the gradual and still in part incomplete transition towards the organized vertical market.
This article describes a collaboratively engineered general-purpose knowledge management (KM) ontology that can be used by practitioners, researchers, and educators. The ontology is formally characterized in terms of nearly one hundred definitions and axioms that evolved from a Delphi-like process involving a diverse panel of over 30 KM practitioners and researchers. The ontology identifies and relates knowledge manipulation activities that an entity (e.g., an organization) can perform to operate on knowledge resources. It introduces a taxonomy for these resources, which indicates classes of knowledge that may be stored, embedded, and/or represented in an entity. It recognizes factors that influence the conduct of KM both within and across KM episodes. The Delphi panelists judge the ontology favorably overall: its ability to unify KM concepts, its comprehensiveness, and utility. Moreover, various implications of the ontology for the KM field are examined as indicators of its utility for practitioners, educators, and researchers.
This article provides a detailed case study of successful buyer-supplier partnership development and maintenance at the Eastman Kodak Company. Kodak followed a methodical approach, adapting a managerial guideline for “partnering” originally developed by one of the authors in 1991. The term “partnering” is used here in the sense of cooperative buyer-supplier relationships, rather than in the legal sense. This article provides a summary of the key issues Kodak faced, along with the benefits it has experienced in developing and maintaining successful partnering relationships.
It is often claimed that knowledge management (KM) is important, or even essential, as a basis for competitiveness. The knowledge chain model was recently advanced as a first step in understanding the linkage between KM and organizational performance. Based on a general ontology of KM, this model identifies five primary and four secondary activities as focal points for enhancing competitiveness. Both anecdotes and survey results support the model. Here we further explore the primary KM activities found in the knowledge chain model by treating each as a class involving several distinct types of activity. A literature review yielded over 200 variations of the five primary activities. We consolidate these into 32 distinct activity types and organize them into the five primary activity classes. Within each class a typology of activity types is developed. The result is a more in-depth version of the knowledge chain model. It gives greater guidance to practitioners striving to incorporate KM into their organizations and their competitive strategies. It also suggests avenues for future research. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The dynamic business environment today requires organizations to effectively use all available resources to remain competitive. The quality and cost of a product or service offered in the market is a function, not only of the capabilities of the firm, but also the supplier network providing inputs to the enterprise. To remain competitive, organizations are increasingly implementing supplier development programs to maintain capable and high performance supply bases. This paper presents a conceptual model of an organization's efforts to improve supplier performance. Then latent variable structural equation modeling (LVSEM) is used to test the model with data for 215 supplier development experiences from US manufacturing firms. The results suggest that evaluation and certification efforts are the most important supplier development prerequisites before undertaking operational knowledge transfer activities such as site visits and supplier training. Furthermore, collaborative inter-organizational communication is identified as important supporting factor in transforming an organization's efforts to develop suppliers into supplier performance improvements.
Knowledge-based organizations are hosts for multitudes of knowledge management (KM) episodes. Each episode is triggered by a knowledge need and culminates with the satisfaction of that need (or its abandonment). Within an episode, one or more of the organization’ processors (human and/or computer-based) manipulate knowledge resources in various ways in an effort to meet the need. This paper identifies and characterizes a generic set of elemental knowledge manipulation activities that can be arranged in a variety of patterns within KM episodes. It also indicates possible knowledge flows that can occur among the activities. This descriptive framework was developed using conceptual synthesis and a Delphi methodology involving an international panel of researchers and practitioners in the KM field. The framework can serve as a common language for discourse about knowledge manipulation. For researchers, it suggests issues that deserve investigation and concepts that must be considered in explorations of KM episodes. For practitioners, the framework provides a perspective on activities that need to be considered in the design, measurement, control, coordination, and support of an organization’ KM episodes.
This study examined the factors that precede buying firms' time and resource investments in supplier development. Supplier development is any effort by a buying firm with a supplier to improve the supplier's performance and/or capabilities and to meet the buying firm's short and/or long term supply needs. The purposes of the study were to identify important factors that influence a firm's involvement in supplier development, develop reliable and valid measures of these factors, and test hypotheses regarding how the factors interrelate. We tested the hypotheses that the buying firm's environment and top management's recognition of purchasing's importance, influence the buying firm to adopt a strategic perspective toward supplier performance. We further hypothesized that the firm's strategic perspective toward supplier performance influences supplier commitment to the buying firm. The primary dependent factor is the buying firm's involvement in supplier development activities. The antecedents to this factor include supplier commitment, expectation of relationship continuity and effective buyer–supplier communication. Multiple-item scales were used to measure the factors. A structural model that postulates the relationships among these factors was tested using data gathered from a cross-industry sample of high-level U.S. purchasing executives.
In the new economy, firms are willing to pay abundant premiums for the significant entrepreneurial capacities of management and staff in order to develop, build, protect, transfer and integrate knowledge. Although companies and scholars have indeed recognized the value of knowledge management, they have not generally included customer, supplier, and competitor knowledge, preferring to emphasize the process of knowledge acquisition and sharing that takes place within organizations. Thus, this study proposes a conceptual framework, and uses interpretative case studies, to explore how an enterprise obtains the three types of external knowledge. Moreover, through the following five primary activities – acquisition, selection, generation, internalization, and externalization – this study will illustrate how enterprises apply the internal knowledge chain to transform their customer, supplier, and competitor knowledge to enhance enterprise competitiveness.
It is widely claimed by a number of business and academic gurus that in order for organizations to have a lasting competitive advantage they will have to be knowledge driven. If knowledge is viewed as a resource that is critical to an organization's survival and success in the global market, then like any other resource it demands good management. However, the bulk of organizations still have not approached knowledge management (KM) activity formally or deliberately. The cause for this inattention could be that most organizations are still struggling to comprehend the KM concept. To ease the struggle, the fundamental issue of identifying salient characteristics of KM phenomena needs to be addressed. This article helps address this need by introducing a threefold descriptive framework that identifies and characterizes the main elements of KM phenomena and their relationships. The first component provides a generic description of an organization's knowledge resources. A second component introduces elemental knowledge manipulation activities an organization performs in dealing with those resources. The third component identifies major influences that impact an organization's conduct of KM. Results of a survey to assess the framework are reported. They indicate general satisfaction with the framework.
Upstream supply chain management and competitive performance in the automotive supply industry
- T V Scannell
- S K Vickery
- C L Droge
Scannell, T. V., Vickery, S. K., & Droge, C. L. (2000). Upstream supply chain
management and competitive performance in the automotive supply
industry. Journal of Business Logistics, 21(1), 23-48.
Upstream supply chain management and competitive performance in the automotive supply industry
- Scannell T. V.