Frank Wiengarten

Collaborative supply chain practices and performance: exploring the key role of information quality

Purpose - This paper seeks to report the results of a study examining the importance of information quality for the efficacy of collaborative supply chain practices. Design/methodology/approach - A questionnaire was sent to procurement managers throughout the supply chain within the German automotive industry. Regression analyses illustrate the differences in performance of collaborative practices under high and low information quality scenarios. Findings - The study illustrates that the impact of collaborative supply chain practices (i.e. information sharing, incentive alignment, joint-decision making) on performance varies significantly depending on the quality of information that is exchanged throughout the supply chain. Specifically, whilst information sharing improves operational performance when low and high quality information is exchanged, incentive alignment and joint decision making only improve operational performance when the information is of high quality. Originality/value - Although research on the performance impact of collaborative supply chain practices has advanced over the past decade, there is still a scarcity of research acknowledging the multidimensional nature of collaboration. Additionally, the importance of information quality for the success of collaborative practices has not been firmly established. The paper addresses this void in the literature by reporting results of an empirical study examining collaborative supply chains and practices within the German automotive industry. The paper will thus be beneficial to supply chain managers considering collaborative practices and will support further empirical research work in the collaborative supply chain research field.

Exploring the impact of national culture on investments in manufacturing practices and performance

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to assess how differences in national culture influence the impact of investments in manufacturing practices on operational performance. The paper addresses the following research question: does national culture affect the efficacy of investments in manufacturing practices?Design/methodology/approach – Hofstedes model of national culture is used to test whether there are operational performance differences when organisations in different cultural contexts invest in identical manufacturing practices. The research question is explored and answered by assessing the moderating role of national culture using ordinary least square analysis.Findings – The results suggest that some dimensions of national culture significantly moderate the impact of investments in manufacturing practices on manufacturing performance.Originality/value – This study represents a comprehensive attempt to explain differences in the impact of manufacturing practices investments on operational perf...

Exploring the Important Role of Organizational Factors in it Business Value: Taking a Contingency Perspective on the Resource‐Based View

Despite the importance to researchers and practitioners of how information technology (IT) contributes to organizational performance, there is an ongoing debate about the extent of IT business value (ITBV) and how to measure ITBV. Recently, a number of researchers have applied resource-based view (RBV) and contingency theory to investigating ITBV, with mixed results. Researchers have started to recognize that ITBV is closely associated with the synergies created from IT and a variety of complementary organizational factors, which might be an alternative way to explain these mixed results. Through a review of the literature, this paper assesses the current level of knowledge in ITBV research. It identifies that significant progress has been made in the research domain, but that in-depth inquiry into ITBV is still needed. Based on RBV and contingency theory, a research framework has been developed. The framework suggests that firms might be able to gain significant performance improvements if IT resources are in alignment with additional organizational factors (i.e. organizational strategy, organizational process, organizational culture, organizational structure). The authors believe that this framework will be valuable in assisting researchers and practitioners in understanding the complex ITBV process.

Integrated green supply chain management and operational performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend previous green supply chain management (GSCM) research by developing and empirically testing a conceptual framework that investigates the relationships between three dimensions of integrated green supply chain management (iGSCM) and multiple dimensions of operational performance. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on survey data collected from 126 automotive manufacturers in China. The relationships between theoretical constructs are analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings – This study generates important findings of the significant and positive relationships between iGSCM (internal GSCM, GSCM with customers and GSCM with suppliers) and operational performance in terms of flexibility, delivery, quality and cost. Practical implications – It is important for managers to simultaneously consider internal GSCM and GSCM with customers and suppliers when implementing environmental sustainability in the supply chains. Overlooking either...

Internal lean practices and operational performance: The contingency perspective of industry clockspeed

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of internal lean practices on multiple operational performance dimensions, and assess the contingency perspective of these relationships with respect to industry clockspeed.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on empirical data gathered from 228 manufacturing companies in the Republic of Ireland. The relationships between the constructs are analyzed through regression analysis.Findings – The results indicate that the relationships between internal lean practices and quality, delivery, flexibility and cost were found to be positive and significant. Further, industry clockspeed was found to moderate the relationship between internal lean practices and quality, delivery and flexibility, but not cost.Practical implications – While internal lean practices can improve operational performance, managers should be aware that internal lean practices are not universally applicable, and the rate of change within an industry should be consider...

Exploring synergetic effects between investments in environmental and quality/lean practices in supply chains

Purpose – This paper seeks to report the empirical results examining potential synergetic effects between investments in environmental and quality/lean practices within the supply chain.Design/methodology/approach – Cross‐country survey data collected by the “Global Manufacturing Research Group” within Europe was utilized to test the hypotheses. Synergetic effects were conceptualized through interaction effects using ordinary least square regression (OLS) analysis.Findings – Results indicate that synergetic effects between traditional practices such as lean and quality and environmental practices are possible. More specifically, the impact of lean and quality practices on operational supply chain performance can be amplified through environmental practices such as ISO 14001, pollution prevention, recycling of materials and waste reduction.Originality/value – Although research on the performance impact of environmental practices within the supply chain context has matured over the past years, there is stil...

Taking an innovative approach to quality practices: exploring the importance of a company’s innovativeness on the success of TQM practices

Quality management practices such as total quality management (TQM) are continuously applied to improve firm performance. However, recent quality researchers have found contradictory performance evidence highlighting that the success of TQM might depend on various contextual factors. Specifically, researchers and practitioners have recognised similarities and considerable overlap between TQM and innovative practices, which suggests that innovativeness plays a contextual role. However, this putative relationship remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of innovativeness to the success of TQM practices through applying contingency theory. Using data collected through a large-scale survey, we carry out an empirical study and produce robust results that strongly confirm such a contextual role of innovativeness. Specifically, we identify that the seven practices closely related to TQM, namely visionary leadership, internal and external cooperation, learning, process management, continuous improvement, employee fulfilment, and customer satisfaction, have a significantly stronger impact on operational performance in companies characterised by a high level of innovativeness.

Exploring the importance of cultural collectivism on the efficacy of lean practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of cultural collectivism on the efficacy of lean practices. Furthermore, this study assesses whether or not potential cultural disadvantages related to the level of individualism at the national level can be compensated for at the organisational culture level.Design/methodology/approach – Hofstede’s cultural dimension of individualism is used to test whether practicing a collectivistic culture at the organisational level can fully compensate for the potential disadvantages of being geographically situated in an individualistic culture when practicing lean manufacturing.Findings – Results suggest that cultural collectivism at the national and organisational level have a significant impact on the efficacy of lean practices. Furthermore, the negative impact of being situated in an individualistic country cannot be fully compensated for through practicing a collectivistic organisational culture when practicing lean.Originality/value – This study represents a comprehensive attempt to simultaneously assess the collectivism cultural components of lean practices at the national as well as at the organisational level.

The importance of contextual factors in the success of outsourcing contracts in the supply chain environment: the role of risk and complementary practices

Purpose – Although outsourcing has emerged as a key business practice in global supply chain management it has not always been successfully adopted. Since the reasons for outsourcing success and failure are underexplored this research aims to investigate the role of contractual completeness and complementary enforcement practices such as cooperation and monitoring and sanctioning practices under varying risk scenarios. Critically, these relationships are examined in the context of two serious risks: legal risk in the guise of rule of law and supplier non-conformance risk. Design/methodology/approach – Cross-country, survey data was collected through the global manufacturing research group and combined with secondary data from the World Bank. The authors carried out a series of regression analysis to explore their research questions. Findings – The results indicate that risk is a critical component of outsourcing success with legal risk reducing outsourcing performance on both cost and quality and supplier...

Institutional effects and the decision to make environmental investments

An unstated assumption in most business research is that a primary goal of managers is profit maximisation. Recently, managers have faced additional pressure to also address environmental issues, while maintaining profits. The literature (Russo, M. and Fouts, P., 1997. A resource-based perspective on corporate environmental performance and profitability. Academy of Management Journal, 40 (3), 534–559 and Pagell, M. and Gobeli, D., 2009. How plant managers experiences and attitudes towards sustainability relate to operational performance. Production and Operations Management, 18 (3), 278–299) suggests these goals are compatible and that organisations can and indeed need to address environmental issues as part of their profit maximisation efforts. However, institutional theory suggests that managers may have other goals that drive their decisions, beyond the desire to maximise profits. This research explores two institutions, the nation or country and industry, and their effects on the decision to make environmental investments. The results indicate that managers do indeed respond to institutions when making these decisions and that in some countries there is a general level of underinvestment in the environment, which is likely harming both organisational and environmental outcomes.