Michael J. Gravier

Connection, trust, and commitment: dimensions of co-creation?

The purpose of this research is to identify a key driver of relationship closeness for service organizations. Based upon the co-creation concept from Service-Dominant Logic, connection is proposed as a new construct rooted in emotional attachment that bolsters the effect of trust and commitment on future intention among customers of a service-intense organization. Causal models are verified with a large empirical sample drawn from an organization in the process of dealing with the increasing sense of depersonalization that has afflicted growing organizations in a variety of industries. The paper distinguishes an important dimension of customer relationships that can be affected by service managers in order to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction.

An analysis of logistics pedagogical literature : past and future trends in curriculum, content, and pedagogy

Purpose – There presently is no comprehensive review which systematizes and summarizes the burgeoning body of logistics educational literature. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for both educators and practitioners to assess the history, current status, and future trends in logistics education in order to nurture advancement in logistics education.Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws its conclusions based upon a literature review and categorizes the evolution of logistics education into three areas: defining curriculum, developing content and skills taught, and refining teaching methods.Findings – Logistics education continues to benefit from strong ties to industry. Additionally, four principle macro‐environmental factors were discovered that impact the current status of logistics education: an increase in the number of logistics educational programs, limited supply of logistics‐trained faculty, changes to content requirements, and a changing teaching environment. Future research ...

Investigating the role of knowledge in alliance performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that following from the premise that knowledge comprises the fundamental source of competitive advantage, this study provides results of a meta‐analysis that examines whether and how alliance performance is influenced by the role knowledge plays in a strategic alliance.Design/methodology/approach – Meta‐analysis is employed as the driving methodology in this study. The meta‐analysis approach permits the literature on interfirm knowledge management to be reviewed and synthesized such that the role of knowledge in the alliance, environmental risk, and alliance performance can be thoroughly and validly investigated.Findings – The findings suggest that the level of risk associated with the environment in which the alliance partners join forces does not moderate the relationship between the various “roles” of knowledge and alliance performance, whereas the magnitude and type of interfirm cohesiveness enjoyed or endured by the alliance participants does materially ...

Enhancing reverse auction use theory: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a sourcing professional arrives at a decision to use an electronic reverse auction (eRA) to source a particular requirement by examining eRA appropriateness.Design/methodology/approach – Past eRA research findings are synthesized into a summary table. From a comprehensive review of the literature, theories of technology adoption, social influence, referent‐dependence theory, and planned behaviour are discussed and synthesized into a model that explains the antecedents of eRA appropriateness. A case study methodology using structured interviews resulted in a refined model that sheds light on some of the controversial findings regarding electronic reverse auction appropriateness.Findings – Expected savings, buyer confidence, and prior eRA sourcing satisfaction are identified as new constructs that help explain the decision to source via eRAs. Additionally, perceived eRA appropriateness is proposed as a new construct that mediates the influence of externa...

Measuring the Cost of Complexity in Supply Chains: Comparison of Weighted Entropy and the Bullwhip Effect Index

Integration has formed the core of logistics and supply chain literature since the 1980s, but empirical research indicates that it does not always lead to better performance. This research effort endeavors to apply information theory to begin to assess the cost of complexity in supply chains. Extant research into supply chain complexity remains in the formative stages, so the purpose of this research is to explore the utility of entropy as a means of comparing alternative supply chain strategies and structures. Simulation experiments revealed that when compared to the bullwhip effect index, an index based upon weighted entropy offered superior assessments of supply chain performance when comparing the effects of safety stock and information sharing, but exhibited performance equally poor to the bullwhip effect index’s for predicting the effect of changing the number of echelons in a supply chain. This research lays the foundation for future research that will expand the weighted entropy formulation to account for differences in the number of supply chain players as well as the effect of different demand scenarios.

The Evolution of Inter-Firm Collaboration in Supply Chain Networks

To date, no published study has measured the evolution of supply chain structure and relationships in response to changing product-market development requirements. This research draws upon production literature and exchange governance theory to simulate the interaction of supply and demand environment factors on the growth and development of supply chain relationships. Experiments were conducted to study the effects of different rates of product change, different demand environments, and different economies of scale on the level of integration between firms at different levels in the supply chain. It synthesizes the interrelationships of the simulation variables in order to extend TCA theory into a dynamic network environment by using the CAS paradigm. The study reveals definite patterns of evolution under conditions of differing product-market conditions, it confirms the importance of the balancing transaction and production costs, and it highlights the asymmetries of transactional and production costs in relationships.

Individual manager experience influences on reverse auction use

Electronic reverse auctions (e-RAs) are complicated sourcing tools that require a degree of mastery in order to achieve desired outcomes. Because the loss of supplier trust lies at the root of the complaints directed toward e-RAs, an individual manager’s experience at building supplier’s trust – or by skilfully implementing or selecting e-RAs – could mitigate this particular downside. These issues prompted an exploration of individual buyer experience as the critical filter through which pass procurement decisions. Findings indicate that the amount of savings is related to the experience specific to e-RA use. General buyer experience predicted e-RA outcomes such as satisfaction and reducing the negative impacts on supplier trust. The presented evidence highlights the difference between knowledge and wisdom – expertise specific to e-RAs may make them more efficient for cost savings, but it takes years of general procurement experience to manage the effects on relationships within and without the organisation.

Federal bid protests: Is the tail wagging the dog?

The fear of receiving a bid protest is said to affect acquisition strategies, yet it has not been empirically explored. Based on the Public Value Framework and interviews with contracting personnel, this research tests a model of antecedents to and consequences of the fear of a protest. Survey data was obtained from a sample of 350 contracting personnel. The fear of protest is mitigated by having sufficient procurement lead time and by source selection experience, and increased by protest risk. Fear of protest increases compromised technical evaluations, added procurement lead time, and transaction costs, while it decreases contracting officer authority and is associated with source selection method inappropriateness. Compromised technical evaluations, in turn, decrease contractor performance while contracting officer authority increases contractor performance. Thus, findings suggest that, indeed, the tail is wagging the dog. The research concludes with several managerial implications, study limitations and future research directions.

Electronic Reverse Auctions: Spawning Procurement Innovation in the Context of Arab Culture

Government e-procurement initiatives have the potential to transform local institutions, but few studies have been published of strategies for implementing specific e-procurement tools, particularly involving procurement by a foreign government adapting to local culture in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). This case describes procurement at a forward operating base (FOB) in Kuwait in support of operations in Iraq. The government procurers had to deal with a phenomenon unique to the MENA region: wasta. Wasta is a form of social capital that bestows power, influence, and connection to those who possess it, similar to guanxi in China. This study explores the value proposition and limitations of electronic reverse auctions (eRA) with the purpose of sharing best practices and lessons learned for government procurement in a MENA country. The public value framework provides valuable theoretical insights for the implementation of a new government e-procurement tool in a foreign country. In a culture dominated by wasta, the suppliers enjoyed the transparency and merit-based virtues of eRA’s that transferred successfully into the new cultural milieu: potential to increase transparency, competition, efficiency, and taxpayer savings. The practices provided herein are designed specifically to help buyers overcome structural barriers including training, organizational inertia, and a lack of eRA policy and guidance while implementing a new e-procurement tool in a foreign country.