Roberto Chavez

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...

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.

Assessing the effect of industry clockspeed on the supply chain management practice‐performance relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of industry clockspeed on the relationship between supply chain management (SCM) practices, from both upstream and downstream sides of the supply chain, and SCM performance.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a questionnaire sent to manufacturing companies in the Republic of Ireland. The relationships between the constructs are analysed through regression analysis.Findings – The results suggest that the relationship between SCM practices and SCM performance is not monotonic across varying levels of industry clockspeed. Although mixed support was found for the hypothesized relationships, this research contributes considerably to the theoretical development of the contingency view in the SCM literature.Practical implications – Managers should be aware that the rate of change in their industries can affect the way SCM practices across the supply chain impact on SCM performance.Originality/value – The literature review has shown t...

Customer integration and operational performance

Much supply chain integration literature tends to be biased towards its positive impact on operational performance. However, inconclusive results demand investigation of the mechanisms through which supply chain integration can lead to superior operational performance. The purpose of this study is to identify empirically the mediating role of information quality on the relationship between customer integration and operational performance, and the direct relationship between customer integration and operational performance. The study is based on a questionnaire sent to 228 manufacturing companies in the Republic of Ireland, and the relationships between the constructs are analyzed through regression analysis. The results indicate that information quality partially mediates the relationship between customer integration and quality, delivery and flexibility. Further, information quality was found to fully mediate the relationship between customer integration and cost. Information quality partially mediates the relationship between customer integration and quality.Information quality partially mediates the relationship between customer integration and delivery.Information quality partially mediates the relationship between customer integration and flexibility.Information quality fully mediates the relationship between customer integration and cost.

Data-driven supply chains, manufacturing capability and customer satisfaction

Abstract While recent conceptual research and consultancy white papers have suggested that analysing and interpreting data in the supply chain could potentially lead to the creation of competitive advantage, its exploratory nature demands empirical investigation. Drawing upon the resource-based view, this study empirically investigates the linkages between data-driven supply chains, manufacturing capability and customer satisfaction. The survey data for this study were gathered from China’s manufacturing industry and analysed using structural equation modelling. Results suggest that data-driven supply chains are positively associated with multiple manufacturing capability dimensions (i.e. quality, delivery, flexibility and cost), which in turn, lead to customer satisfaction improvement. While delivery appears to have no significant effect on customer satisfaction, quality, flexibility and cost are significantly and positively associated with customer satisfaction. This study provides insight into the connection between supply chain big data intelligence and both operational and organisational performance improvement.

The impacts of IT capability and marketing capability on supply chain integration: a resource-based perspective

Although previous research has addressed the interface and logical association among marketing, information technology (IT) and supply chain management, there have been few, if any, attempts to investigate how IT capability and marketing capability influence supply chain integration (SCI). Thus, this study investigates the direct and interacting effects of IT capability and marketing capability on SCI. The hypothesised relationships were tested using survey data gathered from 329 firms in China’s manufacturing industry. The results reveal that both IT capability and marketing capability have a significant positive effect on SCI. Interestingly, no significant interaction effect was found, indicating that marketing IT capability and marketing capability influence SCI independently, and not synergistically. However, while IT capability and marketing capability do not interact, IT capability does mediate the impact of marketing capability on SCI.

Green supply management and performance: a resource-based view

Abstract This study develops and empirically tests, from the resource-based perspective, a conceptual framework linking green supply management and performance. The proposed model is tested using data from a sample of 126 automotive manufactures in China. The results suggest that both green purchasing personnel and green supplier selection have a significant positive effect on green supplier collaboration, and that building green collaboration with suppliers is significantly and positively related to both environmental and operational performance. Accordingly, knowledge and skill development of the purchasing function can be recognised as an important resource in building green supply capabilities and performance.

Guanxi and operational performance: the mediating role of supply chain integration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend prior supply chain research by empirically exploring the relationship among guanxi, supply chain integration (SCI), and operational performance. More specifically, this study investigates the mediating role of SCI. Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least square regression is used to analyze survey data collected from 126 automobile manufacturers in China. Findings The results reveal a significant positive relationship between guanxi and SCI, and that SCI is significantly and positively related to operational performance. The authors’ findings further suggest that guanxi indirectly affects operational performance through SCI. Practical implications The empirical findings imply that it is vital for managers to recognize the important mediating role of dynamic SCI capabilities. Originality/value As a fundamental Chinese cultural norm, guanxi can be critical in a supply chain context. Although previous research has identified the importance of guanxi and SCI in improving firm performance, far less attention was given to the study of the mediating effect of SCI on the guanxi-performance relationship. This study thus fulfills the research gap by providing an initial empirical examination of the mediating role of SCI in China’s automotive industry.