Sachin B. Modi

Research Opportunities in Purchasing and Supply Management

Purchasing and supply management (PSM) are crucial for the effective and efficient operation of manufacturing firms, now more than ever. The PSM function has evolved from being routine and mechanical to a function that can deliver true competitive advantage. The trend toward increased globalisation and outsourcing, along with a focus on innovation- and capability-driven supply management, has led to an increased reliance on suppliers. This has significantly enhanced the importance of PSM for manufacturing companies. The heightened significance in practice has been paralleled by an increasing attention of researchers in developing theories and chronicling best practices. At the same time, the rapid rate of change represents both daunting challenges and exciting opportunities for research in PSM. It is the goal of this article to highlight such challenges and discuss ensuing opportunities in PSM research. This objective is accomplished via the nominal group technique involving a panel of leading scholars in the purchasing and supply management field. As such, the article presents a synthesis and discussion of important research themes, poses a set of intriguing research opportunities, and serves as a motivation for future investigation.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Shareholder Wealth: The Role of Marketing Capability

Despite the positive societal implications of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there remains an extensive debate regarding its consequences for firm shareholders. This study posits that marketing capability plays a complementary role in the CSR–shareholder wealth relationship. It further argues that the influence of marketing capability will be higher for CSR types with verifiable benefits to firm stakeholders (i.e., consumers, employees, channel partners, and regulators). An analysis utilizing secondary information for a large sample of 1,725 firms for the years 2000–2009 indicates that the effects of overall CSR efforts on stock returns and idiosyncratic risk are not significant on their own but only become so in the presence of marketing capability. Furthermore, the results reveal that although marketing capability has positive interaction effects with verifiable CSR efforts—environment (e.g., using clean energy), products (e.g., providing to economically disadvantaged), diversity (e.g., pursuing diversity in top management), corporate governance (e.g., limiting board compensation), and employees (e.g., supporting unions)—on stock returns (and negative interaction effects with these CSR efforts on idiosyncratic risk), it has no significant interaction effect with community-based efforts (e.g., charitable giving).

A survey of business network integration: implications for quality and productivity performance

The increasing levels of globalisation have introduced complexities into organisations that require a focus on integrating business networks. Business network integration is critical not only as a result of current competitive challenges but also due to business disruptions created by natural and man-made disasters. Network relationships, productivity, and risk management are key aspects of integrating networks and although supply chain integration literature has touched this topic, these issues deserve further review. The objective of this paper is to provide a research model based on literature review of three theory streams: business network theory; business process redesign theory; and supply chain risk management theory. We present a research model which defines the drivers, practices and outcomes of business network integration based on this framework. We frame propositions to clarify the interrelationships of these theory streams and present theoretical and managerial implications for quality and productivity performance.