Soonhong Min

The nature of interfirm partnering in supply chain management

Abstract This paper conceptually integrates the antecedents and consequences of strategic and operational partnering. We suggest a continuum exists from strategic to operational partnering depending on the level of antecedents, orientation, and implementation. This paper, thus, expands the theory of partnering by providing an inclusive picture of the “partnering” phenomenon with the environmental pressures, antecedents, orientation, implementation, and consequences of strategic and operational partnering for vertical relationships within retail supply chains.

The role of marketing in supply chain management

The concept of supply chain management (SCM) started in the logistics literature, and logistics has continued to have a significant impact on the concept. This study, however, proposes that the concepts of the marketing concept, a market orientation, relationship marketing, and SCM are not separate. Rather they are inextricably intertwined. The main purpose of this study is to highlight the role of marketing in the implementation of SCM by suggesting cause‐and‐effect relationships. Research propositions are presented and future empirical studies are called for to test the cause‐and‐effect relationships suggested in an integrative model.

Toward a unified theory of logistics

Despite the growing importance of logistics in corporate strategy and the global economy, the logistics literature reveals little effort to build a unified theory of logistics (i.e. a theory of the role of logistics in the firm). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to move toward a unified theory of logistics within the contexts of the strategic role and capabilities of logistics. Considering the importance of logistics in todays corporate strategy, various theories of the firm are adapted to explain the reasons for logistics activities within the firm. The proposed theory should serve as a conceptual reference point for future theory development and empirical research in logistics.

The moderating role of trust in manufacturer‐supplier relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to verify the moderating role of trust in the relationships between environmental uncertainty and a manufacturers propensity for vertical control over its supplier, and between environmental uncertainty and the manufacturers satisfaction with the supplier performance. It also confirms a threshold effect of trust, i.e. the moderating role of trust is present up until a threshold value of trust is reached.Design/methodology/approach – Survey research was conducted to collect data from manufacturers; structural equation modeling was used to purify measurement scales, and multiple regression was conducted to test the hypotheses.Findings – This study confirmed that a manufacturers perception of a suppliers trustworthy behavior weakens the justification for a higher degree of vertical control over its suppliers key decisions. Trust also reduces the manufacturers discontent with its suppliers performance.Research limitations/implications – Traditional transaction cos...

An Internet-Mediated Market Orientation (IMO): Building a Theory

A market orientation (MO) has long been an essential concept in the marketing discipline. Advanced information technologies show a great potential for information acquisition, sharing, and dissemination, all of which are the essential processes of an MO. This paper proposes a framework of an Internet-mediated market orientation (IMO), in which the Internet functions as a transformer of the traditional MO into a more efficient and effective way of implementing an MO online toward sustaining competitive advantage. Theories from related disciplines are introduced to explain the relevancy of the use of the Internet on the MO process, and anecdotal evidences are provided to show how the traditional MO becomes an IMO by using various Internet tools in the Internet-mediated environment.

Définir Le Supply Chain Management

Une construction managériale ne peut pas être utilisée efficacement par les gestionnaires et les chercheurs si tous ne sont pas d’accord sur sa définition. C’est le cas du terme “Supply Chain Management” (Management de la chaîne logistique) - il existe tellement de définitions différentes qu’il y a peu de consensus sur ce qu’il signifie. L’objet de cet article est de faire le point sur la recherche afin de comprendre le concept de SCM. Plusieurs définitions de SCM et de Supply Chain (chaîne logistique) sont passés en revue, classées et synthétisées. Des définitions des constructions qui sous-tendent le SCM et un cadre sont proposés afin de conceptualiser le SCM. Après avoir identifié les conditions et les conséquences du SCM, ainsi que les limites en terme de fonctions et d’organisation, les auteurs proposent un modèle conceptuel et une définition unifiée du SCM.

The Effects of Agency Problems on the Stability of the International Joint Venture

We introduce agency and team production theories to explain the international joint venture (IJV) phenomenon. We regard IJV partners as participants in a team production and identified agency conflicts among partners as well as between parents and IJV affi liates. We empirically test the stability of IJVs with such determinants as the existence of monitoring principal, the history of repeated exchanges between partners, the efficiency of mutual monitoring by partners, the effi ciency of affiliate monitoring by parent firms, and the degree of international experience of the partners. The test results show that the existence of monitoring principal and the degree of international experience prove to be significant factors for IJV stability.

Measuring Trust in an Inter-organizational Context

Trust has long been considered a critical interfirm relationship component. However, measuring trust in an inter-organizational context poses a great challenge because trust at individual and organizational levels often becomes intertwined. Thus, the focus of this study is to identify and discuss issues related to the measurement of mterfirm trust, including units and levels of measuring trust in supply chain relationships. However, the process of developing a good measurement scale of trust starts with sound conceptualization of it to which the measurement scale is validated. Therefore, this study also discusses issues in different definitions and dimensions of trust in existing studies. Several suggestions are made to develop a more valid and reliable trust measures for the advancement in the supply chain research.

Knowledge Calibration Capability for Supply Chain Management

Knowledge calibration, or the agreement between knowledge accuracy and confidence in that knowledge, provides a foundation for supply chain management (SCM) decisions. We introduce the notion of knowledge calibration capability to maximize knowledge utility or the desirability of utilizing available knowledge. We present a conceptual framework of knowledge calibration capability for SCM by defining the construct and suggesting its potential antecedents and consequences. This paper offers a research agenda for knowledge calibration capability in a supply chain context.