Supply chain management plays an important role in contemporary enterprises and its operations include materials procurement, manufacturing, logistics, sales and service. Good supply chain management relies on information technologies that facilitate the sharing of process and production-related information. Hence, information technology plays a key role in supply chain management. In order for information sharing to be effective, standardizationand integration are important. The purpose of this study is to examine how standardization and integration of information technologies in a supply chain may affect its performance. Four dimensions of information technology standardization and integration are defined: business process, data, technology infrastructure, and application system. We also include supply chain capability as a mediating variable. This study used questionnaire to collection date, and used SmartPLS and SPSS to analyze data. The results indicate that: (1) IT standardization has significant influences on supply chain capability, but IT integration does not; (2) supply chain capability has significant positive impacts on supply chain performance; and (3) IT standardization and IT integration do not have direct influences on supply chain performance.

Supply chain security has become relevant to both practitioners and academics for years, yet the understanding of this topic is still incomplete. The literature produces relatively few explanatory and confirmatory studies, offers ambiguous definitions and terminology and the theoretical development is inconsistent. In this dissertation, I review relevant research streams and employ four in-depth case studies to conceptualize supply chain security (SCS). I also utilize the principles of human immunology to propose a taxonomy of supply chain security management (SCSM) mechanisms. Building on institutional theory and the taxonomy, I further examine the antecedents as well as the consequences of SCSM mechanisms via a large empirical data set collected during 2011-2013. The sample includes responses from 462 firms. Specifically, in my first model I draw on the institutional theory and posit that five institutional isomorphism pressures (i.e., government, customer, peer, normative, and performance pressure) impact four classes of SCSM mechanisms (i.e., prevention, detection, reaction, and restoration). In addition, shared SCS perception (SSP) and top management commitment (TMC) are hypothesized to moderate (strengthen) the relationships between institutional pressures and SCSM mechanisms. In my second model, I propose that the four classes of mechanisms explain five different supply chain performance dimensions (i.e., security performance, cost performance, supply chain responsiveness, supply chain resilience, and supply chain visibility). I also specify differential effects for both models; some effects are more salient than others. The results suggest that not all institutional pressures motivate the implementation of SCSM mechanisms. While normative pressure and performance pressure act as predominantly powerful predictors of SCSM mechanisms, other pressures appear to have negligible or even adverse effects. Surprisingly, data analysis suggests that coercive institutional pressures (i.e., government pressure and customer pressure) do not exhibit the strongest effects on SCSM mechanisms as the literature would suggest. As far as the moderation effect is concerned, the results illustrate that neither SSP nor TMC interact with all institutional pressures to affect the employment of SCSM mechanisms. In addition, TMC can even impede the implementation of reaction- and restoration-oriented SCSM mechanisms when interacting with government pressure. Regarding supply chain performance, the results demonstrate that SCSM mechanisms have strong effects on multiple supply chain performance measures. Further assessments reveal that the effect of SCSM mechanisms on supply chain security performance is stronger than its effects on other performance dimensions.

Os investimentos em tecnologia da informação (TI) possibilitam a criação, sustentação e expansão das vantagens competitivas das empresas na cadeia de suprimento, sendo considerados críticos para apoiar as relações interorganizacionais. Uma forma de enfrentar as mudanças ambientais é desenhar uma governança da cadeia de suprimentos (GCS) que equilibre os interesses das organizações e as decisões dos gestores. Entretanto, tradicionalmente a cadeia de suprimentos é estudada de uma perspectiva das operações, com o foco interfuncional ou intraorganizacional, sendo necessário aumentar o escopo dos estudos sobre o assunto, combinando com diferentes temas como a TI, considerada um aspecto importante na cadeia de suprimentos. Assim, o objetivo dessa tese é desenvolver um modelo para avaliar a influência dos investimentos em TI na GCS e o efeito da GCS no desempenho da cadeia de suprimentos. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foi realizada uma pesquisa com uma etapa qualitativa e outra quantitativa. Na etapa qualitativa foram realizados estudo de casos múltiplos em seis grandes empresas brasileiras e seus fornecedores. Foi possível identificar e explorar quais os principais elementos relacionados a cada um dos constructos propostos (investimentos em TI, governança contratual, governança relacional, governança transacional e desempenho da cadeia) e desenvolver um instrumento de pesquisa inicial. Na etapa quantitativa, primeiro foi realizado um estudo survey pré-teste com uma amostra pequena de grandes empresas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, que posteriormente foi aplicado em uma grande amostra de empresas brasileiras chamado de estudo completo. Então foi aplicado o questionário em mais de 120 empresas e 185 questionários válidos. A partir da aplicação de análises estatísticas, utilizando modelagem de equações estruturais, foi possível validar o modelo e analisar as hipóteses de pesquisa. Foi identificado que existe uma influência significativa entre os investimentos em TI nas concepções da GCS (contratual, relacional e transacional) e com a própria governança na cadeia. Assim, os investimentos em TI são realizados para monitorar, rastrear, compartilhar informações, integrar as atividades e reduzir os custos nas transações relacionadas com a GCS entre as empresas na cadeia. Além disso, foi identificado que existe um efeito positivo da GCS como um todo e da governança contratual, em um nível menor, no desempenho da cadeia no que diz respeito mais aos indicadores financeiros, como o retorno dos investimentos e retorno sobre as vendas. Percebe-se que as práticas da governança da cadeia influenciadas pelos investimentos em TI estão relacionadas positivamente com o desempenho da cadeia de forma ampla e composta. Os gestores devem analisar os fenômenos na cadeia de forma multidimensional e não aspectos isolados e de forma individual. O estudo apresenta avanços tanto teóricos, utilizando diferentes teorias para suportar as análises e relações na cadeia e combinar diferentes temas como investimentos em TI, GCS e desempenho da cadeia, como práticos por desenvolver e validar um modelo que permite aos executivos tomarem decisões melhores na cadeia de suprimentos por possibilitar uma análise e melhor compreensão das atividades e processos na cadeia. / Information technology (IT) investments enable the creation, support and expansion of the competitive advantages of companies in the supply chain, which are considered critical to support interorganizational relationships. One way to face changes in business environmental is to design a governance supply chain (SCG) that balances the interests of organizations and the decisions of managers. However, the supply chain is traditionally studied with an operation perspective, with the focus being inter-functional or intra-organizational. It is thus necessary to increase the scope of the studies on the subject, combining different themes such as IT; which are considered an important aspect in the supply chain. The objective of this dissertation is to develop a model to evaluate the influence of IT investments in SCG and the effect of SCG on supply chain performance. For this purpose, a qualitative and a quantitative research were conducted. In the qualitative stage, multiple case studies were conducted in six large Brazilian companies and their suppliers. These studies made it possible to identify and explore which are the main elements related to each of the proposed constructs (IT investments, contractual governance, relational governance, transactional governance and supply chain performance) and develop an initial research instrument. In the quantitative phase, a pre-test survey was conducted with a small sample of large companies to refine the survey instrument to be applied on a large sample of Brazilian companies called completed study. The finalized questionnaire was then applied to more than 120 companies, resulting in 185 valid questionnaires. From the application of statistical analysis, using structural equation modeling, it was possible to validate the model and analyze the research hypotheses. It was identified that IT investments significantly influence SCG conceptions (contractual, relational and transactional) and the SCG itself. IT investments are undertaken to monitor, track, share information, integrate activities and reduce costs in transactions between companies related to SCG. Furthermore, it was identified that there is positive effect of SCG and the contractual governance, in a lower level, on the performance of supply chain with respect to more financial indicators such as return on investment and return on sales. Thus, it is clear that the practices of SCG influenced by IT investments are positively related with supply chain performance broadly and composed, in which managers must analyze phenomena in the supply with a multidimensional view; as opposed to an isolated and individual one. The study presents both theoretical advances - using different theories to support the analysis and relationships in the supply chain using different themes like IT investment, SCG and supply chain performance - and practical ones that develop and validate a model that allows managers to make better decisions in the supply chain by enabling enhanced analysis and a better understanding of the activities and processes in the supply chain.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:53:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HaroldoCVF_DISSERT.pdf: 3858837 bytes, checksum: 6cd56f5660d8fba1ac3b326e3b91ccbc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-11-18 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Performance measurement in highly competitive markets is a necessary measure for those who aim the top positions. The business performance measurement approach have reached relevant results in the literature, however, a different approach has recently appeared that broadened the perception of competition, where companies do not seek the competition among companies only, but also among supply chains. Brazilian Wind energy supply chain is living a structuring and expanding moment, with the major global players in the industry making investments in the country. This research aims to answer which are the key performance indicators that must be considered by the Brazilian wind energy sector companies, which are part in a broad perspective of supply chain competition. The research was executed in two steps: exploratory (literature review and a field research in the companies) and later a survey was conducted with the Brazilian Wind energy companies workers with the purpose to validate the performance indicators found in the exploratory step. The survey evaluated 40 performance indicators distributed among five major activities: Project prospection, building/execution, operation and maintenance, logistics and transverse processes, which summarize the performance of the entire supply chain, pointing the sinergy and the competitive level of the supply chain. The selected performance indicators reflect the high relevance of the costs dimension in the Brazilian energy companies performance, acting as a key performance indicator, is also indicates the limited performance management integration throughout the Brazilian wind energy supply chain / A medi??o de desempenho em mercados competitivos ? uma a??o necess?ria para as organiza??es que almejam posi??es de destaque. A abordagem de medi??o interna ?s empresas j? obt?m resultados relevantes na literatura, entretanto, surge recentemente uma abordagem que ampliou a percep??o de competi??o, onde empresas n?o visam apenas a competi??o entre si, mas entre cadeias de suprimentos. No Brasil, a cadeia de suprimentos da energia e?lica atravessa um momento de estrutura??o e crescimento, com a instala??o dos principais fabricantes de classe mundial no pa?s. Este trabalho busca responder quais indicadores de desempenho-chave devem ser utilizados pelas empresas do setor e?lico brasileiro, inseridos em uma perspectiva hol?stica de competi??o entre cadeias de suprimentos. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: explorat?ria (revis?o bibliogr?fica e pesquisa de campo) e posteriormente foi aplicado uma pesquisa survey com representantes das empresas que comp?em o setor e?lico objetivando validar os indicadores encontrados na etapa explorat?ria. Foram avaliados 40 indicadores distribu?dos ao longo das atividades de prospec??o, execu??o/constru??o, opera??o e manuten??o, log?stica e os indicadores transversais, os quais sintetizam a performance de toda a cadeia em conjunto, apontando a sinergia e o n?vel de competitividade da cadeia de suprimentos. Os indicadores de desempenho selecionados refletem a alta relev?ncia da dimens?o custos no desempenho das organiza??es do setor, sendo atualmente o elemento-chave do desempenho, bem como a integra??o limitada da gest?o de desempenho ao longo da cadeia

Os investimentos em tecnologia da informação (TI) possibilitam a criação, sustentação e expansão das vantagens competitivas das empresas na cadeia de suprimento, sendo considerados críticos para apoiar as relações interorganizacionais. Uma forma de enfrentar as mudanças ambientais é desenhar uma governança da cadeia de suprimentos (GCS) que equilibre os interesses das organizações e as decisões dos gestores. Entretanto, tradicionalmente a cadeia de suprimentos é estudada de uma perspectiva das operações, com o foco interfuncional ou intraorganizacional, sendo necessário aumentar o escopo dos estudos sobre o assunto, combinando com diferentes temas como a TI, considerada um aspecto importante na cadeia de suprimentos. Assim, o objetivo dessa tese é desenvolver um modelo para avaliar a influência dos investimentos em TI na GCS e o efeito da GCS no desempenho da cadeia de suprimentos. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foi realizada uma pesquisa com uma etapa qualitativa e outra quantitativa. Na etapa qualitativa foram realizados estudo de casos múltiplos em seis grandes empresas brasileiras e seus fornecedores. Foi possível identificar e explorar quais os principais elementos relacionados a cada um dos constructos propostos (investimentos em TI, governança contratual, governança relacional, governança transacional e desempenho da cadeia) e desenvolver um instrumento de pesquisa inicial. Na etapa quantitativa, primeiro foi realizado um estudo survey pré-teste com uma amostra pequena de grandes empresas para refinar o instrumento de pesquisa, que posteriormente foi aplicado em uma grande amostra de empresas brasileiras chamado de estudo completo. Então foi aplicado o questionário em mais de 120 empresas e 185 questionários válidos. A partir da aplicação de análises estatísticas, utilizando modelagem de equações estruturais, foi possível validar o modelo e analisar as hipóteses de pesquisa. Foi identificado que existe uma influência significativa entre os investimentos em TI nas concepções da GCS (contratual, relacional e transacional) e com a própria governança na cadeia. Assim, os investimentos em TI são realizados para monitorar, rastrear, compartilhar informações, integrar as atividades e reduzir os custos nas transações relacionadas com a GCS entre as empresas na cadeia. Além disso, foi identificado que existe um efeito positivo da GCS como um todo e da governança contratual, em um nível menor, no desempenho da cadeia no que diz respeito mais aos indicadores financeiros, como o retorno dos investimentos e retorno sobre as vendas. Percebe-se que as práticas da governança da cadeia influenciadas pelos investimentos em TI estão relacionadas positivamente com o desempenho da cadeia de forma ampla e composta. Os gestores devem analisar os fenômenos na cadeia de forma multidimensional e não aspectos isolados e de forma individual. O estudo apresenta avanços tanto teóricos, utilizando diferentes teorias para suportar as análises e relações na cadeia e combinar diferentes temas como investimentos em TI, GCS e desempenho da cadeia, como práticos por desenvolver e validar um modelo que permite aos executivos tomarem decisões melhores na cadeia de suprimentos por possibilitar uma análise e melhor compreensão das atividades e processos na cadeia. / Information technology (IT) investments enable the creation, support and expansion of the competitive advantages of companies in the supply chain, which are considered critical to support interorganizational relationships. One way to face changes in business environmental is to design a governance supply chain (SCG) that balances the interests of organizations and the decisions of managers. However, the supply chain is traditionally studied with an operation perspective, with the focus being inter-functional or intra-organizational. It is thus necessary to increase the scope of the studies on the subject, combining different themes such as IT; which are considered an important aspect in the supply chain. The objective of this dissertation is to develop a model to evaluate the influence of IT investments in SCG and the effect of SCG on supply chain performance. For this purpose, a qualitative and a quantitative research were conducted. In the qualitative stage, multiple case studies were conducted in six large Brazilian companies and their suppliers. These studies made it possible to identify and explore which are the main elements related to each of the proposed constructs (IT investments, contractual governance, relational governance, transactional governance and supply chain performance) and develop an initial research instrument. In the quantitative phase, a pre-test survey was conducted with a small sample of large companies to refine the survey instrument to be applied on a large sample of Brazilian companies called completed study. The finalized questionnaire was then applied to more than 120 companies, resulting in 185 valid questionnaires. From the application of statistical analysis, using structural equation modeling, it was possible to validate the model and analyze the research hypotheses. It was identified that IT investments significantly influence SCG conceptions (contractual, relational and transactional) and the SCG itself. IT investments are undertaken to monitor, track, share information, integrate activities and reduce costs in transactions between companies related to SCG. Furthermore, it was identified that there is positive effect of SCG and the contractual governance, in a lower level, on the performance of supply chain with respect to more financial indicators such as return on investment and return on sales. Thus, it is clear that the practices of SCG influenced by IT investments are positively related with supply chain performance broadly and composed, in which managers must analyze phenomena in the supply with a multidimensional view; as opposed to an isolated and individual one. The study presents both theoretical advances - using different theories to support the analysis and relationships in the supply chain using different themes like IT investment, SCG and supply chain performance - and practical ones that develop and validate a model that allows managers to make better decisions in the supply chain by enabling enhanced analysis and a better understanding of the activities and processes in the supply chain.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Purpose: This paper aims to explore the antecedents and performance outcomes of supply chain integration in the agri-food industry in Latin America, a context that the literature on supply chain management has not extensively addressed. The quinoa supply chain, an industry that has encountered a boost in market demand in the past year, is selected as the unit of analysis. Supply chain integration dynamics are analyzed to provide recommendations about integration strategies and benefits in the agricultural sector. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model was designed in this study, which includes the drivers (i.e. trust and commitment) and outcomes (i.e. operational and economic performance) of supply chain integration. The relationships were verified through a unique survey, the data of which were collected from 79 respondents operating at different levels of the Peruvian quinoa supply chain (i.e. suppliers, producers and customers). The proposed hypotheses were tested through the partial least squares (PLS) regression. Findings: The results underscore the relevance of trust and commitment as enablers of supply chain integration initiatives in the agri-food industry. These factors are particularly essential for involving the farmers who are the most upstream actors in the supply chain and characterized by unstructured organizations. A high level of integration in these types of supply chain enhances the capacity to improve operational performance, which in turns positively affects the main economic indicators. Originality/value: This study contributes to the discussion of supply chain integration in the agri-food industry, which remains unexplored thus far. It relies on a multitier collection of responses, which is extended to all the levels of the quinoa supply chain, thereby providing the study with a unique depth of analysis. Furthermore, this work contributes to the ongoing discourse on the performance impact of supply chain integration, which several SCM scholars have recently questioned. / Revisión por pares

D. Tech. (Department of Business, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between e-procurement, supplier integration and supply chain performance in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Most studies on e-procurement, supplier integration and supply chain performance have focused on large companies. Current knowledge involving SMEs and e-procurement is still limited. This study, therefore, was conducted to fill this gap. With rapid changes in technology and globalisation of markets, firms, especially SMEs, need support to adapt to technology and make use of e-procurement functions to compete with larger firms. The paradigm used in this study was post-positivism. A quantitative research approach was adopted in this study. The target population for this study consists of all owners and managers who are currently employed in SMEs in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. To measure the study constructs, the survey material was designed in the form of a structured questionnaire. Participants were asked to complete three test instruments, namely, an e-procurement questionnaire, supplier integration questionnaire and supply chain performance questionnaire as well as their profile and SME profile. A total number of 350 questionnaires was distributed to the identified sample of SME owners and managers of which 294 responded and finally 283 questionnaires were usable and used for data analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to establish scale accuracy. All measures conformed to acceptable model fit and composite reliability (CR) and revealed that the scales used in this study are reliable. The reliability results confirmed that all constructs reached the generally agreed upon minimum scale range for Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70. Finally, the structural model was tested; four out of seven hypotheses were supported. Validity in this study was achieved through face, content, convergent and discriminant validities. The principal finding of this study reveals that e-design has a positive and significant linear relationship with supplier integration. In addition, the results showed that e-sourcing has a positive and insignificant linear relationship with supplier integration. The insignificant relationship could be indicative of the fact that enterprises are not fully utilising the e-procurement systems in selecting their suppliers to effectively improve their collaboration with supply chain member firms. The findings further reveal that e-negotiation has a positive and significant linear relationship with supplier integration. The study’s empirical findings also indicate that e-evaluation has a negative and insignificant relationship with supplier integration. Further, e-informing was also found to have a negative relationship with supplier integration. The study additionally revealed that supplier integration has a positive and significant linear relationship with tangible supply chain performance. Lastly, the SEM findings show that supplier integration has a positive and significant relationship with the intangible supply chain performance. After reviewing the results, the conclusion was drawn that theoretically, this research has contributed to literature by providing additional information on supply chain management, e-procurement, supplier integration and supply chain performance. The results presented provide useful information about the relationship between e-procurement, supplier integration and supply chain performance in SMEs, with implications for supplier firms and other relevant stakeholders. These results contribute to the expanding body of knowledge on supply chain aspects. The current study added practical value by developing an integrative model which might be used by SME practitioners in South Africa. The study recommends that the collaborating firm owners and managers consider increasing the levels of supplier collaboration by having regular meetings, training workshops or courses and conferences to improve their supply chain performance. Furthermore, it is recommended that SME owners and managers must effectively implement e-design systems to increase the chance of integrating with their suppliers, thereby increasing the chance of improving performance as well as cutting supply chain costs. Areas for further research and limitations for this study have also been highlighted.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(経済学) / 甲第20874号 / 経博第569号 / 新制||経||284(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院経済学研究科経済学専攻 / (主査)教授 原 良憲, 准教授 菊谷 達弥, 准教授 秋田 祐哉 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Economics / Kyoto University / DFAM

No / The purpose of this paper is to theorise and develop seven dimensions (strategic supplier partnership, level of information sharing, quality of information sharing, customer service management, internal lean practices, postponement and total quality management) into a supply chain management (SCM) practices (SCMPs) construct and studies its causal relationship with the conceptualised constructs of supply chain performance (SCP) and manufacturing firms’ performance (MFP). The study also explores the causal relationship between SCP and MFP. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire responded by 249 Jordanian manufacturing firms. The relationships proposed in the developed theoretical framework were represented through three hypotheses: H1 – there is a significant relationship between SCMPs and SCP; H2 – there is a significant relationship between SCMPs and MFP; and H3 – there is a significant relationship between SCP and MFP. Linear regression, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used to test the hypotheses. The results were further validated using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that SCMPs have a positive effect on SCP (H1), which in turn also positively affect MFP (H3). Despite this intermediary positive effect of SCMP on MFP through SCP, the study also suggests that SCMPs have a direct and positive effect on MFP (H2). This study provides hard evidence indicating that higher levels of SCMPs can lead to enhanced supply chain and firms’ performance. It also provides SC managers of manufacturing firms with a multi-dimensional operational measure of the construct of SCMPs for assessing the comprehensiveness of the SCMPs of their firms. This study is among the very first SCM researches conducted on the Jordanian manufacturing sector, particularly, in relation to the practices that manufacturing firms in this country need to adopt to make their supply chains a solid competitive vehicle for their development. The results have broader implications for all manufacturing companies, particularly in developing economies where the growth of manufacturing and the development of integrated supply chains are key stages in economic development.

In today’s world, globalization has increased the competition among companies and functioned as a factor for increased product variety, increased amount of customized products and shorter product life cycles. Supply Chain management is considered one of the most critical strategies for increasing organizational effectiveness and enhancing the customer service. Supply Chain needs to be evaluated based on its performance of how efficient and effective it is. Quality on products and processes has becoming even more critical to companies’ success. Zero defects on the components and parts that meet the customers’ needs are important for the quality of the final products and quality efforts can decrease the costs throughout the Supply Chain. Moreover, Supply Chain’s cost identification is getting even more important in order for the companies to evaluate the performance of their channel and realize the efficiency of their activities based on their supply chain processes. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the implementation of a performance measurement system can assist companies to improve the Supply Chain based on the identification of the relation between the evaluation of the Supply Chain and the quality and service that is provided to the customer. Moreover, the cost of the production and the after-sales service is measured, in order to have a clear image of the Supply Chain performance. A case study company, Giraff Technologies, was examined and investigated further in order the author to be able to support the results and the analysis of the primary research combined with the analysis of the literature review. Based on the results of the research it can be said that the quality performance of a company and the service that is offered to the customers can be enhanced through the measurement and evaluation of the Supply Chain performance. Better collaboration with the suppliers and customers, customer focus and continuous improvements are ways to improve not only the Supply Chain but also the quality and the service that is offered. The production cost is considered as a factor that can be influenced positively or negatively by the Supply Chain performance, whereas the after-sale service cost is not clear if it can be affected immediately from the Supply Chain performance.