Contemporary supply chain management (SCM) issues are multiplex and continually
evolving catalysed by complexities and dynamism. The perishable food industry
exemplifies this phenomenon, driven by globalisation, technological advancements
and a highly competitive business environment. Inescapably, food supply chains are
increasingly operating as supply chain networks (SCN). SCNs are typified by a higher
level of interdependence and connectivity amongst firms, consequently evolving from
dyad and triad relationships, which have dominated SCM research. These changes
generate divergent risks and vulnerabilities that perturb perishable food supply chains
in unconventional ways. Thus, the purpose of this empirical study is to investigate
how firms within a perishable food supply chain network can build resilience and
sustainability. The research focuses on advancing the management of fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG).
Methodologically, an empirical qualitative study is undertaken within a food
manufacturer (focal firm) and 18 independent firms operating across all tiers of its
SCN. Applying a pragmatic philosophical positioning, the study draws concepts from
key supply chain theories to investigate the phenomena. The investigation uses
Nicolini’s Zooming in and Zooming out as an analytical lens. The zooming in and out
is established by shifting analytical lenses and re-positioning actors’ praxis, to ensure
certain facets of their actions are fore-grounded while others are put in a background
position and contrariwise moving the background to the foreground. The purpose of
this technique is to draw meaning from everyday practices and trace the actions of
actors across the entire SCN.
The results uncover four distinct but intertwined main categories; whose subtle and
often ignored interplay is crucial in attaining SCN resilience and sustainability. These
main categories are Collaboration, Power Dynamics, SCN Culture and Information
Systems. Current supply chain literature argues that collaboration is an essential enabler of resilience and sustainability. Building on this, the findings make a significant
contribution by teasing out the intangible and predominately unacknowledged
antecedents and salient sustaining factors of effective SCN collaboration.
Furthermore, the study develops a resilience and sustainability (RS) matrix, which
renders different impacts and outcomes of varying levels of SCN collaboration
between firms operating in a perishable food SCN. Therefore, this thesis contributes
knowledge towards constructing resilient and sustainable perishable food SCNs by
proffering pragmatic propositions. These aim to address challenges facing industry
stakeholders and ignite pertinent future research avenues for scholars.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/18501 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Chiwenga, Kudzai D. |
| Contributors | Mishra, Jyoti L., Hussain, Zahid I., Barber, Kevin D., Drabble, Brian |
| Publisher | University of Bradford, Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, doctoral, PhD |
| Rights | <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. |
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