برخی از مسائل مربوط به یکپارچه سازی مدیریت عرضه
کد مقاله | سال انتشار | تعداد صفحات مقاله انگلیسی |
---|---|---|
8828 | 2009 | 9 صفحه PDF |

Publisher : Elsevier - Science Direct (الزویر - ساینس دایرکت)
Journal : Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Volume 15, Issue 4, December 2009, Pages 240–248
چکیده انگلیسی
The study explores the factors contributing to an integration project concerning global supply management. Four factors based on the literature are defined and hypotheses established accordingly. The relationships between the defined factors and supply management integration are analysed by means of linear regression analysis using data from 100 Finnish firms. The results of the analysis are discussed in the light of a case study from the forest industry. Thus, both methodological and data triangulation are applied. Skilful internal cooperation is found to be the main positively influencing factor. According to the results of linear regression analysis, internationality, strategic status and financial value of supply management have no significant influence on integration. However, the findings from the case study do suggest that a readiness for change among supply management staff and environmental forces plays a considerable role in global supply management integration.
مقدمه انگلیسی
It has suggested in previous research that supply management strategies, such as supply management integration, information sharing and collaboration between supply chain members, have a strong impact on organisations (Carter and Narasimhan, 1996; Ogden et al., 2005). Global firms have adopted the strategy of supply management integration and there is also an apparent integration trend in the field of supply management (Johnson and Ivey, 2003; Richter, 2003; Atkinson, 2004). The integration of supply management is often discussed in terms of centralisation and decentralisation and several studies have examined the advantages and disadvantages of the former. It has been found that centralisation strengthens control and coordination and results in economies of scale and stronger negotiation power (Matthyssens and Faes, 1997; Arnold, 1999; Faes et al., 2000). However, the organisational design should reflect and follow the strategic decisions of top-level management and it is therefore a strategic action to improve the firm's competitiveness. Corporate acquisitions, outsourcing and the relocation of manufacturing to low-cost countries have contributed to the decentralisation of supply management in recent decades, but the demand for efficiency and the complexity of supply networks have turned firms towards the internal integration of supply management. There are several studies classifying the organisational structures of global supply management (such as Giunipero and Monczka, 1997; Arnold, 1999; Leinonen, 1999). These studies do not, however, emphasise the terms and circumstances under which the implementation of new supply management structures has succeeded or failed in following the strategic aims of top-level management. This study focuses on the issues of the supply management integration and examines the factors that may have an impact on an integration project. The aim is to identify dimensions that are positively related to the integration level and therefore contribute to the implementation of a global integration project. The study is structured as follows. First, the concept of supply management integration in the global context is clarified. The literature on supply management structures in global organisations is reviewed, general modes of managing organisational change are presented and hypotheses are established. Second, the hypotheses are tested on data collected from 100 Finnish firms. Third, a case study from the forest industry is brought into the discussion on the results. Thus, both data and method triangulation (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000) are used to obtain in-depth understanding of the phenomenon and to increase the validity of the results (Yin, 2003). Finally, the conclusion summaries the results, offers some managerial implications and gives suggestions for future work.
نتیجه گیری انگلیسی
This study has examined the influence of four factors on the internal integration of global supply management and explored the elements that may contribute to the implementation of an integration project. It incorporated a case study in order to provide a relevant example. The objectives of the case study were to illustrate the integration process as well as to identify the main factors that promoted or hindered supply management integration as experienced in the case company. The results of the study showed that skilful internal cooperation between the various organisational functions is the main contributor to the implementation of supply management integration. The internationality of supply management, strategic status and financial value have some influence on the integration, but do not affect the implementation. Instead, it was found through the case study that the environmental forces, such as tight competition and the economic situation in the industry, may act as moderators and influence the readiness for change. The case study confirmed the crucial role of top-management support, strong commitment, motivation and the willingness to communicate throughout the organisation. In addition, achieved results in terms of cost savings and positive experiences from previous projects had positive effect on the integration process. The main challenges involved internal communication, the lack of supply management professionals, new internal division of power and control and the resistance to change. Managers of global supply functions should take into account these contributing factors and challenges when planning future integration projects. The study has some limitations concerning the context and research method. The case study revealed factors that were not statistically tested and which may contribute to the integration level and act as moderators of its success. The impact of these factors should be tested in future research in order to form a more stable basis on which to develop the theory of supply management integration. Moreover, single respondents were used in the survey, which may have led to a common respondent bias. The case study was used to increase the validity in this respect. In conclusion, it could be said that the success of an integration project in the area of global supply management is determined mainly by the internal capabilities of the firm and the readiness for change. Management could reduce the resistance to change by enhancing the capabilities of the supply management people and although a firm's readiness for change grows from the motivation and communication of the leadership, environmental forces play a considerable role.