| 1. |
- Jafari, Hamid
(författare)
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Postponement and Logistics Flexibility in Retailing
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation addresses several general logistics problems in retailing regarding meeting a variety of customer demand and availability, efficiency and effectiveness in carrying inventory, and increased logistics flexibility. It builds upon the well-established supply chain principle of postponement, and argues for the benefits associated with it in tackling certain logistics challenges. Classically, most of the scholarly contributions in logistics and supply chain management in relation to postponement and logistics flexibility deal with manufacturing firms. This thesis contributes to the current literature by studying the concepts in a retail context. It shows the contemporary application of postponement, and the potential benefits associated with it. It could serve as a hint for retail decision-makers on prioritizing certain logistics decisions regarding their desired performance.The thesis aims to explore the application of postponement and logistics flexibility in retailing, and to investigate the resulting firm performance. It consists of a cover and a compilation of six articles, which serve to address three research questions. The thesis has a mixed methods design and consists of two empirical strands. The first two articles report two individually carried out systematic literature reviews on postponement and logistics flexibility, which serve as building blocks for the empirical strands. The first Strand, which consists of two empirical articles, includes qualitative case studies dealing with exploring how postponement is applied in retailing, seeking connections to logistics flexibility. Qualitative data is collected via a myriad of sources and tools. In Paper 3, data is collected on Media Markt, Jysk, and Lidl via interviews, and site visits, as well as from secondary sources on other supply chain actors, including service providers and product suppliers. Paper 4, explores a manifestation of postponement – customization – in upscale bicycle retailing in the nexus of retailers and consumers. It is built on qualitative data collected via interviews and netnography. The second Strand consists of two quantitative articles based on a cross-sectional survey of retailers in Sweden. Paper 5, which is of exploratory nature, deals with simplifying the complexities associated with logistics practices of retailers, and intends to provide a taxonomy of logistics configurations resulting from postponement and logistics flexibility. It also studies the performance differences of the identified groups of retailers. Finally, Paper 6 uses Structural Equation Modelling to explain the impact of postponement on logistics flexibility and well as that of the latter on firm performance. Also, the logistics flexibility-performance relationship is examined in the presence of uncertainty contingencies and logistics integration. Papers 5 and 6 use both strategic and financial measures of performance from subjective self-reported, as well as objective secondary sources.The results of the thesis show that postponement is gaining increased attention among scholars and practitioners. There is an expanding tendency towards involving other supply chain actors, including logistics service providers and especially consumers, in postponement activities. The case studies point to the different approaches to logistics flexibility and varied performance of retailers. The taxonomy study based on the configuration approach in Paper 5 is an attempt to tackle the complexity in understanding the logistics practices of retailers. Three groups of retailers were identified regarding their logistics configurations based on postponement and logistics flexibility, labeled as Rigid, Speculative, and Responsive. These groups were compared in relation to their financial and strategic performance, and it was shown that if speculation and logistics flexibility are high, then financial performance would be generally higher. If postponement and logistics flexibility are high, then strategic performance would be higher. Also, the thesis provides empirical support for the role of postponement in increased logistics flexibility in retailing. Also, higher logistics flexibility was proven to be associated with higher strategic firm performance. The impact of logistics flexibility on firm performance was shown to be moderated by uncertainty as well as by logistics integrations. As a result, performance is higher when both logistics flexibility and uncertainty are higher or lower. However, logistics integration proved to have contrasting positive and negative moderating roles when considering strategic and financial performance respectively, which could be traced back to the potentially high monetary engagement connected to logistics integration.
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| 2. |
- Eriksson, Jessica, 1972-
(författare)
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Branschinteraktion och institutionell förändring : Omvandling i två livsmedelsbranscher
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i de senaste decenniernas trend mot avreglering, marknadsintegration och andra politiska åtgärder som syftar till att skapa bättre förutsättningar för konkurrens. Konkurrens antas skapa dynamik och ge olika positiva effekter såsom innovationer, förnyelse och mångfald. Denna studie belyser hur försöken att skapa mer konkurrens inte bara handlar om att ändra formella regelsystem, eftersom även institutionaliserade normer, olika föreställningar om hur man bör interagera, samt beroenden av olika slag, också påverkar interaktionen. Detta betyder att den institutionella förändringen i branscher, utöver formella regler, är av betydelse för att förstå branschomvandling. Analysen baseras på förändringar i två svenska livsmedelsbranscher. Teoretiskt utgår studien från sociologisk institutionell teori. Studien belyser vad branschinteraktionen betyder för institutionell förändring i branscher genom att lyfta fram fyra förändringsprocesser, institutionalisering, anpassning, experimentering och politisering. Särskilt fokus läggs på hur förändringstryck i form av politiska åtgärder leder till dessa processer. Med hjälp av de fyra processerna kan branschomvandling såväl som institutionell förändring beskrivas. Resonemangen leder vidare fram till en dynamisk paradox. Paradoxen utgår ifrån det välkända behovet av både stabilitet och förändring som grunden för dynamik. Politiska åtgärder handlar ofta om en strävan efter förnyelse och mångfald. Detta leder dock till en situation där olika nya produkter, processer med mera konkurrerar om legitimitet. Denna konkurrens leder till försök att skapa legitimitet för det nya, och därmed reducera osäkerheten, både för de konkurrerande företagen och för konsumenter och andra aktörer, vilket ofta understöds av nya politiska åtgärder. Detta begränsar i sin tur fortsatta utrymmet för experimentering. Det kan därför sägas vara svårt att vidmakthålla en kontinuerlig förnyelse och mångfald i branscher till följd av politiska åtgärder. En annan slutsats som dras är att det är kombinationen av konkurrens och samarbete som är av intresse för att skapa ”önskvärd” dynamik, snarare än konkurrens eller samarbete i sig.
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| 3. |
- Huge-Brodin, Maria, 1966-
(författare)
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Reverse Logistics Systems : an Interorganisational Perspective, Focusing on Paper Recycling
- 1997
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of the study is to describe and analyse reverse logistics systems. The study is a qualitative case study, and the main case comprise three actors: a supplier of recycled paper; their customer, the paper mill, and the transport provider linking the customer and supplier. Reference cases are recycling electronics and recycling cars.The relationships between the actors were studied focusing on the logistics interfaces between them. Issues of interest were adaptations and co-operation, investments and costs, time horizon of the relationship, power distribution, and driving forces for making adaptations.The findings on these issues do not differ from theory on forward flows. An alternative mode!, partly different from existing models describing reverse logistics systems, is presented. It is built on the conclusion that the part of a reverse logistics system, which starts when the recycled goods are collected and sorted/disassembled, is not different from forward logistics systems.
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| 4. |
- Pereseina, Veronika
(författare)
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Managing the sustainable business model of a heavy vehicle manufacturer through life cycle thinking - A case study of road freight transport supply chains
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how life cycle thinking can be applied to road freight transport supply chains and explain some important matters in the management of the sustainable business model of a heavy vehicle manufacturer. The base for this dissertation is a case study within and beyond the international research project in collaboration with road freight transport industry. The purpose is addressed through a compilation of five research papers and a kappa.The first research paper addresses contextual issues of drivers and conflicts while managing sustainable supply chains in road freight transport industry. The second research paper explores the specific interaction patterns and capabilities within road freight transport supply chains for more sustainable business models. The third research paper brings an overview of the literature in the intersection of sustainable supply chain management and life cycle thinking areas. The fourth research paper questions the employment of life cycle thinking in road freight transport supply chains from a systems perspective. The last research paper analyses the components and structure of a sustainable business model in road freight transport supply chains from a social network perspective.The contributions of this study are both theoretical and practical. The application of systems theory and social network theory as external and internal lenses contributes to the theoretical development of the sustainable supply chain management field. The growing conceptualization of the sustainable business model, specifically in road freight transport industry, is also addressed in this dissertation. The practical contributions are seen through the empirical example of the adoption of life cycle thinking in road freight transport supply chains.
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| 5. |
- Kaneberg, Elvira
(författare)
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Emergency preparedness management and civil defence in Sweden : An all-hazards approach for developed countries' supply chains
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis addresses the evolving role of supply chain networks in the structures of the emergency preparedness planning. The thesis focuses on the management of planning in emergency preparedness and civil defence in Sweden. Various levels of planning are combined with insights from business and network theories to understand how the civil society actors involved meet demands imposed by complex emergencies and changing threats to civil society. Empirically, the study is based on five case studies that primarily use interviews and secondary materials from observations, documents and research. The combined findings and analyses of the embedded case studies are integrated into a conceptual whole (called kappa) that explains how the roles and relations of actors in emergency planning need to develop over time. The most important finding of this study is that civil society in developed countries must be organised in a completely different way than today to meet the changing demands. The all-hazards approach to planning offers civil society actors a rationale for entering into different networks. The supply chain networks can provide structure to the different types of planning. Moreover, this study shows that civil society actors have strategic capabilities for meeting threats, but these should be addressed in roles and tasks for the safety and security readiness. This capability can be achieved at different levels of planning (tactical, operational, strategic) and in different relations (civil, commercial, military, voluntary), which explains the significant differences between the emergency preparedness management in different response operations. It is suggested that a lack of political willingness or policy readiness to all-hazards planning provides substantial choices in interpreting the role and task of the emergency preparedness management system, through which supply chains networks mainly become a contextualized condition. Two underlying preparedness views are identified that contribute to the planning of actors and their relations when involved in the Swedish safety and security readiness. The civil defence planning for developing civil military relations is considered in networks for structuring, managing and coordinating these relations, on the one hand. The emergency preparedness and all-hazards approach planning, for managing the commercial, voluntary and individual relations, and for delimiting the networks into manageable nets, on the other hand. This thesis contributes to the current understanding of emergency preparedness management and civil defence planning using an all-hazards-planning strategy as objective instead of a fragmented planning objective (in separated systems). This understanding is linked to the evolving role of the supply chain network as the solution to the urgent need of structure of the fragmented preparedness planning to meet the increasingly changing demands. An all-hazards-planning approach helps to describe the managing and planning structures and how supply chain networks need to develop into the preparedness systems as delimited structures over time. Moreover, this thesis contributes to the emergency planning literature by paying attention to a different type of planning for safety and security in two ways: first, by specifying what essential capabilities of civil society actors are linked to the operationalisation of planning; second, by providing insights into civil military coordination along networks over time. Rather than defining the essential differences between actors in the networks, including the military and civil actors (which refers to public authorities and the commercial and voluntary sectors in Sweden), this thesis suggests that civil-military relations public-private collaboration and voluntary involvement in the supply chain network are essential capabilities for any developed country to deal with the risky availability of essential resources. By showing how this different preparedness planning is described and located over time, this thesis discusses emergency preparedness and network theory, all-hazards planning, applicability to other developed countries, safety and security strategies, and the relations among civil society actors to examine the dimensions in supply chain network structures that can support the planning.
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| 6. |
- Cui, Lianguang
(författare)
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Innovation and network development of logistics firms
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This compilation thesis consists of a cover and five appended articles. The research purpose of this thesis is to investigate the third party logistics phenomena from the logistics firm’s perspective with a focus on logistics innovation and network development. The thesis applies a qualitative research method and employs multiple case studies. Resource-based view, industrial network approach and strategy-as-practice perspective have been applied and combined to analyze the empirical findings.It is found that logistics firms focus on customers’ requirements and they provide differentiated services accordingly. Based on the type of customers and the region served, each logistics firm innovates in a different way. The logistics innovation process is complicated and it includes both top-down and bottom-up process. Both intra-organizational interactions and inter-organizational interactions are critical for logistics firms to generate logistics innovation. Besides, the interaction capabilities are crucial for logistics firms to innovate. The development of interaction capabilities enables logistics firms to proactively identify customer needs and to translate customer requirements into new service offerings. The development of interaction capabilities also guides logistics firms to innovate in the right direction and helps them to overcome barriers. Further, a theoretical model is developed to illustrate that logistics firms have clear differences in capabilities and network focus. These firms follow different dominating logics of value creation, developing their service networks in various ways.The thesis addresses two critical issues, logistics innovation and network development. Theoretically, it contributes to the third party logistics literature in general and to the logistics innovation research in particular as well as the network development of logistics firms. Adopting several theoretical frameworks, the thesis takes a closer look at the logistics innovation process in logistics firms. Empirically, the thesis covers logistics firms both in Sweden and China, turning it into an international investigation of the how and why of logistics innovation.
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| 7. |
- Skoglund, Per
(författare)
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Sourcing decisions for military logistics in Peace Support Operations : A case study of the Swedish armed forces
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- What role has sourcing for the logistical outcome when Swedish Armed Forces (FM) plan for and conduct Peace Support Operations (PSOs)? What are the logistic needs to support the operating units? Can logistics in itself contribute to the overall goals with the PSOs? It depends of course on how the logistics are organised and what is required in order to support the military operations. The research on military logistics in general is limited and within the conduct of small nations forces almost non-existent. The role of sourcing depends on the military supply chain and FM decisions on make or buy, choice of market, number of suppliers and relations with the supplier. Therefore this thesis addresses how the sourcing decisions impact the military logistics in FM PSOs and the achievement of short-term and/or long-term objectives. The short term objectives represent the operational needs and the long term objectives represent the overall goals for PSOs. In order to understand the military logistics in PSOs a thorough review of the literature in the field was conducted. A second review was done with the focus on the four sourcing decisions. FM PSOs during the period 2002-2010 were studied. The case focused on two on-going operations, in Liberia and in the Bay of Aden, and complementary information was collected from a third operation, in Afghanistan. Also the central processes in the headquarters and the connections upstream to the Swedish government and the international relations were studied. The case was built up by interviews, field visits and secondary data. For military logistics in PSOs, three areas on different levels, with in total twelve constructs of importance were developed. Of special importance is the logistic tier structure. The sourcing was one of four logistic key decisions. The sourcing decisions turned out to change between different logistic phases. One of the findings was that the decisions proved to be of importance for the logistic outcome. The make or buy decision enabled responsiveness in the logistics system in a hostile environment. Proximity between customer and supplier showed to be important for all phases in an on-going Peace support operation. Due to the security situation in PSOs, dual sourcing showed to be important in order to create redundancy in the supply chain. The supplier relations changed from arm’s length to partnership when an operation was initiated, which improved the responsiveness. The Swedish Public Procurement Act placed limitations on the procuring organisations to utilise the possibilities to be efficient and effective.
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