Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how multinational corporations (MNCs) orchestrate internal and external resources to help their multi-tier supply chains learn sustainability-related knowledge. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory multiple case study approach was adopted...

Purpose: In the age of Industry 4.0, digital advancement is reshaping manufacturing models towards product–service systems (PSS). The drivers, readiness and challenges to move to a PSS model are not well understood, and the exploitation of the digital era presents the gap of this research....

Purpose: This article sheds light onto the increasing problem of product returns, which is exacerbated by growing e-commerce. Many retailers and academics are oblivious to the nature and scale of this challenge. Interdisciplinary research is needed to develop supporting theory, and...

This paper is based on longitudinal case studies of research into strategy formulation within six plants from large firms – three in the car industry and three from the computer industry – that have embarked on mass customisation. The core theme of this paper is that, in spite of the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore links between the process of strategy formulation and subsequent performance in operations within firms. Design/methodology/approach – An in‐depth literature review on resource‐based and operations strategy naturally led to three...

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory research paper is to present a strategic profiling managerial framework that enables businesses to show visually the level of internal strategic fit in their organisation. Using this framework, service operations managers are able to understand the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between supplier capabilities, supply chain collaboration and buyer responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach – The sample is drawn from UK manufacturing firms across eight industry sectors. Data are analysed using a...

Purpose – The aim of this series of papers is to offer key insights from eminent professors or practitioners within the field of Operations Management. This is the first of a series of interviews with “Operations Masters” and future contributions will include a range of inputs from...

Purpose – The aim of this series of papers is to offer key insights from eminent professors or practitioners within the field of Operations Management. This is the second of a series of interviews with “Operations Masters” and future contributions will include a range of inputs from...

This paper examines three key factors that help to explain the differences between high and low performing plants in process quality. The three factors are: first, the seniority of manufacturing personnel within the plants; second, the involvement of these senior managers in the business, rather...