The paper uses data from a questionnaire survey of UK firms to examine the ways in which benefits and costs are divided in buyer‐supplier relationships. These results are analysed in the light of Burnes and New′s framework for considering supply chain improvement. The results indicate that...

Geographically‐dispersed, global service organisations must find cost‐effective ways of delivering consistent service quality while recognising local differences in service culture. For such organisations, the management of operations cannot be separated from issues of training, corporate...

This paper reports the study of kaizen as practised in a selection of Japanese companies. After discussing the general understanding of kaizen and proposing a clear definition, the paper describes the methodology of the study, and presents findings from the research, taking Nippon Steel...

In marketing and operations literature, there is an emerging consensus that the inter‐firm network is of strategic significance. Challenges the assumption that supply networks are always “out there” waiting to be investigated. Rather than treat networks as objective artifacts, explores the...

This paper examines differences and similarities between private and public sectors regarding green supply: the incorporation of environmental considerations into procurement and supply chain relationships. While there are considerable differences between the sectors, there are two key areas of...

Asks how does green purchasing change the environmental performance of the firms in a supply chain/network and what is the influence of supply chain and industry structure on that performance? Do such changes contribute to companies’ overall environmental performance and to sustainability?...