The purpose of this research has been to explore the role of agent certification in the process of global sourcing. While some research has been done in the area of exporter-intermediary relationship, little has been done to study the importance of buyer-agent relationship and how the process of...

This paper provides a novel explanation for the use of supply chain intermediaries. We find that even in the absence of the well-known transactional and informational advantages of mediation, intermediaries improve supply chain performance. In particular, intermediaries facilitate responsive...

The salience of the international purchasing office (IPO) in the management of international sourcing activities of multinational corporations (MNCs) has steadily increased, in developed and emerging economies, since the first adoption of this supply chain strategy in the 1980s. The aim of this...

This paper examines key firm-level factors influencing initial strategic responses to offshoring implementation challenges. Comparative case findings indicate that firms are likely to try to mitigate challenges if they perceive to have control over their cause; if strategic objectives are diverse;...

Integration of the global economy through trade has enabled firms to adopt new production strategies. Rather than producing in a single country, stages of production are performed in multiple countries to exploit inherent locational advantages. This practice gives rise to vertical specialization...

This paper studies the co-evolution of firm boundaries and capabilities by examining the influence and interplay of process commoditization, changing external availability of capabilities and firm specific paths of governance decisions, along with strategic drivers guiding these decisions. We...

This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the current intellectual capital (IC) measurement approaches for further performance analysis. This study was a part of the project sponsored by Department of Industrial Work in Thailand on sustaining organisational learning. Given the trends in...

Analysis based on models of (i) matching, (ii) network externalities, (iii) trade fragmentation, and (iv) resource supply on technological progress, shows that longer-term trends set in motion, from new technology enabled global sourcing, improve equity. Firms in emerging markets gain more...

As manufacturers around the world have seen an increasing number of opportunities to produce abroad and to source from low cost regions, they also have had to address growing pressure from non-governmental organizations, consumer groups and even the population in general regarding sustainable...