The adoption of third party logistics is becoming widespread in the industry. Discusses various definitions of third party logistics and the theoretical background for the development of third party arrangements, including both transaction cost theory and network theory. A theoretical framework...

Presents a theoretical framework for analysing interorganizational collaboration. Argues that Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) should be viewed as a general approach to coordination of processes between participants in a supply chain, rather than following a slavish...

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance effects of information exchange by observing actual information exchange between industrial trading partners. Information exchange facilitates coordination through sharing both order cycle and enhanced information. Increased...

Information technology in its various forms is one key component in the effort to increase efficiency in the transport industry. Electronic data interchange (EDI), especially, in its various forms, promises to be one of the key techniques in mastering the growing volume of information. Considers...

Discusses the question of whether a firm should set up an own‐account physical distribution organization or contract out the distribution function. Shows how the concepts of transaction cost economics, particularly asset specificity and performance ambiguity, can shed light on the division of...

Analyses responses from over 700 suppliers about their relationships with one of five different manufacturing firms. Finds that co‐operation, years as supplier, and perceived dependence were the strongest predictors of the suppliers′ assessments of their business relationships with the...

Several different operational definitions of quality are commonly used in industry. The existence of these different definitions can cause confusion unless their relationships to each other are understood. Offers an explanation of the relationships between those definitions which are based on...

Interest in supply chain management has been escalating during the last decade. Using a large sample of durable goods firms located in all major regions of the world, we extend two theoretical perspectives, namely the resource‐based view and the transaction cost economics view of the firm, to...

Purpose – Aims to prove that a firm's perception of the strategic nature of supply depends on how it defines its competitive advantage within the marketplace. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a random stratified cross‐sectional design from 142 large manufacturing...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the selection of planned supply initiatives and the role of senior management expertise. The drivers that influence the selection of particular supply initiatives by firms are of major interest to both practitioners and academics, as choices...