This paper investigates the impact of employee commitment as well as the recruitment process on the performance of internal supply chain. Additionally, the current study is intended to investigate the mediating role of the recruitment process on the relationship between employee commitment and firm supply chain performance. The main objective behind any recruitment process is to recruit committed employees to help a firm enhance the performance of the organizations. Therefore, the current study is carried out to fill a gap by exploring the relationship between recruitment processes, employee commitment, and firm supply chain performance. To achieve the research objective, the study has analyzed the data gathered from 284 mangers of manufacturing organizations of United Arab Emirates. 284 questionnaires out of 550 are found useful, so the response rate is 52 percent. The structural equation modelling using AMOS is used to analyze the data. The results of the study show an agreement with the results of the hypotheses. The direct relationship between commitment types and firms’ internal supply chain performance, and between recruitment process and firms’ internal supply chain performance are found positive and significant. The results of the study will be helpful for HR practitioners, operation managers, researchers, and policy makers in understanding the impact of employee commitments and recruitment process on internal supply chains’ performance of manufacturing firms.

Machine failures during production period may impose thousands to millions of dollars to a manufacturing system. In this paper, the impact of machine failures on production lines in a closed-loop supply chain systems is examined. For this purpose, a new method is proposed for scheduling manufacturing workshops in a supply chain systems. The aim is to determine the best production plans in a manufacturing system by considering alternative preventive maintenance programs while machine failures can affect system performance. To solve the model, a hybrid Ant Colony and Simulated Annealing algorithms is developed and the results are compared with branch and bound method. Our findings show that the condition of emerging machine failure affects machines’ capacity which yields to lost sale. The impacts of using appropriate preventive maintenance on reducing lost sale is also examined. The results indicate that the proposed method can significantly reduce the level of sale variation in supply chain systems.

The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between total quality management practices (TQMP), supply chain management practices (SCMP), information technology capabilities, supply chain technology adoption and firm supply performance. In addition, the study also tries to investigate the mediating role of information technology capabilities and supply chain technology adoption in the relationship between TQMP, SCMP, and firm supply performance. The study is carried out on a sample of textile firms of Pakistan. To achieve the research objective, Smart PLS-3 is used for the analysis of the data gathered from the textile firms of Pakistan. The results of the study show a great deal of agreement with the hypothesized results. The information technology capabilities, supply chain technology adoption both appear to play mediators between TQMP, SCMP, and firm supply performance. The results of the study will be useful for policymakers and researchers to understand the emerging role of technology in strategic management and operational management.

This paper investigates the role played by service quality at supplier-manufacturer dyad in small-medium manufacturing units, and presents a model to establish that contribution of both the supplier and manufacturer towards service quality could lead to satisfaction followed by loyalty. The research design for this study includes a combination of literature survey, exploratory interviews with practitioners, and a questionnaire survey conducted through interview schedule from 120 respondents working in different small-medium manufacturing units of North India. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used for data analysis. The paper develops dual directional scales to evaluate service quality at supplier-manufacturer dyad and tests a set of four propositions. A model showing linkages of manufacturer (manufacturing unit’s) service quality with supplier service quality leading to satisfaction and loyalty is also developed. The model is empirically tested and is found to be fit. This study would be of interest to SME managers particularly engaged in ‘purchase’ function and researchers working on inter-firm supply chains in such units. This study recommends forming strong collaborative relationships with suppliers to achieve a win-win situation.

Supply chain performance has been a key element of competitive strategy to boost organizational productivity and profitability. In the United Kingdom (UK), a survey disclosed that approximately 40% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) was consumed on supply chain related activities. Because of the extensive use of gross domestic product (GDP) on supply chain, it is important to work on UK based supply chain companies and to reveal various factors to enhance supply chain performance. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study is to investigate the combine effect of audit determinants and leadership styles to enhance supply chain performance in UK based companies. Data were collected from audit department employees and other managerial employees who are closely related to supply chain activities. After analyzing the data through Smart PLS 3, it was found that audit and leadership styles played important contribution in supply chain performance. Moreover, top management and employee commitment to change maintained significant influence to enhance positive effect on audit and leadership. This study is much significant for UK supply chain companies to enhance supply chain performance.

During the past few years, there have been tremendous attempts among various companies to implement the principles of supply chain management to increase their capabilities. Reduction in supply chain cost is an important element to support competitive advantage. However, to manage the cost of supply chain, managing target and order costs is essential. Reduction in both target cost and order cost is crucial to maintain reasonable supply chain cost, which directly influences the competitive advantage. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to support competitive advantage by the help of integration between target cost and order cost. To achieve this, quantitative research technique was adopted based on a survey technique and 300 questionnaires were distributed among the managerial employees of supply chain companies in Iraq. While analyzing the data through Smart PLS 3, it was revealed that any reduction in target cost and order cost could decrease the overall supply chain cost and this helps to sustain competitive advantage. Therefore, supply chain cost plays the mediating role to enhance competitive advantage through integration of the target cost and the order cost. Finally, this study is beneficial for supply chain companies to enhance competitive advantage through reduction in supply chain cost.

The primary objective of the present paper is to explore the link between supply logistic integration, competitive performance, lean process and supply performance. To achieve our research objectives, we develop a unique model, which conceptualizes the said relationship. Porter’s value chain and the resource based views are used as theatrical lenses of the current study using Amos software package based on a data set of 220 Iraqi manufacturing firms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to analyze the dataset. The findings of the study show that the there was a positive relationship between supply logistics and competitive performance (operational) and supply performance and lean processes were partially mediating this relationship. The study also shows the importance of managing both internal (production processes) and external processes (logistics and supply chain) of firms’ operations in an integrated manner in which supply chain management acts through key internal processes to impact competitive performance. This is the first study, which uncovers what happens “in between” the incoming materials and the end outputs delivered by firms into the market. This “in between black box” is important in improving our understanding of how inbound supply activities are translated into outbound competitive performance outcomes.

In this paper, a stochastic model of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) with one risk-averse manufacturer, one risk-averse retailer and one risk-averse third party is developed. To analyze how the members make decisions about wholesale price, collection rate, retail price and sales effort under different decision-making structures, the optimal decision problem under uncertain price and sales effort-dependent demand is studied through development of four game theoretical models. The equilibrium results between various models are compared and the optimal decisions from each member’s perspective are investigated. According to the results, the third party-led model has better performance than manufacturer-led model. The cooperation mode of manufacturer and retailer is beneficial for the whole chain and customers and the cooperation mode of manufacturer and third party is the most effective model to collect the used-product. Finally, to increase the performance of decentralized CLSC compared with the centralized CLSC, a coordination contract is developed. The results indicate that this contract is advantageous for the members of CLSC, the customers, and the environmental issues.

E-commerce market of Pakistan is instable which causes low performance of e-logistic industry. Thus, logistic industry of Pakistan is lacking as compared to other developing countries such as China, India, and Malaysia. Low performance is majorly based on low staff service quality, inappropriate website design and goods traceability system. As remedies of these issues, the current study introduced firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT). The primary objective of this study is to investigate the determinants of e-logistic firm’s performance in Pakistan. To achieve this objective, quantitative research approach along with cross-sectional research design was used. By using the survey method, 300 questionnaires were distributed among the managerial staff of e-logistic companies. Smart PLS 3 was used as a statistical tool. It is found that staff service quality, website design and e-traceability had significant and positive relationships with firm’s e-logistic performance. Moreover, firm’s IT capability as a moderator enhanced the positive effect of staff service quality, website design and e-traceability. Nevertheless, information communication technology (ICT) positively mediated the relationship between e-traceability and firm’s e-logistic performance. Hence, firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT) are the key elements to decrease various issues of staff service quality, website design and e-traceability. The study is much significant for practitioners and e-logistic companies to enhance performance by focusing on firm’s IT capability and information communication technology (ICT).

Foam made panels as efficient building elements are becoming a major role player in modular construction with a variety of applications worldwide. However, construction accuracy, technology, and method can have serious effects on the panels’ behavior. In this study, using a unique pneumatic pressure testing rig, bending tests are conducted on the two types of rigid polyurethane panels. The panels are categorized based on the existence of construction cold joints (seams) as S (Seamless) type and TS (Transverse Seams) type. The S type panels are tested under monotonic uniform loading with a maximum nominal pressure of about 1 atm as the witness specimens. The TS panels are tested under both monotonic and cyclic uniform loading, and the deflections-pressure behavior obtained. The results show that S panels could resist up to 0.77 atm under monotonic uniform loading, while the minimum tensile strength of the foam is 13 MPa. In addition, panels with transverse seams collapsed under monotonic and cyclic loads at an average of 0.46 atm and 0.33 atm respectively but at the same position, located on the seamed section, which represent the same failure mode. Based on the results, the seamed section exhibited a maximum tensile strength of about 33.1% of an intact section under monotonic loading; and 27.9% lower results under cyclic loading.