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1 – 8 of 8Martin Beaulieu, Jacques Roy, Denis Chênevert, Claudia Rebolledo and Sylvain Landry
The Covid-19 pandemic generated significant changes in the operating methods of hospital logistics departments. The objective of this research is to understand how these changes…
Abstract
Purpose
The Covid-19 pandemic generated significant changes in the operating methods of hospital logistics departments. The objective of this research is to understand how these changes took place, what collaboration mechanisms were developed with clinical authorities and, to what extent, logistics and clinical care activities should be decoupled to maximize each area's contribution?
Design/methodology/approach
The case study is selected to investigate practices implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in hospitals in Canada. The pandemic presented an opportunity to contrast practices implemented in response to this crisis with those historically used in this environment.
Findings
The strategy of decoupling logistical tasks of an operational nature from clinical activities is well-founded and helps free clinical staff from tasks for which they are not trained. However, the decoupling of operational tasks should be combined with an integration of the clinical information flow to the logistics hub players. With this clinical information, the logistics hub can generate its full potential enabling better inventory management decisions to be made.
Originality/value
The concept of decoupling is studied to identify configurations that offer the best benefits for clinical staff.
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Zhexiong Tao, Shanling Li, Saibal Ray and Claudia Rebolledo
This study aims to investigate how relatively weaker manufacturers respond to the dominance of stronger suppliers and/or customers. The study also analyzes how the competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how relatively weaker manufacturers respond to the dominance of stronger suppliers and/or customers. The study also analyzes how the competitive intensity perceived by manufacturers moderates their responses to powerful chain partners.
Design/methodology/approach
Using hierarchical regression, data from 1,417 manufacturing companies sampled from the fifth and sixth versions of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey were analyzed.
Findings
This study found that relatively weaker manufacturers often adopt exploration strategies to countervail the dominance of suppliers and adopt exploitation strategies to deal with more powerful customers. In dealing with both dominant suppliers and customers, relatively weaker manufacturers are prone to adopt exploration and exploitation strategies simultaneously and hence become ambidextrous. Furthermore, the link between dominance in supply chains and the exploration (exploitation) strategy is strengthened (weakened) as market competition perceived by manufacturers intensifies.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is multi-folds. First, this paper develops and test a novel theoretical model on how relatively weaker manufacturers create tailored strategies to defend their positions in the supply chain. Second, it integrates resource dependence theory and organizational learning theory to propose that relatively weaker manufacturers could use a unique configuration of exploration and exploitation strategies to counteract the dominance of their suppliers and customers. Third, it investigates supply chain power by considering the manufacturers’ upstream and downstream powerful partners together, rather than individually and fourth, it reveals that relationships linking supply chain power to manufacturers’ tailored strategies are contingent on competitive intensity.
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Nubia Velasco, Juan-Pablo Moreno and Claudia Rebolledo
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of logistics practices in healthcare organizations in Bogota, Colombia.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of logistics practices in healthcare organizations in Bogota, Colombia.
Design/methodology/approach
The assessment is based on case study research using open interviews, focused interviews, a questionnaire and direct observations as sources of evidence. Seven Colombian health care settings are analyzed: four public hospitals and three private clinics. Cross-case analysis allows the identification of patterns regarding supply management, inventory management, replenishment and use of information and communication technologies.
Findings
Manual procedures, poor planning, little recognition from top management and a lack of specialized personnel characterize the current situation. Innovative practices with a potential to improve the efficacy of logistics activities are rare, particularly in public hospitals.
Research avenues
Future research could replicate this study in other Colombian cities, in order to generalize the results to the whole country. It could also be interesting to document successful and less successful implementations of innovative logistics practices in Colombian hospitals to guide and promote their adoption.
Research limitations/implications
The small number of cases considered, and the fact that the research is concentrated in one city, limits the generalizability of the results.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the state of healthcare logistics practices in Colombia.
Objetivo
Este artículo explora el estado actual de las prácticas logísticas en los hospitales de Bogotá, Colombia.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
La evaluación se basa en la investigación de un estudio de caso utilizando entrevistas abiertas, entrevistas centradas, un cuestionario y observaciones directas como fuentes de evidencia. Se analizan siete establecimientos de salud colombianos: cuatro hospitales públicos y tres clínicas privadas. El análisis cruzado de casos permite la identificación de patrones relacionados con la gestión del abastecimiento, la gestión de inventarios, la reposición y el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC).
Resultados
Los procedimientos manuales, la mala planificación, el escaso reconocimiento de la alta dirección y la falta de personal especializado caracterizan la situación actual. Las prácticas innovadoras con un potencial para mejorar la eficacia de las actividades logísticas son raras, particularmente en los hospitales públicos.
Investigación futura
Este estudio se podría replicar en otras ciudades colombianas, con el fin de generalizar los resultados a todo el país. También podría ser interesante documentar implementaciones exitosas y menos exitosas de prácticas logísticas innovadoras en hospitales colombianos para guiar y promover su adopción.
Limitaciones de la investigación/implicaciones
El pequeño número de casos considerados, y el hecho de que la investigación se concentra en una ciudad, limita la generalización de nuestros resultados.
Originalidad/valor
Según nuestro conocimiento, esta investigación es la primera en explorar el estado de las prácticas de logística hospitalaria en Colombia.
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Martin Beaulieu, Claudia Rebolledo and Raphael Lissillour
This paper aims to investigate the competencies that researchers need to develop and employ for successful collaborative research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the competencies that researchers need to develop and employ for successful collaborative research.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a reflexive approach built on participant observation of six cases of collaborative research in public procurement and logistics.
Findings
The authors identify and explain two major competencies that are required for successful collaborative research. The first is boundary-spanning competence that represents the researchers' ability to move fluidly from the academic milieu to the practitioner's environment. The second is reflexivity competence that allows the researchers to learn from each collaborative research project they participate in and further improve their boundary-spanning competence.
Originality/value
This study goes beyond the list of skills for collaborative research reported in the literature to describe two major competencies that researchers should develop to perform successful collaborative research. This reflection may serve as a starting point for the development of a sociological understanding of the collaborative research field.
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Karima Afif, Claudia Rebolledo and Jacques Roy
This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the cross-disciplinary literature on the drivers, barriers and performance outcomes of sustainable packaging to understand the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the cross-disciplinary literature on the drivers, barriers and performance outcomes of sustainable packaging to understand the current state of research in this field and identify research opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review is conducted within no time limit. The Methodi Ordinatio methodology was applied that resulted in retaining 48 relevant and high impact articles published in 26 academic journals with various scopes.
Findings
Seven key drivers are identified and defined: the integrative and collaborative supply chain, environmental capabilities and resources, market-based instruments, cost reduction, consumer pressure, competitive advantage, and regulatory pressure. Three main barriers are identified and defined: cost/benefit ambiguity, additional costs and complex trade-offs between packaging requirements. The review shows that the drivers and barriers to packaging sustainability are contingent on the firm size. Sustainable packaging positively affects the environmental, social and economic performance; however, its operational performance requires a proactive and integrated supply chain. The results highlight the importance of integrated packaging decisions at three different levels to improve packaging sustainability: vertical and horizontal integration, upstream and downstream integration, and product-packaging integration. The authors developed research propositions and provided insightful directions for future research.
Originality/value
Most studies focus on specific drivers, barriers and outcomes of sustainable packaging, while this paper brings them together to build a comprehensive framework. The latter provides a deeper understanding of the factors that incentivize or deter firms from pursuing sustainable packaging and its performance outcomes.
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Haithem Nagati and Claudia Rebolledo
The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between relative absorptive capacity and suppliers' operational performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between relative absorptive capacity and suppliers' operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses structural equation modelling of survey data from 218 Canadian manufacturers referring to a particular relationship with one of their customers.
Findings
Results suggest that only the first dimension of the relative absorptive capacity – knowledge sharing routines – influences the knowledge transferred from the customer to the supplier. Knowledge transfer acts as a mediator between knowledge sharing routines and the supplier's operational performance improvement.
Research limitations/implications
The absence of a significant association between the second dimension of relative absorptive capacity – overlapped knowledge bases – and knowledge transfer is a surprising result that should be further investigated.
Originality/value
This appears to be the first study to operationalise and empirically test relative absorptive capacity and its consequences in the particular context of customer‐supplier relationships.
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Rosemarie Santa González, Marilène Cherkesly, Teodor Gabriel Crainic and Marie-Eve Rancourt
This study aims to deepen the understanding of the challenges and implications entailed by deploying mobile clinics in conflict zones to reach populations affected by violence and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to deepen the understanding of the challenges and implications entailed by deploying mobile clinics in conflict zones to reach populations affected by violence and cut off from health-care services.
Design/methodology/approach
This research combines an integrated literature review and an instrumental case study. The literature review comprises two targeted reviews to provide insights: one on conflict zones and one on mobile clinics. The case study describes the process and challenges faced throughout a mobile clinic deployment during and after the Iraq War. The data was gathered using mixed methods over a two-year period (2017–2018).
Findings
Armed conflicts directly impact the populations’ health and access to health care. Mobile clinic deployments are often used and recommended to provide health-care access to vulnerable populations cut off from health-care services. However, there is a dearth of peer-reviewed literature documenting decision support tools for mobile clinic deployments.
Originality/value
This study highlights the gaps in the literature and provides direction for future research to support the development of valuable insights and decision support tools for practitioners.
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