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The human chain in logistics and supply chain management research and practice
Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement,
2
(1),
72-83
(2019)
Abstract
It is now widely recognised that effective logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) plays a vital role in economic and wider societal well-being. A key facet of contemporary supply chain management (SCM) thinking is the shift away from traditionally fragmented supply chain configurations to ones that are characterised by high levels of integration of supply chain processes and data. Experience suggests that success in achieving higher levels of supply chain integration (SCI) depends on both physical and technical aspects (ie the so-called ‘hard-wiring’), as well as human and behavioural components (ie the so-called ‘soft-wiring’). It would appear, however, that the latter has received relatively little attention in the LSCM academic literature. Furthermore, the empirical evidence suggests that the majority of supply chain improvement initiatives in companies have been primarily concerned with technological, structural and process issues. This paper argues that the difficulties often encountered in attempting to put LSCM theory into practice are largely a consequence of a lack of focus on, and understanding of, the human dimension. Based on this discussion, the paper offers some suggestions for improvement in this area to both the supply chain research and practitioner communities. It uses several cultural and literary references throughout to illustrate these suggestions.
Keywords: logistics and supply chain management; human dimension; research; practice
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Edward Sweeney BA, BAI, MPhil, PhD, PGCert, FCILT, FCMI, FinstLM, FRSA is professor of logistics and systems and director of the Aston Logistics and Systems Institute at Aston University in Birmingham, UK. He is a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) West Midlands region and was elected chair of the CILT’s Logistics Research Network (LRN) by his peers in 2015. He is a former winner of the ‘Member of the Year’ award of CILT in Ireland and of the CILT (UK) James Cooper Memorial Cup for the best PhD thesis on a supply chain or logistics topic in the UK or Ireland. Edward joined Aston from the National Institute for Transport and Logistics (NITL) in Dublin, where he was director. He has also held full-time academic posts at the University of Warwick and the University of Technology, Malaysia (UTM), as well as visiting positions at several institutions in Asia and North America. His research has been widely published and he sits on the editorial boards of several leading international supply chain journals. Edward has worked in close collaboration with many of the world’s leading companies across many sectors including electronics, food and drink, life sciences and logistics. He has worked in over 50 countries across the world. His current work focuses on the issues of supply chain sustainability and integration in global supply chains, with particular reference to the divergence between theory and practice.
Witold Bahr is a researcher and educator at Aston University. He completed his PhD at Aston University on RFID technology and continues research in supply chain management and logistics with the focus on new and disruptive technologies for supply chains and sustainability. He is a managing editor for Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and a member of the Higher Education Academy and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Citation
Sweeney, Edward and Bahr, Witold (2019, September 1). The human chain in logistics and supply chain management research and practice. In the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Volume 2, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.69554/ZNOJ8391.
© Henry Stewart
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