Supply Chain Integration - Essay Example

Methodologies in Supply Chain Integration: Theoretical and methodological advancements in supply chain integration research Introduction The supply chain management field has witnessed rapid changes in recent times. However, questions about how empirical researches should be conducted are rarely mentioned and inadequately addressed. Integration is one of the main factors in supply chain management research. This paper tries to explore and discuss constructs and methods that are used in research with respect to integration. This paper develops a broader construct of integration in supply chain and sketches the advantages of a multi-case approach as an alternative methodology to survey research in order to develop the knowledge of supply chain integration and its antecedents1. The supply chain is a vital topic for most of the practitioners and researchers. However, the main concerns constraining the full and complete use of the concept of supply chain management research has been the construct taking its own meaning that depends on the subjectivity of an individual and the different points if views. Therefore, there is a need for most of the researchers to operationalise and measure what actually supply chain integration means (Clarke 2005). The Problem Over the past years, one of the major themes in the supply chain literature has always been the integration as a key factor in achieving improvements. The general idea, in this case, is that the integrative practices and the high level of integration have a great impact positively on the performance of corporate and supply chain. A study conducted by McCarthy and Golicic showed that case studies are the most suitable methods for evaluating and understanding supply chain integration2. McCarthy and Golicic showed that case studies provided two important advantages that are crucial to achieving positive results in supply chain integration. Hitt, on the other hand, proposed that a quantitative approach is the best strategy to use in supply chain integration research3. According to McCarthy and Golicic, case studies are ideal because they provide valuable insights into the theoretical and practical aspects of supply chain integration. In addition, unlike quantitative techniques, which show an overreliance on data, case studies offer real examples of successes and failures in supply chain integration and how they can be avoided. Quantitative methods are preferred in some quarters because they support long-term investigations. For example, data can always be stored and used in future probes. However, both case studies and quantitative technique demonstrate a noticeable weakness in the sense that they are not balanced enough to support varied and complex inquiries on supply chain integration. This is a major reason for opting for a multi-case approach in this paper. Recent empirical work shows evidence that is convincing for the relationship between performance and integration. Although some of these studies, such as that carried out by Hitt4, might come under criticism for using a limited description of integration, more problems are more fundamental in both the empirical and the theoretical integration work. In future researches, there is the need for coming up with sound constructs and methodologies that are adequate to help us understand the existing relationship between the performance of supply chain and the integrative practices5. When choosing the best method for research strategy, there are several tradeoffs that are in control, realism, and the generalizability. Quantitative methods of research optimize control and generalizability that s external validity, whereas the qualitative method of research maximizes on realism, which is the internal validity. Scholars of logistics do agree that supply chain management and logistics are steeped in the paradigm of positivism, and the past research is primarily normative and quantitative (Mangan , Lalwani , and Gardner 2004). Hence, an imbalance exists in the conduct and publishing of rigorous qualitative research studies. At the same time, the environment of business in which the supply chain phenomena and the logistics are located is becoming increasingly complex with time and less amenable to using quantitative approaches. In order to describe, understand and begin explaining these complex phenomena, research streams should include more studies using qualitative methods. Those researchers who chose one approach exclusively or the other do undermine the scope of the inquiry and thereby their ability to bring a contribution to the vast body of knowledge6. Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: Research indicates that all strategies and methods are serious flawed in several researches, often with their very strengths in regard to one function as a serious weakness in regard to the other function. Hypothesis 2: It has been argued in several researches that multiple-case approach is among the best approach in research methodologies in the studying of supply chain integration and logistics. Hypothesis 3: This research main purpose will be finding out whether there is a meaningful measure of research method in supply chain integration and if it could be developed. H1 H3 H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H1 H3 H1 H1 H2 Methodologies From the methodological point of view, several empirical studies seem to be either single cases or survey-based researches. Typically, the first type of research is used in describing and analyzing one single link. It is always practitioner-oriented and shows the merits of a new practice of integration. On the other hand, survey-based research on integration rarely puts single links and relationships into consideration. In this type of research method, the methods and practices of integration are studied on a different level of aggregation that is high7. According to Kanda, Arun, and Deshmukh (2008), constructs that are aggregated are used to measure the integrative practices that are conducted by, for example, purchasing a company links with their entire suppliers. Overall, case studies make it a little bit hard to generalize findings, specifically if there is no clear theoretical framework that is in place to support the case studies. As opposed to case studies, the surveys helps in incorporating limited aspects of integration and fails to grasp what happens in the chain of supply and its entire relationship. A last critical issue that looks critical is that much of the empirical work fails to address the context of the business condition. While the integrative chain of supply has a limited scope, some doubts exist regarding the way we ask questions. In several surveys, the respondents are always asked to report whether they feel that over a certain period of time some of the specific practices have grown in significance or not. In several situations, this means relying on the perception of the respondents instead of relying on the measurements of the effects that are real. The same thing holds for the effect, which is, the perceived improvement in specific performance measures. In general, there is an adverse relationship between the survey length and the rate of response8. While making surveys and sending them out, this puts the researcher in a situation of paradox. The more one learn from the respondents, the fewer responses one might be expecting. Still, even with a small number of questions, the survey will still show a low response level. In general, this gives a serious limitation to the validity of the results. With respect to the several case studies performed in several pieces of literature, there exist serious doubts. Most if the cases are describing the improvement noted in the management of supply chain practices and that are driven by problems. On the other hand, it is important to note that the literature hardly reports its findings on failures while the improvements on success are always numerous. This raises several questions about whether these cases are selected for purposes of theoretical replication. Actual analysis, the protocol of the case study and other validity and reliability measures are hardly discussed, only a few researchers do pay attention to methodology in case studies9. What I chose – a Multi-case Approach The majority of the contributions of the empirical study in the supply chain management research fall in either survey or single case studies. Good overview of both methods in the operation management field that applies to the supply chain management research. In the field of supply chain management and integration, several of the questions tend to relate to why supply chain management in specific circumstances is working and how some practices work. With respect to supply chain management and integration, our human knowledge is still young, and we still fail to understand the integration antecedents fully. Despite the many efforts in performing single case studies, more comparisons are needed to develop further the supply chain management research10. A multi-case approach is a combination of several aspects. Firstly, each case study can be described in depth using a variety of research approaches to help enhancing triangulation. Secondly, a multi-case study approach can be used to finding situations of contrast that are based on theoretical concerns. Most preferred are studies that combine cases of high levels of integration with cases that have absence of integration. Such choices of the sample based on the proposition of concepts and theoretical constructs are advocated to help enhancing the contribution if research. Thirdly, the case study approach helps in linking two companies to get explored while looking at their integrative practices (Shield 2013). Integration should, therefore, be measured at the level of links and not as concepts of the organization. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data enabled and facilitated cross-case comparison and on the other hand interpretation of findings for each case and across the cases. The reason I chose a multiple–case approach is because this type of study provides rich resource material for research and profound insights towards conducting research while the investment in the time spent on data collection is affordable. Within a case study framework, some data collection instruments such as questionnaires can be used when it comes to a huge number of employees. This will lead to more data that is reliable and concepts that are specific and be investigated using the tool. The findings from the questionnaire can be linked with the findings on the process characteristics from data files, observations, and interviews11. Action Plan Conclusion This paper has adequately evaluated the advancements in the research of supply chain integration. The major criticism on the ;literature regarding research methodologies can be categorized into four points: the integration of supply chain has been conceptualized and measured as a too limited construct; research on supply chain integration pays less attention to the contextual factors; measures of supply chain integration is done on the concept of an organization instead of the concept of dyad; the methodology being used in integration of the supply chain research does not support the necessary explorative characters of research sufficiently (Shepherd , Craig , and Hannes Günter 2006). Therefore, it is importance to the development of a conceptual framework that will put into consideration characteristics of a business as the major building block for any practice of integration. Integration is being sketched as a phenomenon that is multi-dimensional while the level of focus is seen as a variable that is intermediate12. In conclusion, a multi-case approach is being advocated for as a strategy that is sound for the further development of the field. Further research should be used to extend framework empirically and conceptually. Testing and application of the framework, adding of several variables and the development of scales to help in measuring the concepts and dimensions should be put on the list of priorities. References Bertrand , J. Will M. , and Jan C. Fransoo . “Operations Management Research Methodologies Using Quantitative Modeling.” International Journal of Operations & Production Management. 2002. Carter, Craig R., Nada R. Sanders, and Yan Dong. “Paradigms, Revolutions, and Tipping Points: The Need for Using Multiple Methodologies within the Field of Supply Chain Management.” Journal of Operations Management 26 (2008): 693–696. Clarke, R J. “Research Models and Methodologies.” In HDR Seminar Series Faculty of Commerce, University of Wollongong, 2005:1–65. Goede, Roeli, and Carina De Villers. “The Applicability of Grounded Theory as Research Methodology in Studies on the Use of Methodologies in IS Practices.” In Proceedings of the SAICSIT, 2003:207–217. Hitt, Michael A. "Relevance of strategic management theory and research for supply chain management." Journal of Supply Chain Management 47 (2011): 9-13. Kanda, Arun, and S.G. Deshmukh. “Supply Chain Coordination: Perspectives, Empirical Studies and Research Directions.” International Journal of Production Economics 115(2008): 316–335. Kotzab, Herbert, Stefan Seuring, Martin Mçller, and Gerald Reiner. Research Methodologies in Supply Chain Management. Supply Chain Management An International Journal. 2005. Mangan , John , Chandra Lalwani , and Bernard Gardner . “Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies in Logistics Research.” International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management. 2004. McCarthy, Teresa, and Susan Golicic. 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