ABSTRACT
Researchers and practitioners have highlighted the importance of supply chain analytic capabilities in managing risk while maintaining a competitive advantage (COA). However, the importance of digital supply chain capabilities (DSCCs) in improving resilience, agility, and robustness practices to foster the implementation of sustainable supply chain practices and any resulting COA remains unclear. Based on the dynamic capabilities view, we propose a research model for achieving a COA in contexts of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey of Indian small and medium-sized enterprises in the original equipment manufacturing industry, comprising 310 respondents, was administered. Using structural equation modeling, we examine the proposed model. The findings show a significant positive effect of DSCCs on supply chain resilience and agile practices. The findings also indicate that supply chain resilience, robustness, and agile practices positively affect sustainable supply chain practices. Moreover, sustainable supply chain practices positively influence COA. Furthermore, the study reveals that the effect of DSCCs on sustainable supply chain practices is mediated by supply chain resilience, robustness, and agile practices. Managers concerned with investment in sustainable supply chain practices can obtain a COA through the successful implementation of supply chain resilience, robustness, and agile practices.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all industries and presented manufacturing firms with enormous challenges, with considerable changes in consumer demand for goods and services. Supply chain management disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in several socio-economic roadblocks. The slow propagation of disruption risk results in a ripple effect along the entire chain. The lack of resilience and risk management capability is the prime cause, attributed to the unavailability of digital resources, skills, and knowledge. The main objective of this article is to develop supply chain capability for disruption risk management and supply chain resilience for competitive gain in terms of controlling the ripple effect. The resource-based view approach was used to develop the theoretical structure in this article. Supply chain digitalization and viability provide necessary resources to develop the capability for managing risk and resilience to tackle the impact of disruptions due to pandemics, war, recession, and other such massive challenges on the supply chain. Seven hypotheses were proposed and evaluated for relevance using structural equation modeling (SEM). In total, 199 valid responses to a survey on SEM were gathered and examined using the AMOS V-21 software. Our research findings supported all the proposed hypotheses, thereby generating positive theoretical evidence for practitioners to digitalize their supply chain for enhanced supply chain capabilities and effective control of the ripple effect. IEEE
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) catastrophically disrupted most of the global supply chains (SC). Knowledge-based SC can cope with the pandemic disruptions by the efficient use of data, information, knowledge, human intelligence and emerging technologies. This article aims to critically analyse the SC research during the two years of COVID-19 pandemic to understand the role of knowledge-based supply chain towards SC resilience. A review of the 281 shortlisted articles is presented, along with bibliometric and network analyses in order to create an intellectual map of the domain and to identify the emerging knowledge themes. Bibliometric analysis reveals that the knowledge focus during this short span has migrated from COVID-19 pandemic to SC risk management and finally to risk mitigation strategies. The network analysis identifies five emerging knowledge themes, namely impact of COVID-19 on SC;SC risk mitigation and resilience;supply chain viability;sustainable SC strategies;and food SC. This review also elucidates the strategies to mitigate COVID-19 disruptions for incorporating resilience in SC. Future research directions for a knowledge-based sustainable-leagile-resilient (S-leagilient) supply chain have also been propounded.
ABSTRACT
The Government of India has started the distribution of the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines across all the comprising states. In developing states like Bihar, the vaccine supply chain (VSC) is likely to face many challenges due to poor health infrastructure, multidimensional poverty, and poor literacy. Supply chain practitioners are experimenting with available technologies to deal with supply, demand, and behavioral challenges. The present research work seeks to inspect the potential impact of Internet of Things (IoT) on the performance of the VSC. This study draws literature on the impact of IoT on product management, demand management, supply management, social behavior, and government rules and regulations to develop and test the conceptual model in Bihar. Consequently, the study administrated a survey and used structural equation modeling to investigate the proposed hypothesis. The analysis illustrates the positive influence of IoT adoption on the performance of the VSC in distributing the COVID vaccine. The finding also shows the positive relationship between product, supply, demand, and social behavior in IoT adoption. Analysis displays that Indian politicians can substantially impact vaccine distribution because they have influence and awareness of their local districts. This research work has a significant theoretical and managerial contribution for government and practitioners, supporting regulatory officials and policymakers in improving vaccine distribution.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The paper focuses on reviewing and theorizing the factors that affect the adoption of cloud computing in the education sector narrowing the focus to developing countries such as India. Design/methodology/approach Through an extensive literature survey, critical factors of cloud computing for education were identified. Further, the fuzzy DEMATEL approach was used to define their interrelationship and its cause and effect. Findings A total of 17 factors were identified for the study based on the literature survey and experts' input. These factors were classified as causes and effects and ranked and interrelated. "Required Learning Skills and Attitude," "Lack of Infrastructure," "Learners' Ability" and "Increased Investment" are found to be the most influential factors. Practical implications The resultant ranking factors can be used as a basis for managing the process of cloud adoption in several institutions. The study could guide academicians, policymakers and government authorities for the effective adoption of cloud computing in education. Originality/value The study investigates interdependency amongst the factors of cloud computing for education in context with developing economy. This is one of first study in higher education institutes of India.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This article aims to model the challenges of implementing artificial intelligence and machine earning (AI-ML) for moderating the impacts of COVID-19, considering the agricultural supply chain (ASC) in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: 20 critical challenges were modeled based on a comprehensive literature review and consultation with experts. The hybrid approach of “Delphi interpretive structural modeling (ISM)-Fuzzy Matrice d' Impacts Croises Multiplication Applique'e à un Classement (MICMAC) − analytical network process (ANP)” was used. Findings: The study's outcome indicates that “lack of central and state regulations and rules” and “lack of data security and privacy” are the crucial challenges of AI-ML implementation in the ASC. Furthermore, AI-ML in the ASC is a powerful enabler of accurate prediction to minimize uncertainties. Research limitations/implications: This study will help stakeholders, policymakers, government and service providers understand and formulate appropriate strategies to enhance AI-ML implementation in ASCs. Also, it provides valuable insights into the COVID-19 impacts from an ASC perspective. Besides, as the study was conducted in India, decision-makers and practitioners from other geographies and economies must extrapolate the results with due care. Originality/value: This study is one of the first that investigates the potential of AI-ML in the ASC during COVID-19 by employing a hybrid approach using Delphi-ISM-Fuzzy-MICMAC-ANP. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.