Managing disruptions and strategy development during Covid-19 pandemic: the perspective of third-party logistics service providers (3PLs)

The Covid-19 pandemic forced many companies to alter and improve their logistics activities as part of their business logistics strategies, to obtain cost and service advantages. In this regard, to lessen the detrimental effects on the business environment, it is critical to develop different strategies according to the nature of the disruptions and uncertainties. This paper explores uncertainty sources confronted by third-party logistics service providers (3PLs), identifies disruptions, reveals the resources used to cope with these and develops strategies for the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing upon Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), we reveal the important role of resource allocation in logistics and supply chains (SCs). This study proposes a conceptual framework that describes resources which can be used for strategy development in the face of uncertainties. In terms of managerial implications, this study extends knowledge in the field by providing insights enabling 3PLs to improve their capabilities and increase their performance. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Embedding choice making into the self-regulated strategy development instructional approach for students in a residential treatment facility

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing how to address deficits in persuasive writing skills and behavior needs through explicit instruction in persuasive writing strategies (e.g., self-regulated strategy development) and embedded function-based choice making. Chapter 2 consists of a multiple probe across students with embedded reversal single case design on POW+TREE, a persuasive writing strategy used within the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach. Three students in grades 3rd, 5th and 6th with emotional behavioral disorders were recruited to receive SRSD POW+TREE with embedded function-based choice making in a residential education setting. The number of pers essay elements and a variety of writing quality indicators along with student motivation and active academic engagement were examined. Participants who completed the study demonstrated varied engagement and an increase in included essay elements along with overall essay quality and increased motivation to write persuasively. Implications for teachers, limitations, and future directions are presented. Data collection and results of this study were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Turbulence-induced Initiation of Technology Strategy Development in a Volatile Business Environment

During the recent years, manufacturing companies were forced to overthink their technology strategy more frequently and outside of their formal planning and budgeting cycles as severe disruptions (e.g., the Corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine or the global semiconductor crisis) exogenously changed the rules for competition. As volatility of global markets and value creation is expected to stay or increase in our digitally hyperconnected world, turbulence-induced strategy processes need to complement the formal planning cycles. Therefore, the present paper seeks to conceptualize a turbulence-induced initiation phase, which is either left out or not emphasized in existing approaches for strategy development. For this, a model concept is elaborated based requirements derived from deficits in theory and a reference modelling for the initiation phase of strategy development. As a result, five component models are presented in a three-layer structure to guide practitioners with the turbulence-induced initiation of their technology strategy development. © 2022 IEEE.

Embedding choice making into the self-regulated strategy development instructional approach for students in a residential treatment facility

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing how to address deficits in persuasive writing skills and behavior needs through explicit instruction in persuasive writing strategies (e.g., self-regulated strategy development) and embedded function-based choice making. Chapter 2 consists of a multiple probe across students with embedded reversal single case design on POW+TREE, a persuasive writing strategy used within the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach. Three students in grades 3rd, 5th and 6th with emotional behavioral disorders were recruited to receive SRSD POW+TREE with embedded function-based choice making in a residential education setting. The number of pers essay elements and a variety of writing quality indicators along with student motivation and active academic engagement were examined. Participants who completed the study demonstrated varied engagement and an increase in included essay elements along with overall essay quality and increased motivation to write persuasively. Implications for teachers, limitations, and future directions are presented. Data collection and results of this study were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

First Nations Capacity-Building through Geographic Response Strategy Development during COVID-19: Supporting Data Management for a Remote Field Season during a Global Pandemic

A group of British Columbia North Pacific Coast First Nations (NPC Nations) have been actively developing Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) within their territories since 2018. A multi-year project plan included three years of field work (2019-2021), during which technical experts would support First Nations communities in transferring knowledge and practice. The implementation of lockdowns, travel restrictions, and public health advisories beginning in March 2020 substantially changed the planned approach and ultimately spurred novel approaches to remotely supporting field surveys and mentoring First Nations community members to lead oil spill response surveys. To enable the continuation of field work, a contracting team worked closely with the NPC Nations to create a strategic approach to collaborate through web-based conference platforms and cloud-based GIS. There were several imperatives to continue this work – First Nations communities view marine oil spill planning as a top priority based on past spills in their territories and risks from coastal shipping. The project funding was grant-based and time-bound, expiring at the end of FY2021-22. Despite the pandemic, the participating First Nations still had a successful field season with roughly 40 combined days in the field from April 2020 to November 2021, with approximately 221 sites surveys and close to 500 tactics developed. Through innovation, collaboration, and trial and error, 12 BC First Nations continued to develop GRS to help strengthen their marine response capacity while adhering to the strict COVID-19 guidelines set in place by their local communities, which were often more stringent than provincial and national policies to protect their elders and other vulnerable community members in remote areas with limited medical facilities. This paper discusses the specific modifications to the field surveying process driven by the pandemic and the technology tools used to communicate and capture data accurately. In addition, this paper examines how Geographic Information System (GIS) was incorporated into the GRS development, including GIS training for community members and the use of tablet-based applications to gather field data. It describes a successful approach to peer-to-peer knowledge transfer across First Nations communities, building a community of practice and mutual support. Finally, this paper reports lessons learned and suggests best practices to continue broadening the marine response and preparedness capacity within the BC First Nations. © 2022 44th AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response. All rights reserved.

Redesigning global supply chains during compounding geopolitical disruptions: the role of supply chain logics

Purpose Why do managers redesign global supply chains in a particular manner when faced with compounding geopolitical disruptions? In answering this research question, this study identifies a constrained system of reasoning (decision-making logic) employed by managers when they redesign their supply chains in situations of heightened uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 40 elite interviews with senior supply chain executives in 28 companies across nine industries from November 2019 to June 2020, when the UK was preparing to leave the European Union, the US-China trade war was escalating, and Covid-19 was spreading rapidly around the globe. Findings When redesigning global supply chains, the authors find that managerial decision-making logic is constrained by three distinct environmental ecosystem conditions: (1) the perceived intensity of institutional pressures;(2) the relative mobility of suppliers and supply chain assets;and (3) the perceived severity of the potential disruption risk. Intense government pressure and persistent geopolitical risk tend to impact firms in the same industry, resulting in similar approaches to decision-making regarding supply chain design. However, where suppliers are relatively immobile and supply chain assets are relatively fixed, a dominant logic is consistently present. Originality/value Building on an institutional logics perspective, this study finds that managerial decision-making under heightened uncertainty is not solely guided by institutional pressures but also by perceptions of the severity of risk related to potential supply chain disruption and the immobility of supply chain assets. These findings support the theoretical development of a novel construct that the authors term 'supply chain logics'. Finally, this study provides a decision-making framework for Senior Executives competing in an increasingly complex and unstable business environment.

Marketing as a strategy for urban and regional development

Marketing can provide a region with various strategies through urban and territorial planning that enhances the market for its resources, the vocation of the land and human capital in the face of development for the social well-being of the inhabitants. This is a term that has taken hold on the planet. It acts as a process that brings benefits and advantages between organizations or regions that are not yet known. Examples of its practice are being demonstrated in government decisions and economic unions in Latin America and the Caribbean, who, after the COVID -19 pandemic, have resorted to different marketing strategies to reactivate economies, territories and the different necessary activities for the population. This work aims to show how the marketing strategy provides benefits to urban and territorial development with the positioning of the city brand in the markets and consumers of goods and services. As a strategic tool, it can be taken advantage of from the organizational planning of the regions, as well as from business ventures that have not yet been exploited.

Gamification of strategic thinking: A COTS boardgame for learning scrum, strategy development and strategy implementation

The Bundeswehr Command and Staff College (BCSC) facilitated the Gamification of Strategic Thinking seminar from 11. Nov 2020 - 24. March 2021 with students from the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and Staff Officers from the Bundeswehr Office for Defence Planning. This paper describes the seminar from construction to end, the sophisticated online facilitation, and the results and evaluation. Thereby, it contributes to discussing how to implement commercial of the shelf (COTS) conflict simulations (wargames) to education, particularly for political science and management. The seminar used the COTS board game 'Scythe' as the strategy development and strategy implementation environment. Seminar goals were applying management tools like SWOT-Analysis, Kanban Board, and the OODA-Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) to strategy development and strategy implementation in a competitive environment characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). Six Teams consisting of five players each competed at the end of the seminar for three days, had to use the decision-making process several times, and faced the consequences of past decisions. Furthermore, four team members had to Red-Team other competitors and learned how to implement this (business) Wargaming technique into the decision-making cycle. Finally, all participants had to develop a strategy, either their own or their adversary's strategy. The seminar was conducted in eight sprints, following the Scrum framework for agile project management in an agile education approach. Students had to practice an agile mindset, followed the scrum events Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective, taking care of the Project Backlog, honouring the Scrum Values courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. The lead author planned the seminar as a distributed learning experience with an on-premises final. However, due to COVID-19, the TUHH and the BCSC cancelled the on-premises final. As a result, the lead author had to facilitate the complete seminar entirely distributed using various web 2.0 collaboration tools like Slack, Trello, Zoom and, of course, WhatsApp. The seminar was evaluated regarding the Learning Objective-Game Design framework and the Agile Education approach. This paper provides a new perspective on combining agile education, using a Scrum framework as the organisational overlay over the curriculum, and explicit gamification, using a COTS wargame. It is an update to the ECGBL 2020's paper. In comparison to serious games, explicit gamification is supposed to provide the element of fun by design. © The Authors, 2021. All Rights Reserved.