Expert answer:Literature Review Example
Expert answer:Please carefully read the paper named “Literature Review Example” on its entirety to see how the introduction portion of the paper was linked to the Literature review portion (highlighted in Yellow on paper). As you can see, all authors used in the introduction portion were used on the literature review portion to show the reviewed of the literature by these authors.After you finish reading the paper, please open my paper named “Mine to be Completed with the Literature review” read my introduction and and write a 32-35 pages (cover and references pages not included)paper that lays down the review of the literature by the authors that are cited on my paper. You should use the same style that is used on the file named “Literature Review Example”.For your convenience, I have attached the references page with the links for the authors used throughout my introductory paper. the file is named “References with the links”.Please, if you do not understand my instructions, ask and I will be glad to reply.
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INFORMATION SHARING PROCESSES: THE EFFICIENCY
AND STABILITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN
iv
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
Introduction
The supply chain becomes visible through a stable process of information sharing that
leads to improvement in effectiveness (Wong, Skipworth, Godsell, & Achimugu, 2012). The
proposed study involved an attempt to add to the existing body of knowledge in supply chain
management (SCM). The qualitative case study involved exploring the phenomenon of how
building efficiency manufacturers described information sharing processes in supply chains and
what factors contributed to efficiency and stability in information sharing processes. Chapter 1
includes the underpinnings of the envisioned qualitative case study by stating the problem
statement and research questions for the study. Chapter 1 also includes other foundational
elements of the proposed qualitative case study, such as purpose of the study, rationale, nature of
the study, assumptions, and limitations, to give a clear view of the intended purpose of the study.
Von Bertalanffy’s (1969) general systems theory (GST) was the theoretical framework
guiding the researcher for this envisioned qualitative case study. Current scholarly and
practitioner research showed that in the last 30 years Supply Chain Management (SCM) evolved
to include a broad description of what SCM consists of and how it impacts the supply chain.
Although there was a better understanding of SCM, a lack of consensus among researchers and
practitioners still existed. Research also showed that information sharing processes were crucial
components for the success of supply chains and further research was needed (Piplani & Fu,
2005; Crespo de Carvalho, Guimaraes, & Martins, 2014). The applied business problem for this
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case study was that the supply chain of building efficiency manufacturers could become
inefficient and unstable in information sharing processes (Antoniolli & Lima, 2014; Ogulin,
2014). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how building efficiency
manufacturers described information sharing processes and what factors influenced the
efficiency and stability of the processes. The research questions presented for this qualitative
case study aligned with the business problem and the purpose of the research.
Background
A common challenge in supply chains is the lack of synchronization in the crucial
components (Stevens, 1989). Failing to integrate these critical components appropriately creates
disruptions that are detrimental to the entire supply chain. Irregularities in such processes can
lead to poor performance and a decrease in revenue. Integration of the supply chain’s
components is imperative for supply chain efficiency (Ellram & Cooper, 2014; Stevens, 1989).
Furthermore, due to the evolution of SCM in research and practice over the past 30 years, SCM
has progressed but lacks a uniform definition by scholars and practitioners that directly affects
the components that are part of the supply chain.
Although SCM has changed and developed since the term’s inception by Keith Oliver in
1982, research lacks consistency in identifying the components of the supply chain and methods
to integrate those components (Ellram & Cooper, 2014). Zacharia, Sanders, and Fugate (2014)
and Ellram and Cooper (2014) indicated that the expansion of SCM in scholarly and practitioner
research ignores growth in the crucial components of the supply chain, such as information
sharing, that potentially incapacitates further progress. Identified as fundamental to the entire
process, information sharing must remain consistent throughout a supply chain, but research has
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only identified this component to a certain extent, so further research is necessary (Wong et al.,
2012).
Business Problem
The general problem is managers in the building efficiency industry are experiencing
inconsistencies in information sharing processes that lead to performance disadvantages and
losses in revenue (Antoniolli & Lima, 2014; Ogulin, 2014). Specifically problematic is the
supply chain of building efficiency manufacturers could become inefficient and unstable in
information sharing processes (Antoniolli & Lima, 2014; Ogulin, 2014). A qualitative single
case study on how building efficiency manufacturers describe information sharing processes and
what factors contribute to efficiency and stability in information sharing processes in the supply
chain may be valuable and add to the existing body of knowledge in SCM.
According to Piplani and Fu (2005), supply chains suffer when information sharing
process were poorly implemented. Establishing information sharing processes posed a challenge
to companies and the supply chains that impacted the stability of the executed processes.
Crespo de Carvalho, Guimaraes, and Martins (2014) revealed information sharing is an essential
component to the success of supply chains and of SCM. A direct effect of stabilizing
information sharing processes was strengthening the channels of communication, increased
capacity of knowledge sharing, and improved coordination efforts that enabled the supply chain
to become productive.
Research Purpose
The purpose of this envisioned qualitative case study was to explore the phenomenon of
how building efficiency manufacturers describe information sharing processes in supply chains
and what factors contribute to efficiency and stability in information sharing processes. The
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proposed study may be a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge in the field of
SCM by contributing to the efficiency and stability of information sharing and enhancing the
effectiveness of the supply chain and its performance.
As the SCM practice goes through an evolution process, various components must
develop simultaneously. Further research is necessary to achieve improvement in information
sharing processes to enhance the coordination of the information flowing within the supply
chain. Improvement in information sharing processes could result in good overall business
performance and an advantage in the industry (Ogulin, 2014; Zhou et al., 2014). Supply chains
suffer when misalignments occur because of poor information sharing processes (Piplani & Fu,
2005). Establishing these processes is a major challenge for supply chains, and parallel to
Piplani and Fu (2005), Crespo de Carvalho, Guimaraes, and Martins (2014) revealed information
sharing is a component that is instrumental to the success of supply chains and of SCM. A direct
effect of stabilizing information sharing processes was strengthening the channels of
communication, increased capacity of knowledge sharing, and improved coordination efforts that
enabled the supply chain to become productive.
Research Questions
The research questions for the proposed study are as follows:
1. How do building efficiency manufacturers describe information sharing processes in
supply chains?
2. What factors contribute to efficiency and stability in information sharing processes in
supply chains?
4
Rationale
The proposed qualitative case study on information sharing processes was suitable
because a further understanding of this phenomenon was necessary for supply chains to achieve
greater performance advantages and improvement in revenues (Ebrahim-Khanjari, Hopp, &
Iravani, 2012; Yang & Zhang, 2013). For the last 25 to 30 years, the focus of supply chain and
SCM research was consistently on eliminating inefficiencies. Practitioners and researchers have
focused on the specific component of improving information sharing processes to help address
these inefficiencies. Describing information sharing processes in supply chains and factors that
contribute to efficiency and stability in information sharing processes from the perspective of
managers may reveal patterns of information that provide thematic awareness of the
phenomenon (Ebrahim-Khanjari et al., 2012). Such data may provide insights into improving
information sharing processes. As SCM had the capacity to improve a particular component,
such as information sharing, it also had the capacity to increase the business’ capability to be
best performers (Yang & Zhang, 2013).
Practitioners and researchers have researched the phenomenon of information sharing
within the supply chain in different capacities, but there is opportunity for further improvement
and development. Janvier-James (2012) and Yang and Zhang (2013) found a consensus among
practitioners and researchers that information sharing is an important component of the supply
chain but does not address how to integrate this component into the supply chain to increase
performance and revenue. Ellram and Cooper (2014) explored SCM and the inefficiencies that
remained within SCM and supply chains but did not elaborate on the component of information
sharing to determine what steps were available to improve the processes. Researchers such as
Ellram and Cooper failed to expand on their research and look at the core components of SCM
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and supply chains. The goal of the proposed study is to expand on the work of researchers such
as Ellram and Cooper, Stock and Boyer (2009), Janvier-James, and Yang and Zhang by
encompassing SCM research performed and extrapolating the findings on information sharing to
explore and identify methods that could increase performance and revenue.
Theoretical Framework
The conceptual framework first posted by Helou and Caddy (2006) based on the general
systems theory (GST) as conceived by von Bertalanffy (1969) and further developed by Yourdon
(1989) will serve as a guide for the proposed study. In 1937, von Bertalanffy presented an
outline of the theory to the University of Chicago. In 1945, von Bertalanffy wrote the first paper
on GST but never published it, and in 1949, von Bertalanffy publicly presented the theory in a
German journal article for the first time (Drack & Schwarz, 2010). The GST originated (Caddy
& Helou; 2007; von Bertalanffy, 1972) from the concept that an organization is a system
constructed of several components. An established relationship exists between components that
create a self-sustaining system to become potentially competitive. Understanding the
composition and relationship of the components is crucial to the system’s efficiency and
productivity. Von Bertalanffy (1969, 1972) indicated that researchers and practitioners could
apply GST broadly to any system problem in any practice that requires a theory in order to
develop. Yourdon (1989) further developed the theory by applying von Bertalanffy’s (1969)
GST to his area of practice of information systems. In the process, he developed four principles
that, due to SCM’s similarities to information systems, he applied to SCM, which indicated that
adopting a theory perspective contributed to defining the scope of supply chains. The four
principles enabled an understanding of supply chains as systems and supported exploring the
information sharing component to implement and manage supply chains strategically.
6
Figure 1 is a visual depiction of GST in relation to supply chains and illustrates the
concept of the theory as von Bertalanffy (1969) conceived it and the concepts developed by
Yourdon, who applied the systems theory to intangible and tangible items (Caddy & Helou,
2007). Under the assumption that supply chains are systems, each component provides an
individual and collaborative contribution to the supply chain. Caddy and Helou (1999)
concluded that practitioners and researchers required a consistent and accepted supply chain
model. Through their research, they found the following commonalities within existing supply
chain models: focus on organization structure and strategy, the use of information, and
interpersonal relationships and roles within the supply chain. By analyzing and integrating the
commonalities, they developed the generic supply chain model (GSCM).
The GST was applicable to the proposed study because through this theory the
component of information sharing can be explored to provide an understanding of the effects it
had on the supply chain independently and as a component that was symbiotic within the system.
The GST will guide the orientation of the proposed study by enabling researchers and
practitioners to look at the supply chain from a systematic perspective and acknowledge the codependency of the various components that make up the supply chain (Holmberg, 2000; Caddy
& Helou, 2007). The research was done using a sampling of managers in the building efficiency
industry through a series of interviews and focus groups to gather participant’s insight on the
effects of information sharing processes on the supply chain’s performance and revenue.
7
Figure 1. An illustration of the various components of the generic supply chain model. Adapted
from “Supply chain and their management: Application of general systems theory,” p. 322,
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 14(5), 319-327. Copyright 2016 by Elsevier B.V.
Significance
The proposed study was poised to add valuable information to the existing body of
knowledge by providing additional research of efficient and stable information sharing processes
to contribute to the understanding of SCM. Research on supply chains and SCM has a common
series of inconsistencies in the connection of the practice to disparate emerging bodies of
knowledge. Through research, scholars and practitioners intended to provide evidentiary clarity
of the practice’s disciplines and crucial components. The practice of SCM went through an
evolutionary process that developed a concept encompassing many components such as logistics,
operations, and information sharing but lacking uniformity within and across industries. A
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significant lack of understanding remained among researchers and practitioners regarding the
meaning of SCM. Research indicated that SCM is the integration and flow of information,
goods, and services. However, discrepancies in usage and definitions of SCM added complexity
to the practice rather than understanding (Harland, 1996; Soni & Kodali, 2013; Zacharia et al.,
2014). Furthermore, the interconnectivity between the supply chain’s essential components,
such as information sharing, remains less explored, which provides opportunities to implement
further research to add to the SCM body of knowledge (Crespo de Carvalho et al., 2014).
Yang and Zhang (2013) revealed that through a consensus between researchers and
practitioners, information sharing processes emerged as an important component of supply
chains and SCM. The lack of concrete research on the relationship between information sharing
and SCM is detrimental to the progress of the practice. Wong et al. (2012) noted that through
information sharing processes, supply chains can be transparent and visible but the lack of this
understanding inhibits the supply chain from growth and effectiveness. This qualitative case
study on the phenomenon of information sharing processes may contribute valuable information
to the SCM body of knowledge by exploring and analyzing the relationship that exists between
information sharing and the supply chain and its impact on the performance of supply chains.
Zacharia et al. (2014) emphasized the importance for practitioners and researchers to reach a
cohesive understanding of SCM to promote further research founded on past research that aided
in establishing adequate and rigorous methodologies.
Ebrahim-Khanjari et al. (2012) noted that information sharing is a crucial component of a
supply chain’s success. Ogulin (2014) added that information sharing enables the integration of
every component of the supply chain and allows those components to work efficiently with one
another. An aligned supply chain is necessary for information sharing processes to work
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effectively. Although this is evident through research, further research is necessary to develop a
unified method that aligns supply chain components through information sharing processes and
increases business performance.
Through a scholar-practitioner focus, the envisioned study explored information sharing
processes to expand into the gray areas within the supply chain to demonstrate a unified concept
for supply chain alignment. Reaffirming the importance of strategic planning for information
sharing processes, Ebrahim-Khanjari et al. (2012) established that valuable information shared
among members and partners of the supply chain is beneficial to the performance and will create
integration, transparency, trust, and cooperation within the supply chain to increase efficiency
and profit.
Definition of Terms
Information sharing: The process of exchanging data between all components of the
supply chain to facilitate the coordination of its activities, enhance performance, and increase
revenue (Damiani, Frati, & Tchokpon, 2011).
Supply chain: The entire physical process from purchasing raw materials to delivering the
finished product to the customer, including any associated information flows. The supply chain
group includes manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers who are involved, directly or
indirectly, in providing goods to the consumer (Chow & Heaver, 1999; Tay, Rahman, Aziz, &
Sidek, 2015).
Supply chain alignment: Efficiently and effectively allocating supply chain resources and
associated capabilities to improve coordination of information flows and the processes to create
value and improve performance (Ogulin, 2014).
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Supply chain coordination: A process established to manage activities within the supply
chain system to strengthen them, internally and externally, to achieve synchronization and avoid
misalignment issues (Piplani & Fu, 2005).
Supply chain management (SCM): A set of methods that effectively coordinate all the
integrated components of the supply chain to produce and distribute a product or service
accurately while reducing costs, increasing customer satisfaction, and increasing performance
(Levi, Kaminsky, & Levi, 2003).
Assumptions and Limitations
1. The researcher conducted the study under the following assumptions with respect to
population and sampling: participants possessed a clear understanding of the
definition of the selected company’s supply chain and SCM. Participants answered
interview questions accurately and truthfully, to the best of their ability. Participants
had the liberty to express themselves accurately and truthfully through focus studies
based solely on the participants’ experience and knowledge.
2. The researcher conducted the study under the following assumptions with respect to
data collection and analysis: Data analysis was limited to three qualitative sources,
interviews, focus groups, and observation.
3. The researcher conducted the study under the following assumptions with respect to
instrumentality: The researcher was the primary instrument for this qualitative case
study.
4. The researcher conducted the study under the following assumptions with respect to
methodology: For the purpose of this case study research, an exploratory qualitative
case study methodology was proposed.
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5. The researcher conducted the study under the following assumptions with respect to
delivery: The selected company implemented information sharing processes to
improve supply chain performance and standardized SCM processes to optimize
performance.
6. Potential constraints of the study: This case study was limited to participants in
managerial positions employed by the selected company. This case study was limited
to participants who work in the building efficiency industry; therefore, applying the
results of this case study to other industries may not be feasible. The case study was
limited to participation in a specific market.
7. The potential for undue influence did not exist; participation for this case study was
completely voluntary.
8. The researcher’s capabilities were limited to the …
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