The triple-a supply chain and strategic resources: developing competitive advantage
Department
Michael A. Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2-2020
Abstract
© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Scholars have recently begun to empirically evaluate the triple-A supply chain, which emphasizes concurrent capabilities in agility, adaptability and alignment across the supply chain to develop sustainable competitive advantage. Complexity theory suggests however that other combinations of triple-A capabilities may be equally effective, especially given a firm's strategic orientation relative to its market and its supply chain. Our research objective was to examine what combinations of these capabilities lead to the same outcome (i.e. high firm performance). Design/methodology/approach: We collected 182 survey responses from a global sample of supply chain managers. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was employed to assess effective recipes of agility, adaptability, alignment, supply chain orientation, and market orientation. Findings: Our results revealed four distinct “recipes” (i.e. combinations of agility, adaptability, alignment, supply chain orientation and market orientation) that lead to high levels of firm performance. Originality/value: Our results indicate that firms currently do not necessarily have to concomitantly develop capabilities across all triple-A components. Considering the costs associated with developing each of these capabilities, the findings allow us to derive several theoretical and managerial insights.
Journal Title
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management
Journal ISSN
09600035
Volume
50
Issue
2
First Page
159
Last Page
190
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1108/IJPDLM-08-2019-0258