Supply Chain Integration for Sustainable Advantages

This book offers a systematic literature review and a set of empirical studies on supply chain integration. Supply chain management is recognized as an essential means for firms to achieve competitive advantages, in which supply chain integration is regarded as the core for operational excellence: shorter lead time, lower inventory, faster delivery, and higher product and service quality. Using data from an international survey of manufacturing firms, an interrelated set of studies that investigate supply chain integration from different perspectives at multiple levels are conducted. Intra-organizational factors such as products, production systems, and socio-technical systems are examined to understand their effects on supply chain integration, indicating that firms need to implement different types of supply chain integration for specific competitive priorities. Then, the outcomes of supply chain integration, including its impact on risk management and sustainability management, are investigated from an inter-organizational perspective. The firm is embedded in a manufacturing network, a global supply chain, or both, and it can use supply chain integration as a strategic action for risks. Sustainability has been a vital issue for manufacturers, and supply chain integration can enhance its success. This book makes significant contributions to the relevant literature on supply chain integration and offers insights to supply chain managers in manufacturing industries.

Dr. Yongyi Shou is Professor of Operations Management at the School of Management, Zhejiang University, China. He received his PhD degree in Systems and Engineering Management from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests focus on operations strategy, logistics and supply chain management, innovation, and sustainable management. He has published research articles on leading journals such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Transportation Research, and Supply Chain Management.

Dr. Mingu Kang is an associate professor at the School of Management, Zhejiang University, China. Dr.Kang earned a Ph.D. degree from the School of Management, Zhejiang University, China. He holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Design Engineering from Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. His articles have been published in Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal，Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Procurement Management and Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. His research interests include outsourcing strategy, global manufacturing, and strategies for managing technological innovation.

Dr. Young Won Park is a Professor of the Faculty of Economics, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Saitama University, and an Associate Professor of the Project of the Manufacturing Management Research Center at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the Department of Advanced Social and International Studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His articles have been published in journals including Management Decision, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Technology Management, International Journal of Information Management, Business Horizons, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Journal of Cleaner Production, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Benchmarking: An International Journal, International Journal of Services and Operations Management, International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, International Journal of Business Excellence, International Journal of Procurement Management, Akamon Management Review, Japan Academy of International Business Studies, Japanese Society for Science and Technology Studies, and the Japan Society of Information and Communication Research. He has received research awards, including a Certificate for Highly Cited Research in Business Horizons, Dissertation Paper Awards from the Japan Association for Social Informatics (JASI), Best Paper Awards from The Japan Society of Information and Communication Research (JSICR), Research Awards in the Social Sciences Field from The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF), and Research Students Awards in the Social Sciences Field from The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation (TAF). His research interests are in technology management, global strategy and IT strategy, and global supply chain management.