Date of Award

3-22-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

William A. Cunningham III, PhD.

Abstract

In spite of an ever-accumulating body of research on the topic of supply chain management (SCM), an agreed upon definition or framework regarding its essential constructs or practices does not exist. There are, however, a few leading academic perspectives on SCM that have been bolstered by the acceptance of industry leaders. One such perspective is that presented by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). This study applies established survey methods to expand the body of knowledge pertaining to SCM by empirically validating the relationships conceptualized by the GSCF framework through an analysis of the perception of mid-level managers and senior-level business executives from a variety of industries. Specifically, this research offers three research questions based on framework-specific literature as well as related literature from the body of SCM research: (1) How does implementation of key SCM processes impact organizational performance?; (2) How does implementation of key SCM processes impact competitive advantage?; and (3) What is the relationship between organizational performance and competitive advantage? The intent of this research was to use established survey methods and statistics to measure the relationships between degree of implementation of key SCM processes, organizational performance, and competitive advantage. A web-based survey was developed and distributed to 800 key business leaders. The survey consisted of items which measured the perceptions of respondents in regard to their implementation of key processes, and their firm's level of competitive advantage and performance as measured against the (perceived) industry average.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-LSCM-ENS-12-24

DTIC Accession Number

ADA560857

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