Abstract:To survive in the current competitive, unpredictable business environment, it is significant for firms to search and enforce capabilities that lead them to adapt and cope with dynamic changes of environment for their sustainability. We try to connect operation issues with sustainability in this paper. From the perspective of the dynamic capabilities of the firm, this study suggests a conceptual model that presents relationships among supply chain visibility, modular design, supply chain flexibility, and agility. We do not focus on the module buyer but on the small and middle-sized enterprises (SMEs). An empirical study is performed to verify the relationships proposed, using datasets collected from 232 manufacturing SMEs as module suppliers in South Korea. We used SPSS to analyze data and structural equation modeling to verify the hypotheses of the research model. The important contributions of this study are as follows. Firstly, we suggest relationships among supply chain visibilities and a modular design for supply chain flexibility and agility in sustainable performance. Secondly, we show that supply chain visibility directly leads firms to implement modular design in sustainable development. Thirdly, we verify the importance of supply chain visibility, not for module buyers, but for module suppliers by switching views in terms of SMEs' sustainability. Lastly, this study shows that the suppliers' modular design affects supply chain flexibility and agility, which is consistent with the findings presented in the literature.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the negative impact of an incumbent supplier pushing out a buyer, the positive effect of an alternative supplier pulling a buyer, and the mooring impact that prevents a buyer from switching to a supplier in terms of the push-pull-mooring (PPM) model of migration theory. In this context, this study considers a buyer as the immigrant, an incumbent supplier as the origin, an alternative supplier as the destination, and inertia as the hesitance to migrate. Design/methodology/approach This study collected survey data from 148 end-product manufacturers and first-tier suppliers. It tested whether the PPM model fit in a supply chain relationship (SCR) using the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach and SmartPLS package version 2.0.M3. Findings The results support all hypotheses for causal relationships among factors of cognitive, affect, and behavioural intentions of each PPM effect. This study identifies the relative importance of each effect on a buyer’s intention of switching an existing supplier. Originality/value This study presents a new perspective that enhances the understanding of a buyer’s behaviour towards a supplier by applying the PPM model of migration to a manufacturing SCR. It promotes interdisciplinary and integrated views as well as broadens the diversity of the results in the business-to-business context.

Smart work has been credited with providing flexible supply capabilities to meet customer demands in service businesses operations. Effective operations of smart work need huge investment of technologies implementations. The authors use Delphi techniques and survey method to identify implementation factors of importance of home-based work which is a representative type of smart work. Seven technologies were identified to be important (Knowledge Management, Real-time monitoring, Remote IT assist, Online testing, Online training, Workforce management, Agent performance management technologies). Different from general expectations, control-based technologies were found not to have positive effects, but support-based technologies to have positive effects to the performance. Smart work technologies in service business affect employees' job satisfaction, and further retention of remote agents. Careful planning of how to implement technologies for smart work is needed in service business in order to identify the best working environment design.

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