Despite the growing importance of logistics in corporate strategy and the global economy, the logistics literature reveals little effort to build a unified theory of logistics (i.e. a theory of the role of logistics in the firm). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to move toward a unified theory of logistics within the contexts of the strategic role and capabilities of logistics. Considering the importance of logistics in today's corporate strategy, various theories of the firm are adapted to explain the reasons for logistics activities within the firm. The proposed theory should serve as a conceptual reference point for future theory development and empirical research in logistics.

Many recent studies suggest that undergraduate education needs to be more effective. Accordingly, individuals involved in higher education continue to search for ways to improve student learning. This article describes a team-based experiential learning project that integrates three marketing courses: principles of marketing, principles of selling, and sales management. Working in teams, students in the principles of marketing course develop new product concepts and create corresponding marketing promotional materials for use in a mock trade show. Students from the personal selling and sales management courses, also working in teams, attend the trade show to identify and select products they wish to use to complete a sales call exercise. This project provides students an opportunity to work in teams and combine their efforts with teams from other courses to successfully complete their respective experiential exercises. The article includes students' reactions to the project and steps for implementation. Inanefforttoascertainthemosteffectivemethodsforlearn-ing, universities across the country are experimenting with a variety of innovative techniques. While scholars may differ in their opinions of which methods are most effective, most agree that the traditional lecture format is not the most effective method for today's classroom. In an article that focuses on the shift from teaching to learning, Guskin (1994) suggests that "the primary learning environment for undergraduate students, the fairly passive lecture-discussion format where faculty talk and most students listen, is contrary to almost every principle of optimal settings for student learning" (p. 20). While it is noted that lectures have a place in the learning environment, it is clear that lectures alone are not the most effective pedagogy for universities. The importance of using cooperative experiential learning projects has received a significant amount of attention in the marketing education literature (Dommeyer 1986;Graeff 1997;Titus and Petroshius 1993;Williams, Beard, and Rymer 1991). There are many opportunities in the marketing curriculum to develop term projects that can provide practical experience for students. These projects range from designing promotional campaigns for existing companies to designing and implementing marketing research studies.The purpose of this article is to describe an experiential learning project that has been used successfully to integrate the efforts of three marketing undergraduate courses and to present student reactions to its implementation. Students in principles of marketing classes develop a new business-tobusiness product (good or service) and develop a marketing strategy to fit the product. Their communication plans include the design of a trade show booth that is exhibited in a mock trade show. Students from sales management courses and personal selling courses choose products from the trade show to use in their semester selling projects.

PurposeThis paper aims to report on an exploratory study investigating supply chain security orientation (SCSO), a firm‐level construct addressing companies' multiple approaches toward mitigation of supply chain security breaches and supply chain risk management.Design/methodology/approachStructured interviews were conducted with managers who were responsible for firms' supply chain security efforts. The resulting data were content analyzed and critical themes presented depicting SCSO.FindingsKey antecedents, outcomes, and moderating conditions were identified based on the qualitative data. Four primary dimensions of the SCSO concept are revealed.Originality/valueThe major contribution of the paper is the delineation of the components of SCSO, which appear to be pervasive across firms. Additionally, several drivers of SCSO are identified, and SCSO is linked to positive financial and customer outcomes, as well as supply chain continuity.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract Self-scanning technology is being tested by major supermarket chains as well as other types of retailers across the world, but the success of the new technology from the consumer's perspective is not yet clear. This study investigates consumer reasons for both using and avoiding self-scanning checkouts with a view to addressing these practitioner issues. In addition, the study advances theory on consumer motivation and behavior related to technology-based self-service in general. Factors driving preference or avoidance of self-scanning checkouts include attributes of selfscanners, consumer differences, and situational influences. Reasons for preference of other types of technology-based self-service over traditional service alternatives are also explored to determine motivational and behavioral patterns across service contexts. A combination of research methods is used to investigate these issues and offers richer findings than any one method used alone. Implications are discussed for managerial strategy as well as for future research.Recent advances in technology have created a surge in``technology-based selfservice'' delivery options ranging from in-room hotel checkout and automated airline ticketing by telephone to Internet shopping (Dabholkar, 1994a). In banking, for example, although automated teller machines (ATMs) were not well received when first introduced more than 20 years ago, technology-based self-service options now include telephone banking, Internet banking, smartcard banking, and home banking via television, in addition to the ATM (Prendergast and Marr, 1994). Such developments are changing the way service firms and consumers interact, and are raising many new research issues for investigation (Dabholkar, 2000).

Note:The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.Every day, logistics managers sift through mountains of information, looking to answer questions concerning their operations. For example, where should the most frequently ordered parts be located in the warehouse? How should inventory be deployed to optimize sales during a period of forecasted high demand? Or which motor carrier should be selected to provide transportation service to a new and potentially valuable customer? Information that could help managers to find solutions to these questions is often collected and available, but the sheer volume of data can be overwhelming. The ability to link information to immediate action is critical. Without reliable information support for logistics, firms could miss the chance to respond to market opportunities, become vulnerable to competitive threats, or struggle to simply provide good service.The need for data management to support logistics processes has created demand for specialized information systems, custom-designed for logistics management needs (Copacino 1998;Gold et al. 1998;Knill 1998). Many firms are beginning to better understand the need for logistics information support, and as a result, have begun to invest in technologies that enhance decision-making JOURNAL