This paper presents the results of a large-scale survey on the potential benefits of and impediments for horizontal collaboration in Flanders. When appropriate, a distinction is made between different types of Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) and between respondents that are currently cooperating on either core or non-core activities, and respondents that are not. The main findings are that in general LSPs strongly believe in the potential benefits of horizontal cooperation to increase their profitability or to improve the quality of their services. The impediments for cooperation that are perceived or expected by the non-cooperating LSPs prove to be experienced by the cooperating LSPs. The estimation of potential cost savings, the measurement and allocation of savings are considered to be the most severe impediments for cooperation. Removing these impediments offers interesting directions for further research.

This paper provides a systematic review of consumer behaviour and order fulfilment in online retailing. The objective of this review is threefold: first, to identify elements of order-fulfilment operations that are relevant to online consumer behaviour (purchase, repurchase, product return); second, to understand the relationship between order-fulfilment performance and consumer behaviour; and third, to inspire future research on developing consumer service strategies that takes account of these behavioural responses to order-fulfilment performance outcomes. The paper is based on a systematic review of literature on online consumer behaviour and order-fulfilment operations, mainly in the fields of marketing and operations, published in international peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and September 2015. This study indicates that the current literature on online consumer behaviour focuses mainly on the use of marketing tools to improve consumer service levels. Very little research has been conducted on the use of consumer service instruments to steer consumer behaviour or, consequently, to manage related order-fulfilment activities better. The study culminates in a framework that encompasses elements of order-fulfilment operations and their relationship to online consumer behaviour. This paper is the first comprehensive review of online consumer behaviour that takes aspects of order-fulfilment operations into account from both marketing and operations perspectives.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

No abstract

No abstract

Nowadays, online retailers are offering a variety of delivery options consisting of varying combinations of delivery attributes. This study investigates how consumers value these delivery attributes (e.g., delivery speed, time slot, daytime/evening delivery, delivery date, and delivery fee) when selecting a delivery option for their online purchases. Mental accounting theory is used to frame the research and to suggest how mental accounts for money, time, and convenience influence consumer preferences for online delivery options. Specifically, the results of a conjoint analysis show that the most important attribute in shaping consumer preferences is the delivery fee, followed by nonprice delivery attributes. For individual attributes, significant differences are found in consumer preferences between gender and income groups. Cluster analysis reveals three consumer segments that show distinct preference structures: We identify a “price‐oriented,” a “time‐ and convenience‐oriented,” and a “value‐for‐money‐oriented” consumer segment. This study has practical implications for online retailers when implementing suitable delivery strategies and designing effective delivery options to maximize consumer satisfaction.

Purpose-The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review to understand the state of the art of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in managing humanitarian logistics. Design/methodology/approach-A systematic literature review is conducted based on the steps proposed by Denyer and Tranfield (2009). The context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) logic is applied to identify the state of the art of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in humanitarian logistics. Thirty-six papers related to the topic are extracted from recognized journal databases and then classified into four categories based on the CIMO logic: situational context, intervention factors, mechanisms and outcomes. Findings-The study shows that while the context and mechanisms for developing cross-sector partnerships between the humanitarian and the business sector have been examined and illuminated by many researchers, additional research (in particular, empirical studies) is needed to measure outcomes as well as the contributions of partnerships to the performance of humanitarian logistics. In addition to synthesizing the literature in this area, this study also presents challenges of such partnerships. Practical implications-The study improves the understanding of the state of cross-sector partnerships in humanitarian logistics as well as identifies opportunities for future research in this area. The study provides reasons and motives of initiating humanitarian-business partnerships in humanitarian logistics as well as their mechanisms and potential outcomes. This may help in developing successful logistics partnerships with each other. Originality/value-This is the first systematic literature review to examine the nature of partnerships between humanitarian organizations and business corporations in humanitarian logistics using CIMO logic.

This paper first explores the motives and drivers that Logistic Service Providers (LSPs) may feel to start up horizontal cooperation. Secondly, a classification supporting LSPs in their search for a suitable collaboration structure is developed based on distinguishing cooperation characteristics encountered in practice. The third contribution consists of a description of the typical life cycle of a partnership and how it can be managed over time. Partnerships are presented as a means for LSPs to cope with increasingly difficult market conditions. In addition, they offer positive side effects for society and the environment.

No abstract