Dalarna University's logo and link to the university's website

Purpose - There is a knowledge gap in the literature on how firms initiate the manufacturing relocation process and how decision-makers can adopt a more proactive approach to relocation. This paper aims to address these gaps by presenting a conceptual model for the initiation of the manufacturing relocation process.

Design/methodology/approach - The conceptual model is developed by integrating literature on relocation decision-making with related topics such as operations strategies, internationalisation and sourcing decision-making.

Findings - The proposed conceptual model consists of five stages, including firms’ strategies, awareness, incubation, triggers/tipping points and initial evaluation. To show how the model could be applied in practice, we provide insight into four different pathways for initiation. Furthermore, the paper suggests an approach for practitioners on how to work proactively with the initiation, where scenario building is strongly recommended as part of this process.

Research limitations/implications - As this is a conceptual paper, its main limitation is the absence of original empirical evidence. Instead, the arguments and ideas presented are grounded in prior empirical studies identified in the literature. Another limitation concerns the availability of relevant literature, which is addressed by drawing on insights from adjacent fields. These limitations highlight the need for future research to further develop and validate the proposed conceptual model from both empirical and theoretical perspectives.

Originality/value - The proposed conceptual model makes a valuable contribution to both research and practice by establishing a foundation for understanding and advancing the topic. As the first extensive model on the initiation phase, it provides novel insights and a basis for further development. In addition, the paper outlines promising avenues for future research, particularly emphasising the need for empirical validation and continued refinement of the four pathways.

This study explores moral disengagement in supply chain sustainability research. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of how moral disengagement is used in supply chain research and outline potential applications. A literature review was conducted, analysing and synthesising existing research on moral disengagement in the context of supply chain management. The study identifies three key areas of application: enhancing moral awareness, informing policymaking, and influencing supply chain design. These areas highlight how moral disengagement theory can help minimise negative impacts and promote responsible operations. The study addresses a gap in sustainable supply chain literature by integrating moral disengagement theory and offering a new perspective on designing sustainable and ethically responsible supply chains. Although limited by the scope of available literature, the study suggests three areas for future research. It underscores the potential of moral disengagement theory to support environmental sustainability, worker well-being, and more equitable wealth distribution.

Purpose The local food sector is embracing digital platforms as one of the supply chain (SC) configurations to hone SC efficiency. However, factors determining the successful development of digital platform-based local food supply chains (LFSCs) remain underexplored. This study aims to propose a framework of critical success factors (CSFs) for digital platform-based LFSCs.Design/methodology/approach The authors have adopted a multiple-case study approach where cases are both successful (active) and failure (inactive) initiatives and represent diverse business models.Findings Drawing on a digital platform lens, the authors have explored 12 CSFs, grouped under 4 overarching factors (value-oriented, organizational, user-related and contextual). The former two are micro-level factors, whereas the latter two are meso- and macro-level factors, respectively. This research infers that these factors are interdependent.Practical implications By identifying micro-level factors as fundamental enablers, this research informs platform managers that they should give utmost attention in designing and securing these factors. Furthermore, recognition of meso-level CSFs as a functional enabler informs managers that they should strategically cultivate the network size and exert effort to encourage users' behavioral change. Alongside, by establishing macro-level CSFs as a structural enabler, this study informs policymakers on the necesity of creating a supportive regulatory framework and enhancing budget provisions for financial grants directed towards digital local food platforms.Social implications By leveraging the identified CSFs, practitioners can increasingly develop effective and viable digital platforms for local food, thereby broadening market reach for small- and medium-sized producers. Increased market access for these producers can, in turn promote rural development and SC equity. Simultaneously, the rise in viable platforms for local foods can enhance consumers' (specifically urban consumers') access to fresh local produce, thereby improving food security and their dietary quality. Moreover, the arrangement of hybrid communication by platform orchestrators can lessen information asymmetries and strengthen relationships between producers and consumers, hence fostering social capital within the SC. All these corroborate the societal contribution of this study.Originality/value This study extends SC literature by demonstrating that the digital platform-based LFSCs cannot be successfully developed by simply replicating CSFs pertinent to the traditional LFSCs; instead, platform-specific CSFs are required. Furthermore, this research shows that CSFs span multiple levels and are interdependent. This study also contributes to platform literature by adding a relational aspect to platform theory.

Purpose

Global supply chain interdependencies increase firm’s disruption exposure, intensifying scholarly and managerial interest in resilience. Despite previously identified resilience activities, limited understanding exists of how capabilities are developed, aligned and enacted across organizational and inter-organizational contexts. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how firms build supply chain resilience through coordinated capability configurations.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review using Scopus and Web of Science, synthesizing 52 peer-reviewed articles. Extracted data was descriptively and thematically analyzed, identifying resilience-related activities and capabilities and examining their distribution across organizational functions, supply chain levels and theoretical perspectives.FindingsSupply chain resilience arises from operational, relational and transformational capabilities across internal, supply chain and ecosystem levels. This study introduces a three-dimensional framework linking who enacts resilience, where it is targeted, and it’s strategic justification, while proposing a typology of resilience orientations spanning single dimensional, to fully integrated resilience approaches.

Research limitations/implications

This study advances a configurational and capability-based understanding of supply chain resilience by integrating the resource-based view, relational view and dynamic capabilities view. The proposed framework and typology provide a foundation for cumulative theory development and future empirical research on resilience capability alignment.

Practical implications

The findings of this study offer a structured approach for diagnosing and developing resilience strategies. Through a multidimensional perspective, firms can better align capabilities across functions and supply chain levels and balance efficiency and redundancy in dynamic environments.

Originality/value

This study moves beyond descriptive reviews of resilience activities by developing an integrative framework and typology explaining how resilience capabilities are systematically configured and enacted in global supply chains.

Manufacturing reshoring is often promoted as a strategic response to rising global uncertainty. However, empirical evidence on how reshoring affects firm performance over time, and whether realised outcomes differ from initial expectations, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by exploring reshoring performance outcomes through an Eclectic Paradigm (EP)-based four-dimension outcome analysis framework, covering performance impact, expectation alignment and reshoring phases. Based on 16 semi-structured interviews with Swedish manufacturing firms, the findings show that efficiency-related outcomes are most frequently observed, alongside capability-, market- and resource-related outcomes. Reshoring improves profitability, operational flexibility, controllability, product quality and environmental sustainability, but also creates challenges, including implementation delays, inventory build-ups and supplier disruptions. This study introduces a visual outcome model and provides practical guidance for managers evaluating relocation decisions and performance outcomes. It also advances future research on post-implementation reshoring evolution, and how reshoring outcomes emerge and changes over time.

Food Hubs (FHs) have been presented as a possible intermediary increasing competitive advantage of SFSCs. However, research on the capabilities of FHs related to sustainability indicators is limited. This study aims to investigate the capabilities of FHs and its relation to sustainability by conducting explorative case studies in Sweden. Six FHs have been investigated through semi-structured interviews, observations, documentation and archival records. Their capabilities have been presented in this study categorized in operations management, producer support and community engagement. Findings show that the FHs operational capabilities are close to conventional intermediaries, while their relational capabilities are unique resources contribution to competitive advantage. With a focus on economic and environmental sustainability in their capabilities, FH’s capabilities related to social sustainability such as community engagement is less present. Given the role of community engagement in achieving economies of scale, FHs should strengthen these relational capabilities to enhance their competitive advantage within SFSCs. The paper concludes by outlining directions for future research.

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) offer sustainable alternatives to conventional food systems (CFSCs) but require effective in-termediaries to scale and remain competitive. Food Hubs (FHs) serve this role by enhancing SFSC efficiency and market reachwhile upholding community-oriented values. However, limited research has examined how FHs design and innovate their busi-ness models (BMs) that enable scaling without compromising their mission- driven goals. This study addresses this gap throughan exploratory multiple-case analysis of six Swedish FHs using a BM framework. It provides the first comprehensive empiricalinvestigation of FH BM components, i.e., value intention, proposition, creation and delivery, and capture, and FHs' businessmodel innovation (BMI) strategies. The findings reveal both shared and context-specific BM elements and propose a conceptualframework outlining the core value-related components and BMI strategies of FHs. The study contributes to sustainable SFSCresearch by offering theoretical and practical insights for designing and scaling resilient, mission-oriented intermediaries inlocal food systems.

This study explores the innovation practices driving rapid new product development (NPD) in Chinese firms, focusing on two global companies in the construction equipment industry. Key practices identified include strategic investments in R&D, talent and patent management, mergers and acquisitions, and prioritization of “good enough” product design with high customer service. The firms also emphasize shortened NPD phases, division of tasks, high engineer density, and parallel work using information platforms. Strong project management, quick decision-making by senior leaders, and a hardworking, flexible workforce further enhance speed. Viewed through an operations strategy lens, the study explains what Chinese firms prioritize, their management decisions, and the operational capabilities they develop. This case study provides empirical data that offers insights into the innovation agility of emerging economies and contributes to a broader understanding of strategic NPD for rapid innovation.

Purpose

This study aims to explore the factors influencing companies’ decisions to bring manufacturing operations back to their home countries and to examine how these factors exert their influence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach, conducting 16 in-depth interviews with managers involved in reshoring projects. The Eclectic Paradigm is used as theoretical framework.

Findings

A total of 69 influencing factors were identified, comprising 3% resource-seeking, 10% market-seeking, 41% efficiency-seeking and 17% strategic asset-seeking factors. Additionally, 29% of the factors were classified as hybrid-seeking. These factors were further categorised as drivers, barriers or enablers, providing a comprehensive understanding of their complex roles. Ten distinctive factors, such as customisation strategy and Information Technology (IT), emerged that were not previously reported in the literature, while seven factors cited in existing studies, including energy costs and knowledge transfer, were absent.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers a nuanced perspective on the multifaceted nature of reshoring decisions. The comprehensive framework developed in this paper provides valuable insights for manufacturers and policymakers. It contributes to the literature by identifying previously unreported factors and challenging established understandings. Future research could apply alternative or multi-theoretical approaches, and examine the relative significance of each factor, how this evolves over time and how it differs between reshoring and offshoring, thus developing a more comprehensive understanding of relocation decisions.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to apply the Eclectic Paradigm to the analysis of reshoring, bridging gaps between influencing factors and underlying decision processes.

Since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the world experienced very low interest rates for more than a decade. This favored less efficient inventory management practices. The coronavirus era, along with the rise of military conflicts in recent years, has further affected prices, availability, deliveries, and sources of supplies. In this study, we analyze Swedish publicly traded manufacturing companies during this period. Inventory efficiencies decline gradually in the era of low interest rates and accelerate to do so since the dawn of the coronavirus crisis. Some improvements were detected in the last observation year. However, in terms of the absolute monetary amount and share of assets, inventories have substantially increased since 2021. Cash (liquid assets) held in assets has not changed much during the observation period, showing only a spike at the start of the coronavirus era. Companies seem to favor lower inventory efficiency systems without a higher emphasis on cash.