Title: The role of European Logistics Association 2020 Standards in facing modern industry expectations and logistics managers' competencies

Authors: Paolo Gaetano Bisogni; Halina Maria Brdulak; Franca Cantoni; Tarvo Niine; Helmut Zsifkovits

Addresses: European Logistics Association, Handelsstraat 77, B-1040 Brussel, Belgium ' Katedra Zarządzania Międzynarodowego, Kolegium Gospodarki Światowej, Instytut Międzynarodowego Zarządzania i Marketingu, Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie, al. Niepodległości 162, 02-554 Warszawa, Poland ' Faculty of Economics and Law, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29100 Piacenza, Italy ' School of Business and Governance, Department of Business Administration, Sustainable Value Chain Management Unit, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia ' Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Montanuniversität Leoben, A-8700 Leoben, Franz Josef-Strasse 18, Kapfenberg, Austria

Abstract: Logistics industry and its operating environment is rapidly changing and evolving. The European Logistics Association, ELA, is actively keeping standards of logistics competence up to date to meet these challenges. This paper reflects on two sessions of experimental workshops working with logistics industry leaders to formulate modern era required competencies in emerging areas of logistics. The purpose of this research is twofold: to identify and understand industry expectations of skillsets in employing logistics specialists and managers in terms of digitalisation, resilience and sustainability and to observe the commonalities in perceived competence requirements as stated by involved stakeholders in order to evaluate the maturity of the focal concepts on a practical field. This study contrasts three methods of workshop practice on formulating the expectations and allows additional observations on the homogeneity/heterogeneity of the three focal as expressed by industry leaders. The results emerged have practical implications on specialists working in the field, companies, HR departments, universities and ELA itself.

Keywords: logistics competence model; supply chain skills; digitalisation; resilience; sustainability; competence expectations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2021.116401

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2021 Vol.12 No.2, pp.171 - 198

Received: 11 Apr 2020
Accepted: 12 Jul 2020
Published online: 22 Jul 2021 *

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