Title: Human resource aspects in global indirect virtual supply chain syndrome

Authors: Arnab Banerjee

Addresses: Operations and Supply Chain Management, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500085, India

Abstract: The research attempts to establish the global indirect virtual supply chain (IVSC) teams and identify human resource (HR) bundles and attributes playing a role in its success and failure. Prominent teams identified in IVSC are: 1) information technology and consulting services; 2) enterprise software development; 3) business operations representative and literature review. Three strategic HR bundles and 18 HR attributes together are identified that have influence and impact on IVSC. Questionnaire is designed to study these attributes across the geography and their specific role through an exploratory survey. The survey responses are analysed using preferential rank translation technique to identify top factors of success/failure in IVSC. The results indicate that the 'thought process' for supply chain goals though appears to be similar across job-role and geography but there exist some traditional dissimilarity. This research outlet reveals one unique finding to specifically identify patterns of human thinking in IVSC. The geo-clusters of US-Europe, China-Asia Pacific and India bring about a new perspective and dimension to the HR aspects and can help identify focus areas for company as per job-role/geography. The research also attempt to reveal key HR attributes influencing an IT enabled IVSC.

Keywords: virtual supply chains; human resources; information technology; human thinking; supply chain management; SCM; consulting services; enterprise software development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2016.078009

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2016 Vol.24 No.1, pp.62 - 85

Received: 06 Sep 2014
Accepted: 17 Dec 2014
Published online: 31 Jul 2016 *

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