| A fundamental question in strategic management is "why do some firms outperform others?" One relatively understudied explanation is a firm's strategic choices and actions regarding the way in which it manages it supply chain. In this dissertation I examine the role of supply chain management and strategic management from three related perspectives. The first paper "A Hypercompetition Theory Perspective on Strategic Supply Chain Management" introduces a new configuration of supply chain management principles, crucial abilities, and intended outcomes aligned with the unique conditions faced by firms that operate in hypercompetitive markets. This configuration challenges recommendations in the supply chain literature that argue for a collaborative and integrative approach to supply chain management as a universally beneficial best practice. The second paper, "Strategic Supply Chain Management in Settings Characterized by Shared Goals and High Interdependence", examines a neglected context for strategic supply chain management. This paper presents a configuration of supply chain management principles, crucial abilities, and intended outcomes designed to align with conditions encountered by organizations such as human services organizations (HSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and social service enterprises. Together, these conceptual papers provide a compelling argument supporting a contingency approach to supply chain management and offer specific recommendations for aligning supply chain management with marketplace conditions. The third paper, "Does Recognition for Supply Chain Management Competence Affect Market Valuation?" extends research linking supply chain management and firm performance to provide additional empirical support for viewing supply chain management capabilities as a potential source of competitive advantage. This paper finds corroborating evidence that a firm's inclusion on an expert ranking of firms demonstrating excellent supply chain management practices increases market valuation. This may be an asymmetric potential benefit arising to firms operating under competitive conditions that support adopting the recommended collaborative and integrative approach to supply chain management. Combined, the three papers highlight the potential for viewing the way in which a firm manages its supply chain as an important strategic capability. |
