International Journal Production Research (IJPR)

Call for papers

Special issue on

‘Supply Chain Resilience: Role of Complexities and Strategies’

Both manufacturing and services have started sourcing from different countries in order to

gain competitive advantage through an effective supply chain management. The motivations

for sourcing are to achieve technological innovation, shorten product life cycle, reduce end

product prices and total cost of ownership, reduce number of suppliers and establish strategic

relationship. The major benefits for sourcing in different countries are reduction in material,

labor, component service and capital investment cost. To certain extent the supply chains can

improve their reliability and order lead time. However, supply chains are subjected to

numerous challenges such as dependency of few suppliers, unable to react to uncertainties,

type of relationship they have to maintain, type of channel they prefer and various other

constraints. In addition to the above challenges supply chains are also susceptible to other

artificial and natural calamities. In the broader sense these challenges adds complexity to

their products and processes. In order to overcome the complexities and to avoid vulnerability

different type of strategies are to be adapted by supply chain managers. Few researchers have

started emphasizing the importance of supply chain risk or vulnerability. Furthermore studies

have been started worldwide to identify the potential ways to increase the resilience of supply

chain. The objective of this special issue is to contribute new insights to the extant body of

knowledge in resilient supply chain.

All potential papers should address the core objective of IJPR. We seek cutting edge

developments, concepts, practices and research opportunities in supply chain resilience in

both manufacturing and service sectors. Studies that build theory or test theory with rigor,

extend existing theory in different contexts or different cultural environments are invited.

Studies that examine emerging practices and new concepts in developed and developing

economies are also invited. Methodologies adapted in these studies could extend from

mathematical models to simulation, case studies, or empirical survey based research.

Researchers can submit recent research findings and perspectives that engage concepts,

models, methods, tools and techniques related to the managerial dimensions of supply chain

resilience. Suggested topics are as follows, but not limited to:

Supply chain complexity

Supply chain risks

Supply chain vulnerability

Supplier relationship

Sustainability versus supply chain resilience

Risk mitigation strategies

Organizational proactive management strategies

Low cost country sourcing

2

Product flow strategies

Measurement and management of risk

Power and relationship issue in resilient supply chain

Resilient supply chain organizational structures

Cultural aspects of resilient supply chain

Performance measurement systems in resilient supply chain

Developing and managing innovation in resilient supply chain

Quality issues in resilient supply chain

Manuscripts should be submitted not later than 31 July 2013 and should confirm to IJPR

format (see IJPR website @ http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=0020-

7543&linktype=44 for author guidelines). All papers will be refereed through a double blind

process. Please submit an electronic copy of your manuscript as MS Word file to one of the

Guest Editors by email:

Guest Editors: Profesosor Angappa Gunasekaran

Department of Decision and Information Sciences

Charlton College of Business

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300

USA

Tel: +1 (508) 999-9187

Email: agunasekaran@umassd.edu

Professor Nachiappan Subramanian

Nottingham University Business School China

University of Nottingham, Ningbo

199 Taikang East Road

Ningbo, 315 100

China

Tel: +86 574 8818 0197

Nachiappan.Subramanian@nottingham.edu.cn

Professor Shams Rahman

Professor of Supply Chain Management

School of Business IT and Logistics

RMIT University

Melbourne, Victoria 3001

Australia

Tel: +61 + 3 + 9925-5530

Email: shams.rahman@rmit.edu.au