Damith Wickramanayake, Sharlene Brown, Zhenqing Zheng

The Shipping industry plays a huge role in the development of Jamaica’s economy. The recent opening of a new lane to the Panama Canal positioned Jamaica with increasing maritime activities to grow economically. Jamaica’s maritime sector has suffered from severe problems from the duplication of efforts by various maritime bodies to the inefficient allocation of limited government resources. The authors examined the current maritime policies governed by Acts and regulations of maritime Bodies and regulatory Bodies in Jamaica and provide an analysis with regulatory issues and their effects. A mixed research method was utilized to conduct this research which includes both qualitative and quantitative research. Primary data was collected through surveys from heads of maritime bodies, concerned policy makers and private sector organizations in the shipping industry. Secondary documents including current acts, regulations, guidelines as well as other literatures were used. The findings show that fragmentation of maritime policies, overlap of functions and responsibilities of Bodies mattered, and duplication of efforts were some of the issues brought about by fragmentation. The authors concluded with a policy integration approach and a National Policy Framework recommendation to coherently integrate the fragmented maritime policies.

Asare Benjamin, Bruce Emmanuel, Azamela John Coffie

The study was to assess the impact of supply chain management on competitive advantage in Agro-business business in Ghana. Both primary and secondary data were used. Structured questionnaires were used in collecting data for the study. One hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires were distributed however, 148 were received in good form giving a response rate of 98.6%. The field data were analyzed with the aid of SPSS. The study discovered that there is a weak positive and insignificant (r= 0.002, p-value > 0.05) association between sustainable supply chain management and performance of the agro-businesses. The study however found a positive and significant (r= 0.237, p-value < 0.05) association between sustainable supply chain management and competitive advantage of the agro-businesses. Moreover, the study found that there is a strong positive and significant (r= 0.513, p-value < 0.05) association between competitive advantage and performance of the agro-businesses. In conclusion, the study had established that supply chain management practices such as strategic supplier partnerships (SSP), Customer Relationship (CR), Information sharing (IS) and internal lean practices are significant determinants of agro-businesses performance and competitive advantages. It is recommended that agro-businesses should embrace full the supply chain management concepts and enjoy concomitant effects associated this. Resources constraints limited the study scope to only agro-businesses in the Kumasi Metropolis. It is recommended that future researchers should consider other sectors.

Najat Toufah

The global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the most exceptional crises that has engulfed the wide world. In fact, this health crisis has quickly evolved into a social and economic crisis, which has been affecting different sectors across countries. Its impact actually differs from economic sector to another. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between the integration of supply chain management (SCM) and the level of impact of this current pandemic crisis on Moroccan industrial firms. The benefits of SCM for maintaining the Moroccan firms’ profitability should be pointed out. More especially, it could be possible that firms’ awareness of the advantages of supply chain management in minimizing the incertitude around business environment, promotes collaboration and the development of new business partnership, and eventually enables the firm to meet its main objective of reducing, as much as possible, the risks posed by this pandemic crisis. These effects are studied through an empirical study; a survey questionnaire was conducted within Moroccan firms to check the impact of supply chain management integration on Moroccan firms’ resistance in this specific context of the global crisis. The present paper aims to be a preliminary study to initiate an investigation regarding the evaluation of the impact of supply chain integration on the industrial firms’ performance especially in the current context of the pandemic crisis. A pilot study was conducted. The survey questionnaire used as a primary data collection method was completed by industrial Moroccan firms. Our aim is to analyze the correlation between several supply chain integration specificities as the origin of raw material, partners’ up stream and down stream, and their effect of the firms’ resistance and robustness to resist change through the analysis of the impact level of the Covid-19 crisis on firms. The result shows the interest in the establishment of special collaboration between firms and their partners’ upstream and downstream chain and its resistance to the current crisis. Moreover, this study revealed how aware are the industrial Moroccan firms to the necessity to implement exceptional process to adapt the firms’ flows to the new context of exchange. This study outlines the finding of the survey questionnaire analysis, which meant to analyze some specific relationships related to the firms’ global environment organization and to the supply chain adaptation to this changing crisis context. Another limit of is study is the fact that the analysis is restricted to industrial firms only instead of including all Moroccan firms which are also affected by this pandemic crisis. Yet, it is to highlight the need to fix a consistent sector for focused research analysis. The present study provides a strong basis for analysis of the relevance of the supply chain integration for enhancing firms’ resistance and competitiveness within and after the crisis.

Jones Bor

This study sought to find out the effect of reverse logistics on performance of food industries in Kenya. The study used an explanatory research design whereas the target population for study was the key staff in supply chain, production and safety and environment or equivalent managers in the 187 food processing firms in Kenya. A census survey of all the 187 food processing firms was carried out, the data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire and to accomplish the study objectives, a research hypothesis was developed and tested. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical technique, further other statistical tests were done in the study. Presentation of data in form of charts and tables was deemed appropriate for this study. The study established that reverse logistics had a significant and positive effect on performance of food industries in Kenya. This study therefore concluded that reverse logistics when properly implemented leads to better performance in the food industries in Kenya. It recommended that a proper framework of reverse logistics should be put in place so as to steer firm performance.

Meaza Getnet, Minda Yirga, Tagay Firde

This is a study with an objective of assessing the Factors of Sesame Supply chain Management practice in Ethiopia. As sesame is an oil seed that is generating the lion share of foreign currency for Ethiopia, the study will have bigger significance in evaluating and identifying the significant factors of the sesame flow from origin/farm to exporting firms in the country. The study has targeted the whole chain participants which are large scale registered farmers, traders who collect sesame from the farmers, Ethiopian Commodity Exchange an authority controlling the overall flow of export items in the country and finally the exporters. Using primary data mainly questionnaires collected from 336 respondents, the research objectives have been achieved and found that the logistics system, chain members integration and operational capacity of each chain element participants are significant factors facilitating the flow of sesame from the farm to its export point.

Berhanu Tereda Mengesha

Fishery sector plays a significant role in the economic development of a country in terms of employment, income and provision of principal protein to the diet. The major objective of the study was to identify the determinant factors which affect the performance of fish value chain in case of Gamo Gofa zone Lake Abaya and Chamo. Explanatory research was designed to investigate what variables contribute to the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of fish value chain and how much these variables are determining it. For the purpose of the study the researcher used only primary data collected through questionnaire from 170 fish value chain actors (fisheries, processers, fish retailers, small dining room operators and well-known hotels and restaurants in handling fish). Thus, 170 respondents were selected using probability sampling techniques. Participants from fisheries were selected using proportional stratified simple random sampling from the members of 12 fisheries associations located at both lakes: Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo. The inferential statistical output shows that, source of finance, availability of facilities and market structure have a significant effect on the fish value chain performance which was tested at 5% level of significance. The performance of fish value chain is highly affected by those specific factors. It can be recommended that facilities at domestic fish markets and knowledge of fisher’s on finance and business management is poor or minimal in order to fill such gap governmental bodies (lower to higher officials) better to work together with other stakeholders in designing strategies and arranging training and capacity building programs for developing attitudes and upgrading knowledge and skills towards the natural resource utilization, environmental protection and conservation, business development and management and arranging marketing infrastructure, like cold storage, ice and transport facilities to attract investors.

Jemimah Maina, Patrick Mwangangi

Supply Chain Management is a process that manages the flow of goods and services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption. Supply Chain Management is a complex process as it involves a lot of activities like purchasing, production, inventory management, logistics and transportation. Globalization has increased this complexity due to the numerous suppliers, customers and logistics service providers located in different geographical locations. In order to manage this complexity, simulation software’s can be used as they mimic real life situations and they will help managers in making superior decisions on areas like facility location, transportation choice and inventory model choices. This paper analyzed the literature and identified Supply Chains adopting simulation to aid in the decision making process thereby improving Supply Chain Performance. A critical analysis of the case studies was conducted and the results reveal that simulation is a powerful tool that can be used in modeling complex supply chain activities. Simulation models however fail to provide optimum solutions for decision variables inherent in predefined objectives. Therefore, integrating optimisation models would offer best likely alternatives for decision makers. Managers should therefore select the most suitable model that best symbolizes the system under study.

Edwin Kimitei, Joel Chepkwony, Charles Lagat, Ronald Bonuke

Firms may improve their performance by integrating their logistic capabilities in their daily operations. However, the valence/attributes of logistic capabilities used by the firms could potentially affect the overall relationships between logistic capabilities and firm performance. Therefore, this study determined the influence of the valence of logistic information integration capability and firm performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study adopted explanatory research design. The target population comprised of 750 manufacturing firms registered under Kenya Association of Manufacturers from where a sample size of 442 firms were selected using stratified and simple random sampling approaches. The study demonstrated that each valence of logistic information integration capability has a significant effect on performance. Therefore, whenever firms aim at optimizing logistic information integration capabilities, the firms must pay more attention to each valence. Therefore, exploring avenues of improving each valence, logistic information integration capability firms may eventually improve the overall performance of the manufacturing firms.

Tagay Firde Abebe, Lamesgin Desalegn

This is a study on the role of supply chain integration on the overall performance of private road construction firms in Ethiopia with a main intention of assessing the effect of supply chain participants’ integration in facilitating the overall performance of these firms in Ethiopia. In order to achieve this objective Private road construction firms in Ethiopia, who are the supply chain destinations and other main supply chain elements including construction input producers, distributors, transporters and agencies having stronger link with these contractors totally who are 60 in number have been targeted in this study. In order to achieve this objective, the researchers have used primary data mainly questionnaires distributed to all the chain participants in consideration. Finally the major findings have shown that information sharing, transportation, and the supply chain participants’ relation are proved as the main factors resulting in the deviation of the private road contractors’ performance in the country.

Alex Nduhura, Paul Wanume, Benedict Mugerwa, John Paul Settumba, Henry Bagembe

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to define clusters and clustered procurement and critically discuss the role of clustered procurement in evolution of municipalities to cities. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts a comprehensive consultation of literature review published sources and listening to voices of purposively sampled participants. Findings –Clustered procurement is capable of contributing outwards evolution of municipalities into cities if policy makers integrate the concept in the national legal and regulatory framework for public procurement .To achieve this, it is essential that a guideline for implementing clustered procurement is developed and training on how to implement this concept before it can be rolled out for implementation across Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and Local Government Administrations. Researchlimitations/implications – There exists limited literature materials which focused the role of procurement in evolving cities and particularly in the context of clustered procurement and its role in supporting service delivery. Some discussions that are related to joint bidding are only mentioned on the supplier’s side but not extensively reviewed in accordance with the procuring end. Practicalimplications – The study provides in-depth knowledge on the working and benefits of clustered procurement municipalities. By incorporating clustered procurement in urban service delivery options, municipalities can secure quality infrastructure required of cities. Originality/value – The paper provides fresh literature updates on clustered procurement and how it can help small and middle-sized towns transition into cities, with special focus to a multitude of traffic, communal and other issues of cities such as access roads, streets, sewerage, sidewalks, lighting, food and water supply, suburban and city transport.