IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Awaysheh, Amrou"

Browsing by Author "Awaysheh, Amrou"

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The best of times and the worst of times: empirical operations and supply chain management research
(Taylor & Francis, 2017) Melnyk, Steven A.; Flynn, Barbara B.; Awaysheh, Amrou; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
We assess the current state of empirical research in operations and supply chain management (OSM), using Dickens’ contrast between the best of times and the worst of times as a frame. The best of times refers to the future that empirical OSM research is now entering, with exciting opportunities available using big data and other new data sources, new empirical approaches and analytical techniques and innovative tools for developing theory. These are well aligned with new research questions related to the digital economy, Industry 4.0, the impact of the millennial generation as consumers, social media, 3D printing, etc. However, we also explore how it is the worst of times, focusing on the challenges and problems that plague empirical OSM research. Our goal is to show how OSM researchers can learn from the worst of times, in order to be poised to take advantage of the best of times. We introduce the research diamond as a vehicle for emphasising the importance of a balanced research perspective that treats the research problem, theory, data collection and data analysis as equally important, requiring alignment between them. By learning and addressing the issues in this period of the best of times and the worst of times, we can take advantage of the opportunities facing our field to generate research that is balanced, insightful, rigorous, relevant, impactful and interesting.
Does Renewable Energy Renew the Endeavor in Energy Efficiency?
(2022-03-29) Awaysheh, Amrou; Chen, Christopher; Wu, Owen Q.
Improvement in energy efficiency (EE) has slowed globally since 2015 and is now falling short of the 2.6% per year target recommended by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, despite an abundance of EE opportunities. Barriers to EE have existed long before the rise in renewable energy (RE) investment. However, increased RE adoption may have unintended consequences for improving EE as adoption may raise or lower the barriers to EE. In this paper, we examine whether and how RE adoption can increase or decrease EE improvement. On the one hand, RE represent a competitor to EE for managerial attention and budget. On the other, the adoption of RE may increase the overall awareness of energy usage and drive EE improvement. Using site-level data from an industrial conglomerate, we estimate the impact of changes in RE usage and in the acquisition approach on the EE of 183 manufacturing sites across the globe from 2015 to 2020. On average, we find that using RE to meet 10% more of a site’s energy demand led to an additional 2.0% improvement in EE. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the effects depending on the acquisition approach. We find that while purchasing RE credits or entering into power purchase agreements led to gains in EE, installing on-site RE generators had no effect. To understand these gains, we surveyed site managers regarding their attitudes and intentions. The results suggest that there was a greater focus on EE by both managers and workers after increasing their RE usage. We also find quantitative evidence of managers submitting more budget requests for EE improvements in the twelve months following increases in RE. For corporations looking to use more RE, we offer evidence of additional returns in the form of energy savings, but realizing them requires careful consideration of the acquisition approach of RE.
Drivers of Consumer Protection Practices: Implications for Operational Performance
(Emerald, 2024-02) Awaysheh, Amrou; Klassen, Robert D.; Shafiq, Asad; Johnson, P. Fraser; Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis
Purpose Globalization and increased outsourcing have contributed to increased supply chain complexity, exposing firms to greater vulnerability in the areas of product safety and supply chain security. Meanwhile, stakeholders pressure firms to ensure that their products are safe, and their supply chains are secure. Drawing from stakeholder theory, this paper aims to explore how the supply chain characteristics of distance and power affect the adoption of consumer protection (CP) practices, which ensure product safety and supply chain security. Design/methodology/approach Using primary survey data from a sample of Canadian manufacturing firms, this research examines the relationships among supply chain characteristics, adoption of CP practices and firm performance. Findings Analysis supported the use of two practices related to product safety (consumer education and product design) and three practices for supply chain security (packaging, tracking and authenticity). Greater cultural distance between the focal firm and its suppliers was positively associated with investments in safer design practices, while increased geographical distance between the focal firm and the customer was significantly related to increased consumer education. Moreover, as power of a focal firm relative to its suppliers increased, so too did investments in supply chain security. Finally, CP practices were related to improved operational performance along multiple dimensions. Originality/value This research focuses on the critical role of two key stakeholder groups in improving product safety and supply chain security: suppliers and customers. The authors add to the theoretical discussion of product safety and supply chain security by identifying critical differences between suppliers and customers for the focal firm. Second, the research informs the managerial community of the potential benefits of investments in CP practices.
Emerging economy sourcing: Implications of supplier social practices for firm performance
(Elsevier, 2019-12) Shafiq, Asad; Johnson, Fraser; Awaysheh, Amrou; Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis
As firms search the world for suppliers that provide the best combination of cost, quality and latest technology, they have been confronted with the challenges of managing the sustainability performance of their global supply chains. Specifically, companies have come under increased scrutiny from various stakeholder groups for the labour and human rights practices of suppliers located in emerging economies. Drawing on the sustainability, supplier relationship management, and stakeholder literature, this research examines the relationship between emerging economy sourcing, the use of purchasing teams, and the impact on enforcement of supplier social practices, and firm financial performance. Using data from a survey and archival sources from a sample of large U.S. firms, findings confirm the mediated role of the use of purchasing teams resulting in better enforcement of supplier social practices and improved firm performance. Findings also provide important implications for supply chain and purchasing executives. While the results of this research demonstrate the performance benefits of sourcing from emerging economies, findings also suggest that organizations should make investments to support capabilities related to enforcement of supplier social practices. Opportunities for future research are also identified.
Exploring the implications of supply risk on sustainability performance
(Emerald, 2017) Shafiq, Asad; Johnson, P. Fraser; Klassen, Robert D.; Awaysheh, Amrou; Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis
Purpose Firms are increasingly being pressured by the public, regulators and customers to ensure that their suppliers behave in a socially and ecologically sound manner. Yet, the complexity and risks embedded in many supply chains makes this challenging, with monitoring practices offering one means to attenuate supply sustainability risk. Drawing on agency theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sustainability and operations risk, supplier sustainability monitoring practices, supply improvement initiatives and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach This research uses data from a survey and archival sources from a sample of large US firms to empirically examine the relationship between sustainability and operations risk, supplier sustainability monitoring practices, supply improvement initiatives and firm performance. Findings Findings indicate that higher levels of perceived sustainability risk is related to greater monitoring of supplier sustainability practices by focal firms. Perceptions of higher operations risk are indirectly related to greater social monitoring through investment in supply improvement initiatives. Monitoring of supplier sustainability practices is also found to have a positive effect on focal firm performance. Practical implications Findings suggest that managers process operations risks and sustainability risks independently. Greater sustainability risk leads to increased sustainability monitoring, while greater operations risk leads to increased investment in supply improvement initiatives, which in turn leads to increased social monitoring. The research also indicates that behavior-oriented approaches, such as monitoring of supplier environmental and social practices, are an effective approach to improving firm sustainability performance. However, due to resource constraints, a challenge for supply chain managers is where and when to invest in behavior-oriented approaches for suppliers. Originality/value This research advances supply risk literature by exploring the effects of supply sustainability risk on the use of monitoring practices to manage supplier environmental and social behavior. Using a combination of survey and archival data to independently assess the implications of sustainability monitoring practices on firm sustainability performance, this study provides a methodology for evaluating the impact of sustainability monitoring practices on the triple bottom line in supply chain management.
The Impact of Indirect Corporate Social Performance Signals on Firm Value: Evidence from an Event Study
(Wiley, 2018-05) Luffarelli, Jonathan; Awaysheh, Amrou; Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis
Prior research shows that signals sent by institutionalized third parties (i.e. indirect signals) about firms' corporate social performance (CSP) can impact firm value. However, the effects that different types of indirect CSP signals have on firm value have remained largely unexplored. Furthermore, managers often do not fully understand how to communicate CSP effectively. In this article, we operationalize CSP as a multidimensional construct and draw on signalling theory to examine how different types of indirect CSP signals impact firm value. The results of an event study show that institutionalized third parties can play an important role in delivering credible CSP‐related information to the market. Results also demonstrate that the valence (positivity vs. negativity) and content (the specific social domain) of indirect CSP signals are important predictors of the magnitude of market reactions, and that shareholders' responses to the valence and content of indirect CSP signals have substantially changed over time.
The impact of supply chain structure on the use of supplier socially responsible practices
(Emerald, 2010-12) Awaysheh, Amrou; Klassen, Robert D.
Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the integration of social issues in the management of supply chains from an operations management perspective. Further, this research aims to develop a set of scales to measure multiple dimensions of supplier socially responsible practices. Finally, the paper examines the importance of three dimensions of supply chain structure, namely transparency, dependency and distance, for the adoption of these socially responsible practices. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on literature from several theoretical streams, current best‐practice in leading firms and emerging international standards, four dimensions of supplier socially responsible practices were identified. Also, a multi‐dimensional conceptualization of supply chain structure, including transparency, dependency and distance, was synthesized from earlier research. Using this conceptual development, a large‐scale survey of plant managers in three industries in Canada provided an empirical basis for validating these constructs, and then assessing the relationships between structure and practices. Findings – Multi‐item scales for each of the four dimensions of supplier socially responsible practices were validated empirically: supplier human rights; supplier labour practices; supplier codes of conduct; and supplier social audits. Increased transparency, as reflected in greater product visibility by the end‐consumer was related to increased use of supplier human rights, which in turn can help to protect a firm's brands. Organizational distance, as measured by the total length of the supply chain (number of tiers in the supply chain), was related to increased use of multiple supplier socially responsible practices. Finally, as the plant was positioned further upstream in the supply chain, managers reported increased use of supplier codes of conduct. Practical implications – As senior managers extend, redesign or restructure their supply chains, the extent to which social issues must be monitored and managed changes. The four categories of supplier socially responsible practices identified help managers characterize their firm's approach to managing social issues. Furthermore, managers must more actively manage the development of supplier socially responsible practices in their firms when the supply chain has more firms; and when brands have stronger recognition in the marketplace. Originality/value – The paper makes three contributions to the extant literature. First, the construct of social issues is defined and framed within the broader debate on sustainable development and stakeholder management. Second, social practices are delineated for supply chain management, and a set of scales is empirically validated for assessing the degree of development of supplier socially responsible practices. Finally, the link between supply chain structure and the adoption of supplier socially responsible practices is examined. This last contribution provides a basis for understanding, so that managers can extend and reshape current views about how social issues must be managed.
Integrating Sustainability Into Your Life
(Center for Translating Research Into Practice, IU Indianapolis, 2022-07-22) Awaysheh, Amrou
Professor Amrou Awaysheh discusses the concept of environmental business sustainability and explains its various elements and how sustainability can be integrated into business operations and supply chains. He also shares examples on how to leverage sustainability to create business value.
Leveraging experiential learning to incorporate social entrepreneurship in MBA programs: A case study
(Elsevier, 2017-07) Awaysheh, Amrou; Bonfiglio, Drew; Kelley School of Business - Indianapolis
Social entrepreneurship in business education is growing in importance as a way to teach ethics and instill high ethical standards in individuals. One effective way to integrate social entrepreneurship is through experiential learning; where the participant is actively involved in processing the knowledge and developing skills, while being involved in the learning situation. MBA programs are currently beginning to incorporate social entrepreneurship into their curricula to teach their students, as well as developing students’ intercultural skills. An examination of the current trends will be followed by an analysis of how business schools can effectively incorporate social entrepreneurship into the MBA curriculum. To tie these concepts together, the paper provides a case study of a program run by Emzingo, a leadership development company, and IE Business School. The reasons for the in-depth case study are three-fold. First, it provides an example of how business schools can use experiential learning to incorporate social entrepreneurship in an international context. Second, it highlights the benefits of incorporating social entrepreneurship in MBA programs. Finally, it provides a general framework for business programs that are looking to integrate various social entrepreneurship elements in their MBA programs.
Making Theoretically Informed Choices in Specifying Panel-Data Models
(Wiley, 2021) Ketokivi, Mikko; Bromiley, Philip; Awaysheh, Amrou
We argue that in analyzing panel-data econometric models, researchers rely excessively on statistical criteria to determine model specification, treating it primarily as a matter of statistical inference. This inferential emphasis is most obvious in the common practice of using statistical tests (e.g., the Hausman test) to choose between fixed- and random-effects specifications, often ignoring the assumptions underpinning these tests. For instance, the Hausman test depends on the true within-panel (longitudinal) and between-panel (cross-sectional) parameters being equal. This assumption is often not justified, because longitudinal and cross-sectional variances and covariances may manifest different underpinning mechanisms. In addition to different mechanisms often resulting in different variables determining within and between effects, within and between variables may also have different meanings. To help researchers make theoretically informed choices, we formulate five questions that can guide researchers to think of model specification in a theoretically rigorous way. We examine these issues with examples from both general management and operations management research. Importantly, we argue that addressing the questions regarding model specification must involve primarily theoretical and contextual judgment, not statistical tests.

Browsing by Author "Awaysheh, Amrou"

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