{"title":"Competition or co-opetition: Optimal fresh produce delivery mode strategy for livestreaming platform","authors":"Yuqiu Xu , Kaiying Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, selling fresh produce online has become increasingly popular, for instance, many e-tailers (e.g., Amazon and JD) with self-built delivery systems and livestreaming platforms (e.g., East Buy) have launched their private fresh produce labels. Moreover, some e-tailers are adopting livestreaming technology (e.g., JD Live) to sell private fresh produce labels. In these contexts, livestreaming platforms need to make strategic decisions about which delivery mode to use: PDM (platform delivery mode operated by e-tailers) or TDM (third-party delivery mode). To address these challenges, this study develops four theoretical models and provides key managerial insights. The findings indicate that, regardless of whether e-tailers enter the livestreaming market, delivery service level difference and base market potential will have a significant impact on livestreaming platforms’ optimal delivery mode strategies. Specifically, livestreaming platforms should choose PDM for their private fresh produce labels with relatively large base market potential. For fresh produce with relatively low base market potential, the delivery mode choice between PDM and TDM depends on the difference in delivery service levels. Furthermore, e-tailers entering the livestreaming market will lead livestreaming platforms to be more willing to choose TDM. These findings hold robust when considering the unit production cost of fresh produce, quantity loss of fresh produce, two independent departments owned by e-tailers and different freshness-keeping effort cost coefficients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109565"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"To Cooperate or Not: Evaluating process innovation strategies in battery recycling and product innovation","authors":"Zhifeng Qian , Joshua Ignatius , Junwu Chai , Krishna Mohan Thazhathu Valiyaveettil","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging technology products like retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries encounter technical challenges during the collecting and remanufacturing phase. Process innovation for recycling (PIR) presents an opportunity to improve the efficiency of these product recycling processes. To investigate how upstream and downstream firms formulate optimal PIR strategies under the interaction of product innovation and PIR, and to analyze the impact of this interaction on operational decisions, we construct Stackelberg game models comprising a battery supplier and an EV manufacturer, both of which have the potential to assume leadership roles. The supplier engages in recycling and makes PIR investment decisions: invest independently, outsource it to the manufacturer, or cooperate with the manufacturer. The manufacturer performs product innovation and decides whether to participate in PIR. Our results indicate that cooperation is not always the preferred strategy for both firms and tends to be favored only when PIR investment efficiency is relatively low. Although the supplier engages in remanufacturing, the manufacturer may exert higher PIR efforts. When product innovation and PIR are carried out separately by upstream and downstream firms, the two innovations maintain a complementary relationship, which provides the possibility for manufacturers to offer higher-quality products at lower prices. Furthermore, firms are more inclined to invest in PIR when acting as the supply chain leader. However, the first-mover advantage may turn into a disadvantage under collaboration model, which provides insights for firms not to blindly pursue the leader. The sequential innovation decisions and two-period model settings are further explored as model extensions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109559"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143473929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giovanni Francesco Massari, Raffaele Nacchiero, Ilaria Giannoccaro
{"title":"Transformative supply chains: the enabling role of digital technologies","authors":"Giovanni Francesco Massari, Raffaele Nacchiero, Ilaria Giannoccaro","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To remain competitive in turbulent business environments and address increasing regulatory pressures, modern supply chains should undertake transformations towards circularity and resilience. Despite the relevance of the topic, how enabling transformative changes as those increasingly observed in reality is a topic still not fully understood. We fill this research gap by developing a novel social-ecological model of the supply chain that investigates the enabling role of digital technologies in supply chain transformations. The model first offers a conceptualization of transformative supply chains as social-ecological systems capable of transforming towards new configurations, more consistent with internal pressures and external challenges, through the supply chain transformative capabilities. Then, how digital technologies influence these dynamic capabilities is argued. The conceptual model is investigated through a multiple case study approach in Made-in Italy sectors. We analyze eight case studies involving large, medium, and small companies, which confirm theoretical argumentations. Specific propositions linking the digital technologies with supply chain transformative capabilities are finally formulated, and theoretical and managerial implications discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109562"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhenbin Ding , Yali Zhang , Jun Sun , Mark Goh , Zhaojun Yang
{"title":"To reveal or conceal: AI identity disclosure strategies for merchants","authors":"Zhenbin Ding , Yali Zhang , Jun Sun , Mark Goh , Zhaojun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109564","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109564","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Online merchants face a dilemma in deciding whether to disclose their use of AI-driven services, which offer cost-effective, human-like interactions but may trigger customer resistance from those who prefer human engagement. The study employs a game-theoretic model to examine AI identity disclosure strategies, incorporating consumer preferences for algorithms and their ability to detect undisclosed AI usage. Findings indicate that nondisclosure is ineffective in markets with a high proportion of sophisticated consumers who can recognize AI involvement. However, in markets dominated by naive consumers, where AI identity is less detectable, disclosure remains the preferred strategy, particularly when AI service quality is perceived as low, to mitigate potential backlash. Comparing pure AI and human-AI collaboration service modes, merchants derive greater benefits from nondisclosure in collaboration settings. Furthermore, greater consumer aversion to AI does not necessarily push merchants toward nondisclosure, as its effectiveness depends on service quality rather than aversion alone. This study also highlights the dual role of AI anthropomorphism: it can increase consumer acceptance of nondisclosure while simultaneously making disclosure more appealing. Under nondisclosure, improvements in service quality generally enhance consumer surplus, but sophisticated consumers may gain less surplus than naive consumers. Lastly, mandating AI identity transparency does not always maximize social welfare, challenging the assumption that compulsory disclosure is universally beneficial. These findings offer valuable insights into human-AI collaboration and inform the design of algorithm transparency policies in AI-driven services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109564"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143549226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of distribution channel dynamics on automotive assortment planning","authors":"Maduka Balasooriya, Evrim Dalkiran, Ratna Babu Chinnam","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) devote considerable effort to maintaining efficient order catalogs in order to provide superior products in make-to-stock (MTS) markets. Despite expanding research on product “assortment planning”, one crucial aspect often overlooked is the influence of distribution channels, notably dealer franchise networks. Dealers face unique challenges in meeting local consumers’ choice preferences while balancing limited product configuration inventory with profitability. In MTS markets like the U.S., most dealers can only afford to stock a fraction of the numerous buildable configurations available from the OEM, even with potential vehicle trades among dealers. This study pioneers the investigation into the influence of franchise dealer network dynamics on automotive OEM’s product-level configuration assortment planning, employing a detailed numerical study using simulated data. We also develop an analytical model to characterize the optimal joint product configuration assortment and inventory levels at dealers, considering the OEM’s product assortment. Our study rigorously examines key factors influencing the dealer network, including dealer density, network heterogeneity, and customer choice complexity, yielding several significant insights.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109553"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Smart production and photocatalytic ultraviolet (PUV) wastewater treatment effect on a textile supply chain management","authors":"Biswajit Sarkar , Sreymouy Sao , Santanu Kumar Ghosh","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater from a garment production system in a textile supply chain management is one of the main sources of water pollution. Wastewater is still an increasing problem for medium to large production industries as traditional wastewater treatments are not much effective, especially for removal of contaminated organic particles and heavy metals. Photocatalytic ultraviolet process is an eco-friendly and promising wastewater treatment since the last one decade with the removal of organic particles. This study examines a textile supply chain management, which uses the photocatalytic ultraviolet process for the wastewater treatment from the production system. The production system plays an important part to exclude wastewater from the system. The unnecessary production run-time not only produces excess garments but also produces excess wastewater, which is blended with dyestuff extracts. A smart production is able to control the garment production based on the necessity and the control of wastewater generation is possible. Despite of the amount of wastewater, the treatment of wastewater gradually becomes a part of the textile supply chain with economic valuation. The textile supply chain management is built by multi-supplier and multi-manufacture, where the garment production is controlled by a smart production system. The manufacturers provide a photocatalytic ultraviolet wastewater treatment and this wastewater treatment positively effects the market demand of garments. The global optimum solutions of the study prove that the use of smart production reduces the cost of the textile supply chain 18.55% followed by the PUV wastewater treatment 16.01%. The results reveal that an involvement of categorized labor for material handling in a textile supply chain management is cost effective rather than using uncategorized labor. Skilled labors are found to be the most sensitive for a textile supply chain management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109557"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lixu Li , Yan Hou , Lujie Chen , Yaoqi Liu , Maria A.M. Trindade
{"title":"Unlocking sustainable performance with blockchain technology: Insights from organizational learning theory","authors":"Lixu Li , Yan Hou , Lujie Chen , Yaoqi Liu , Maria A.M. Trindade","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although blockchain technology (BT) has shown great potential, there remains a limited understanding of how to integrate it into business processes effectively. Drawing on organizational learning theory, we explore the drivers and outcomes of effective BT usage. Using survey data from 257 Chinese firms, we reveal that effective BT usage, whether for exploitation or exploration, hinges on both external knowledge acquisition and internal knowledge integration. Additionally, although both exploitation and exploration of BT can enhance economic and environmental performance, BT exploitation generally has a more substantial impact. This disparity arises because BT exploitation often involves optimizing existing processes (e.g., improving supply chain transparency), leading to more immediate performance improvements. In contrast, BT exploration involves experimental and innovative applications (e.g., developing new BT-based business models) that require a longer time frame to realize benefits. Finally, we discuss the heterogeneity between manufacturing and information technology firms. Our study contributes to the existing literature by elucidating how firms can achieve sustainable outcomes through BT usage. Our findings also assist managers in adapting their BT strategies to an increasingly competitive environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109555"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143473928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Najam Anjum , Antony Paulraj , Constantin Blome , Christopher Rajkumar
{"title":"Environmental process design and performance: Understanding the key role of learning by doing and employee empowerment","authors":"Najam Anjum , Antony Paulraj , Constantin Blome , Christopher Rajkumar","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While learning by doing is considered a key to new knowledge creation, little is known if, by its inherent nature, environmental process design could benefit from this mode of knowledge creation. Furthermore, it is also necessary to understand how empowered employees can create more conducive designs for better environmental performance and how these phenomena are affected by their ability to freely experiment and learn through experience and experiments. Through a sample of 500 German and USA-based manufacturing firms, we establish that learning by doing positively affects both environmental process design and the environmental performance of firms. Employee empowerment was also found to moderate this relationship positively but to varying degrees. Our study has far-reaching implications for both academia and industry as it furthers the agenda of human resource management research that aims to find ways in which employees could enhance the environmental performance of firms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"282 ","pages":"Article 109563"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143436423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jianwen Zheng , Justin Zuopeng Zhang , Muhammad Mustafa Kamal , Sachin Kumar Mangla
{"title":"A dual evolutionary perspective on the Co-evolution of data-driven digital transformation and value proposition in manufacturing SMEs","authors":"Jianwen Zheng , Justin Zuopeng Zhang , Muhammad Mustafa Kamal , Sachin Kumar Mangla","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing research emphasizes the importance of understanding the digital transformation process, yet there remains a significant gap in capturing its dynamic stages and transitions, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address this gap, this study draws on organizational information processing theory and analyzes interview data from six traditional manufacturing SMEs. The findings lead to the development of a data-driven digital transformation process model comprising three distinct stages: (1) data-informed operational excellence, (2) data-synchronized supply chain integration, and (3) data-catalyzed ecosystem innovation. This model also maps the evolution of firm value propositions across these stages: (1) intrinsic value mapping, (2) value chain alignment, and (3) ecosystem value co-creation. Additionally, the study identifies critical preconditions for stage transitions, including supply chain mastery to progress from Stage 1 to Stage 2 and strategic ecosystem analytics integration to advance from Stage 2 to Stage 3. By offering a structured framework for understanding data-driven digital transformation, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature, particularly within the context of traditional manufacturing SMEs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"282 ","pages":"Article 109561"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thilini Ranasinghe , Dominic Loske , Eric H. Grosse
{"title":"Cold storage, warm breaks: The effects of rest breaks on order picking performance in cold-storage environments","authors":"Thilini Ranasinghe , Dominic Loske , Eric H. Grosse","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpe.2025.109560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cold-storage systems are essential components of cold supply chains. Although order picking technologies have advanced, many of these systems still rely on human labour, where workers are exposed to temperatures below −20 °C. Despite wearing protective clothing, prolonged exposure to such cold conditions can lead to cold stress, causing physiological impairments and fatigue, which ultimately reduce performance. Warm rest breaks are crucial to mitigate these adverse effects and maintain productivity. However, there is a dearth of field evidence on the effect of the timing and duration of these breaks on order picking performance. To address this gap, we collaborated with a grocery retailer to examine the impact of rest-break durations on the performance of order pickers in a cold-storage environment set at −21 °C. We analysed 514,953 visits to storage locations by 40 order pickers over four months, using a multilevel model with random intercepts and slopes. Our findings revealed a horizontal S-shaped relationship between work time after a break and order picking time, characterised by an initial increase, a stabilisation period, and then a sharp increase. The results suggest that there is an optimal working period following a rest break during which performance peaks before it begins to decline. This period varies depending on the length of the break, highlighting the importance of strategic scheduling to maximise order picking efficiency in cold-storage environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14287,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Production Economics","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 109560"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}