Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market
Background: The business environment is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) because of globalisation, increased competition, random consumer tastes changes and environmental factors. Traditional procurement strategies are becoming increasingly redundant because of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jtscm.co.za/index.php/jtscm/article/view/847 |
| _version_ | 1797937187032924160 |
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| author | Forbes Makudza Divaries C. Jaravaza Tariro Govha Paul Mukucha Fanny Saruchera |
| author_facet | Forbes Makudza Divaries C. Jaravaza Tariro Govha Paul Mukucha Fanny Saruchera |
| author_sort | Forbes Makudza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The business environment is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) because of globalisation, increased competition, random consumer tastes changes and environmental factors. Traditional procurement strategies are becoming increasingly redundant because of the volatility of the global business environment. The market has thus called for increased agility to conquer the VUCA nature of the supply chain environment.
Objectives: The study sought to examine the role that e-procurement plays in augmenting the agility of supply chains. The four determinants of e-procurement, that is, e-design, e-sourcing, e-evaluation and e-negotiation, were linked directly with supply chain agility.
Method: A census approach was taken to gather data from 219 supply chain and procurement employees of Zimbabwe’s telecommunications and technology industry. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used based on a scientifically developed and validated supply chain agility measurement scale from the extant literature.
Results: Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the study’s results confirmed that e-procurement significantly predicts supply chain agility. All determinants of e-procurement were statistically significantly explaining supply chain agility in a volatile business environment.
Conclusion: The study concludes that e-procurement augments the agility of the supply chain in volatile business environments, as e-procurement can increase swiftness and agility as it fosters ubiquitous business processes on a seamless real-time basis. It emerged from the study that the supply chain vulnerabilities volatile industries face could be eliminated through supply chain agility, augmented through e-procurement systems. The study’s findings also implore supply network members from upstream to downstream to adopt e-procurement.
Contribution: The study has practical implications for all supply network members from upstream to downstream. It implores these members to adopt e-procurement to revive supply networks amid environmental volatility and alleviate miscommunication. Study also offers theoretical implications for e-procurement and supply chain management. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge by extending the existing theories on e-procurement and supply chains in the context of environmental volatility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:41:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72127e0ad4b8451f9ec9592dfdcdd390 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2310-8789 1995-5235 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:41:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-72127e0ad4b8451f9ec9592dfdcdd3902023-02-01T13:04:09ZengAOSISJournal of Transport and Supply Chain Management2310-87891995-52352023-01-01170e1e1210.4102/jtscm.v17i0.847315Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier marketForbes Makudza0Divaries C. Jaravaza1Tariro Govha2Paul Mukucha3Fanny Saruchera4Department of Business Enterprise and Management, Faculty of Commerce, University of Zimbabwe, HarareDepartment of Marketing, Faculty of Commerce, Bindura University of Science Education, Bindura, Zimbabwe; and, Wits Business School, Faculty of Commerce and Law, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Business Management, Faculty of Business Sciences, Chinhoyi University of Technology, ChinhoyiDepartment of Marketing, Faculty of Commerce, Bindura University of Science Education, BinduraWits Business School, Faculty of Commerce and Law, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgBackground: The business environment is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) because of globalisation, increased competition, random consumer tastes changes and environmental factors. Traditional procurement strategies are becoming increasingly redundant because of the volatility of the global business environment. The market has thus called for increased agility to conquer the VUCA nature of the supply chain environment. Objectives: The study sought to examine the role that e-procurement plays in augmenting the agility of supply chains. The four determinants of e-procurement, that is, e-design, e-sourcing, e-evaluation and e-negotiation, were linked directly with supply chain agility. Method: A census approach was taken to gather data from 219 supply chain and procurement employees of Zimbabwe’s telecommunications and technology industry. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used based on a scientifically developed and validated supply chain agility measurement scale from the extant literature. Results: Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the study’s results confirmed that e-procurement significantly predicts supply chain agility. All determinants of e-procurement were statistically significantly explaining supply chain agility in a volatile business environment. Conclusion: The study concludes that e-procurement augments the agility of the supply chain in volatile business environments, as e-procurement can increase swiftness and agility as it fosters ubiquitous business processes on a seamless real-time basis. It emerged from the study that the supply chain vulnerabilities volatile industries face could be eliminated through supply chain agility, augmented through e-procurement systems. The study’s findings also implore supply network members from upstream to downstream to adopt e-procurement. Contribution: The study has practical implications for all supply network members from upstream to downstream. It implores these members to adopt e-procurement to revive supply networks amid environmental volatility and alleviate miscommunication. Study also offers theoretical implications for e-procurement and supply chain management. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge by extending the existing theories on e-procurement and supply chains in the context of environmental volatility.https://jtscm.co.za/index.php/jtscm/article/view/847e-procurementsupply chain agilityperformancevolatile marketvuca |
| spellingShingle | Forbes Makudza Divaries C. Jaravaza Tariro Govha Paul Mukucha Fanny Saruchera Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management e-procurement supply chain agility performance volatile market vuca |
| title | Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| title_full | Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| title_short | Enhancing supply chain agility through e-procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| title_sort | enhancing supply chain agility through e procurement in a volatile frontier market |
| topic | e-procurement supply chain agility performance volatile market vuca |
| url | https://jtscm.co.za/index.php/jtscm/article/view/847 |
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