Not-for-profit supply chains in interrupted environments: The case of a faith-based humanitarian relief organisation

摘要

Purpose - This paper primarily aims to address the following research question: Are techniquesrnand practices developed for uninterrupted, for-profit supply chains adaptable to the not-for-profitrn(NFP), interrupted context? In other words, can the managerial tools of business logistics be used inrnhumanitarian relief logistics?rnDesign/methodology/approach - A combination of grounded research and case-based researchrnmethods is used. Grounded research methods involve coding interview data to enable constantrncomparison of the data with emerging categories. Three managerial representatives of a single casernorganisation, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), are interviewed.rnFindings - MCC is a small NFP organisation operating in interrupted environments. As a matter ofrnstrategy, it pursues economic and social objectives. Strategic partnerships with "like-minded"rnorganisations are critical to achieve these objectives. To assess its achievements, MCC needs a widernrange of performance measures.rnResearch limitations/implications Since the paper is based on a single case, it is difficult torngeneralise the results beyond MCC, a small, faith-based NFP providing humanitarian assistance.rnThere are future research opportunities to study more cases and search for additional themes.rnPractical implications - Partnerships and performance measurement are important elements ofrnsupply chain management (SCM) in humanitarian relief, characterised by NFP operations inrninterrupted environments. SCM tools and techniques created in the for-profit or business context, forrnpartnership formation (e.g. "how to commit") and performance measurement (e.g. balancedrnscorecard), should be adapted for the humanitarian context.rnOriginality/value - There is a growing literature on supply chain interruptions, but very littlernresearch on NFP sector supply chains, despite pressing needs for effective SCM within the NFPrncontext. Also, there are relatively few studies on adapting business logistics practices for thernhumanitarian logistics context. The paper addresses these issues.