Supply chain collaboration: differing perspectives of Brazilian companies

• Published date: 08 September 2020
• Date: 08 September 2020
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-10-2019-0284
• Pages: 118-137
• Subject Matter: Management science & operations,Logistics
• Author: Nayara Louise Carvalho,Juliana Veiga Mendes,Erica Kushihara Akim,Ricardo Coser Mergulhão,José Geraldo Vidal Vieira

Supply chain collaboration:

differing perspectives of

Brazilian companies

Nayara Louise Carvalho

Production Engineering, Federal University of S~

ao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil

Juliana Veiga Mendes

Departamento de Engenharia de Produç~

ao- Sorocaba,

Universidade Federal de S~

ao Carlos, S~

ao Carlos, Brazil

Erica Kushihara Akim

Departamento de Engenharia de Produç~

ao,

Universidade Federal de S~

ao Carlos Centro de Ciencias em Gest~

ao e Tecnologia,

Sorocaba, Brazil

Ricardo Coser Mergulh~

ao

Departamento de Engenharia de Produç~

ao,

Universidade Federal de S~

ao Carlos Centro de Gest~

ao e Tecnologia,

Sorocaba, Brazil, and

Jos

e Geraldo Vidal Vieira

Production Engineering, Federal University of S~

ao Carlos, Sao Carlos, Brazil

Abstract

Purpose –This article examines the extent of collaboration experienced by 191 Brazilian shippers, logistics

service providers (LSPs) and carriers in their logistics operations in urban freight transport. This study

investigates relationships over time, the type of service and the nuances associated with the frequency of

meetings, frequency of technical visits and frequency of training.

Design/methodology/approach –The authors carried out a component analysis and, based on factor

loadings, calculated indexes for use in non-linear canonical correlations to evaluate company-level differences

in perceptions of the degree of collaboration and strength of relationship over time.

Findings –The results indicate that in the triad, LSPs are the strongest supporters of collaboration over time

regardless of whether the logistics service is shared or dedicated; shippers demonstrate the weakest support for

collaboration and prioritize relationships of one to three years in length. Carriers seek to develop short-term

relationships and participate actively in meetings and technical visits because they strongly support strategic

and interpersonal collaboration. Carriers also follow LSPs in terms of strategic and interpersonal collaboration

and shared logistics services.

Originality/value –This article contributes to understanding the perceptions of interactions among specific

logistics collaboration elements related to strategic, tactical and interpersonal relationships that the Brazilian

companies face in their daily urban freight transport.

Keywords Urban freight transport, Buyer–supplier collaboration, Canonical correlation analysis, Supply

chain collaboration

Paper type Research paper

Supply chain

collaboration in

urban logistics

121

This work was supported by the Brazilian agencies: FAPESP (Grant# 2017/06074-7), and CNPq

(Grants# 3099172019-0; 409128-2018-0).

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/0957-4093.htm

Received 23 October 2019

Revised 19 May 2020

18 July 2020

Accepted 20 August 2020

The International Journal of

Logistics Management

Vol. 32 No. 1, 2021

pp. 121-140

© Emerald Publishing Limited

0957-4093

DOI 10.1108/IJLM-10-2019-0284

1. Introduction

Close relationships among carriers, suppliers and buyers in the supply chain lead to

operating improvements that maximize efficiency and improve the competitive position of

the entire supply chain (Gentry, 1996). However, Oosterhuis et al. (2013) have pointed out that

clients and suppliers of logistics service operators have different viewpoints on logistics

operations. For example, logistics service providers (LSPs) make different choices than

shippers with regards to carriers and modes (Patterson et al., 2010) and shippers show

significantly different behavior than carriers (Holgu

ın-Veras et al., 2011). LSPs perceive a lack

of collaboration as the main issue in urban freight distribution, while shippers focus on their

production activities and pay less attention to logistical functions, and carriers need to be

trained to provide a good service of deliveries to LSPs and shippers, within cities (Vieira et al.,

2015a,b).

Although it seems obvious that interactions between shippers, LSPs and carriers affect

the fulfillment of demand and their logistical performance, little is known about these

interactions in the context of the delivery and transportation modes used to fulfill customer

requirements (Vieira et al., 2015a,b). Companies have different sizes, logistics structures,

operational styles, patterns and goals; those that maintain long-term relationships with

partners plan jointly, share information consistently and communicate effectively. Long-term

relationships between logistics operators (LSPs and carriers) and shippers can help the

operators to dedicate capacity, reduce lead time and cost of logistics (Cormican and

Cunninghan, 2007) and can contribute to a better logistical performance (Vieira et al., 2015a,

b). The lack of collaboration appears to be the Achilles’heel of freight distributors for freight

operators and it results in less-efficient logistical performance (Vieira and Fransoo, 2015).

However, the extent of collaboration of the companies differs; shippers display low levels of

commitment to indicators of collaboration such as shared projects, involvement of top

management, knowledge of partners, joint actions and joint improvement processes, whereas

LSPs show a high level of commitment. An explanation may be that some shippers rely on

LSPs and maintain a long-term collaboration perspective with their LSP (Wagner and Sutter,

2012). LSPs perceive a lack of collaboration as the main issue in the last mile distribution

(Vieira et al., 2015a, b). Carriers face many local restrictions on freight vehicles (size, weight

and zone circulation) (Oliveira et al., 2018) and they act without any collaboration from their

partners, operating with smaller vehicles (Oliveira et al., 2017). Consequently, carriers tend to

focus on short-term commitments and perform better locally. Freight operators are also not

being innovative nor cooperative in making urban freight distribution more sustainable

(Bandeira et al., 2018). Although some studies have reported the degree of relationships

between these companies (shippers, LSPs and carriers), future research is required as these

studies have not been addressed in depth, taking into account different levels of collaboration

over time and from the agents’perspective who operate in urban logistics. Collaboration over

time leads companies (carriers, LSPs and shippers) to a better performance (Aharonovitz

et al., 2018). Therefore, the research questions addressed are:

(1) Do companies experience collaboration across partners differently?

(2) What is the extent of the relationship that the companies have developed over time?

To understand these relationships, this paper follows and supports the study carried out by

Vieira et al. (2009) who identified the collaboration elements (strategic, tactical and

interpersonal) and evaluated their intensity in the manufacturer–retailer relationship. Based

on these elements, Vieira et al. (2009) have developed a research model that can be used to

evaluate different levels of logistics collaboration in retail channels. To answer the questions

above, our proposal investigates these elements and others regarding urbanfreight operators

in a joint analysis of relationships over time considering the logistics triad of shippers,

IJLM

32,1

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