Supply Chain Management To Improve Business Performances Sample

1. To analyze determinants that affects the supply chain.
2. To observe the gap/difference between theories and practices that are related to supply chain in the case of Hotel Sofitel London St. James
3. To make suggestions to the hotel management on how to develop supply chain improvement and concepts into practice in the case of Hotel Sofitel London St James

Background and Rationale

The creditability of supply chain management should not be ignored in the hotel industry. The work of Vasco (2006) focusing on supply chain management reveals the needs for supply chain management to adapt the robustly of changing in business environment. It creates a shorter a product life cycle and creates more a competitive market as explained by Chiang and Trappey (2007).

Further Wanke et al., (2010) highlighted in their work, using the concept of management of supply chain reduces uncertainty risks. According to Wang and Sarker (2006) supply chain can increase brand recognition, and improve cost control. Moreover, Phusavat et al (2007) claimed that the development of supply chain can increase sales volume, cost reduction, and business improvement.

Methodology

Methodology is referred to a set of practices. Therefore, a clear methodology for a research is deemed important. The research philosophy contains assumptions, which are important to give the guideline and the way that a researcher views the world. The research philosophies have several types, which are:

1. positivism;
2. interpretivism
3. realism.

The methodology of this research is based on interpretivism. It is based on external, multiple, and individual’s opinions and researcher concluded the answer of the question according to the real views gained by the hotel staff management.

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The advantage of using the paradigm of interpretivism is to explore the qualitative and real facts that are applicable according to the different points of views and individuals are not bind to accept the results of the study as universal truth.

Moreover, this paradigm allows to use theoretical and qualitative application in the research that to help express the interpretation of data collection. The nature of the research issue is explanatory and subjective, thus this paradigm is suitable for the study. According to this paradigm, suitable research approach for this study is inductive. The research design is based on qualitative nature and dataset (Saunders et al. 2007).

Data collection method

he main source of the researcher is the information from hotel Sofitel London St James. This is based on self-observation. The data collection is based on questionnaires. As claimed from the previous sections, the aim of the research is to find the gap in the literature. The research methods are based on a mixed method to collect data. Both primary and secondary data collection method has been used. The type of this problem is qualitative thus the researcher would collect qualitative data.

Qualitative data tends to be associated with words or images as the unit of analysis. This type of research is associated with small scale studies and it is also linked with the researcher involvement. Quantitative data would not used in this study because it is mainly used for large scale studies and it also increases complexity of the research issue and outcomes.

As this is a case study of Sofitel to identify the supply chain concept of the organisation in order to suggest recommendations. Therefore, the specific questions are designed from the data of literature which are based on the levels of agreement. They are strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. The researcher is working in the Sofitel Hotel. It is easier to get the permission from the manager to conduct interviews. 15 questions will be drawn up those would be both close ended and open ended.

The data of questionnaires are used for a further analysis by using thematic framework analysis. This can identify the missing gap in the case of Sofitel London St James. The research is based on non-standardised interviews in which questionnaires are non-identical, so researcher has used both close ended and open ended questions.

Semi-structured interview is more likely based on exploratory and unstructured interview, which is classified under exploratory type of research. According to Saunders et al (2009), non standardised interview is normally suitable for qualitative, thus researcher will have taken this kind of interview process and avoid standardised interview process because it is suitable to collect quantitative data and information.

Sampling

The source of questionnaires is based on a list of both open ended and close ended questions, which are based on a sampling of 20 people, who involves in the process of supply chain development in the Hotel. They are kitchen staff, purchasing department staff, storage staff and food and beverages service staff. The purpose of choosing these groups is because they experience and have knowledge about the situation of supply chain in this hotel.

The research is based on a non-probability sampling of selected group to answer the research objectives. According Saunders et al (2009), probability sampling is difficult to be used within business research especially market survey and case study research.

References

1. Aurelie, C., Matthieu, L., and Luk, V. W, (2010). "A model to define and assess the agility of supply chains: building on humanitarian experience", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 40 (8/9), 722 – 741
2. Chiang, T A., and Trappey, J. C, (2007). “Development Of Supply Chain Collaborative Model For Product Lifecycle Management And Its LCD Industry Adoption” International Journal Of Production Economic, September 109, (1/2), 90
3. Perry, M., and Sohal, A. S. (2000), "Quick response practices and technologies in developing supply chains A case study", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 30 (7/8) 627-639
4. Sachan, A., and Datta, S. (2005). Review of supply chain management and logistics Research. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistic Management, 35 (9)
5. Storey, J., Emberson, C., and Reade, D. (2005), "The barriers to customer responsive supply chain management", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 25 (3/4) 242-260