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Dr Di Fan from the ANU College of Business and Economics’ Research School of Management has been appointed as a guest editor of a Special Issue of the Journal of Operations Management. The journal is one of fifty academic journals used by the Financial Times to rank business schools around the world and has the highest quality rank given by the Australian Business Deans Council.
The Special Issue will focus on global operations and supply chain management of firms in the context of changes and disruptions to international relations. This volatility, from states or otherwise, can affect how and where firms operate and design their supply chains.
The recent prolonged trade war between the US and China is an example of a state using tariffs to encourage manufacturers to reshore and return their industry home. While in Europe, anxiety about the future of the market, following the Brexit referendum, has led many multinational companies to rethink the design of their global supply chains.
This special issue aims to push forward the discourse among political and social sciences and operations management.
It is not only states that have this effect though. Consumer boycotts of companies and their products have led to similar situations, for example, with one of Korea’s largest retailers Lotte Mart. As a result of Korea providing land to the US for a missile system, consumers in China boycotted the company and it was ultimately forced to exit the market.
Although there has been some research around this broad area, there is not much work that relates specifically to international relations and operations management. What there is has often been used in empirical models that do not capture the full depth of the dynamics at play.
“This special issue aims to push forward the discourse among political and social sciences and operations management,” Fan says. “We encourage the submission of high-quality manuscripts that can advance our understanding of the impacts of international relations on global operations and supply chain management.”
Convened by Fan, this Special Issue will be co-edited with academics from UCLA, Hong Kong Polytechnic and Monash. The editors are currently calling for papers in this area and aim to close submissions by the end of September 2020. They are expecting submissions to cover a variety of topics, such as operational resilience to adverse international events, collaborative innovations among firms and governments, and adapting operational systems to environmental changes.
“The Australian economy relies heavily on international trade, which accounts for around 40% of the GDP. Thus, we also encourage Australian scholars to explore the status, role and strategies of Australian industries in today’s complex global supply chain,” says Fan.
For more information on submitting to the Special Issue, please see the Call for Papers.
The College is always keen to explore research collaborations with the public and private sector and to reconnect with Alumni. Please get in touch if you would like to know more.