Supply Chain Management under uncertain supply

Abstract

This paper examine whether supply chain management (SCM) literature prescriptions yield better performance as advocated. Companies try to benefit from theoretical knowledge to improve their performance and thus enhance their possibilities to survive and prosper. To follow theoretical knowledge is not easy, since it is general in nature and supposed to be valid in multiple (all) cases. To be useful, however, it has to be adjusted to the actual, context-specific situation. This paper focuses on SCM prescriptions in existing literature, and examines them empirically in two supply chains in the Norwegian seafood industry, where uncertainty is highly present. The two chains differ substantially regarding the transformation and flow of goods and information. One chain deviates substantially from literature prescriptions. Opposite to expectations, performance for this supply chain is better than for the other chain which to a much larger extent follow literature prescriptions. The findings are discussed, and implications for theory and management highlighted.