DiTraSS

The simultaneous transformation of supply chain (SC) driven by sustainability demands and enabled by technology advancements poses multiple challenges for firms. The rise of different digital technologies is changing markets, while affecting all sizes of companies as much as single entrepreneurs. It drives a multitude of research needs, which are rarely explored in emerging economies so far. Pakistan offers an interesting, almost ideal empirical context for conducting related research. It has a comparatively young population which has a high degree of affinity to technological change, while not yet being saturated.

The project engages in local settings, where e.g. entrepreneurs are asked about their use of mobile phones for managing their businesses and supply chains. This will allow comprehending, how these entrepreneurs look at their value creation as well as what kind of performance outcomes they deem relevant.

A second stream look at technology acceptance of companies, particularly technologies related to Industry 4.0, such as big data analytics or blockchains. Based on interviews with managers, it will aim to understand, how such technologies enable supply chain integration, i.e. improving collaborative practices among companies.

A third stream will look at the social ties among companies, thereby building on social capital theory and broadening the theoretical foundation of the project.

This will be combined with a range of different methods of empirical data collection and analysis, such as interviews with managers, in-depth case studies and survey data, which will then be analysed employing respective research instruments, such as transcription, content analysis, but also statistical techniques as appropriate for the set of data.

The project should contribute to further understanding the intersection of digital and sustainable transformation of companies and their supply chains in Pakistan.

Contact person:
Lara.Schilling[at]uni-kassel[dot]de