Abstract

Humanitarian supply chain (HSC) research is still in its infancy and remains an enigma, due to its profound differences with the much-researched field of global supply chains. Thus, humanitarian operations (HO) remain obstinately difficult to manage, despite attempts by key stakeholders to keep abreast of all the contemporary challenges. A key concern is wastage of disaster relief materials along the supply chain, which strains already scarce resources. Moreover, humanitarian research is plagued by a dearth of theory development and redeployment of existing theories from other fields, which are critical in enhancing methodological rigour. To address these gaps, we undertake an in-depth qualitative study which draws on data from humanitarian organisations that responded to the major earthquake in Nepal (2015). Using a novel approach, we adapt the theory of constraints (TOC) and dynamic capabilities to conduct our investigation. First, we apply TOC at an analytical level to unearth the constraints perturbing HO. Second, using dynamic capabilities as an overarching theoretical lens, we draw insights which contribute towards effective HSC management. To conclude, our study contributes by extending the dynamic capabilities theory for Lean thinking in HO. We achieve this by proffering ‘sustaining’ as a key extension of dynamic capabilities in HSC.

摘要

人道主义供应链 (HSC) 研究仍处于起步阶段，仍然是一个谜，因为它与全球供应链研究领域的深刻差异。因此，尽管主要利益相关者试图跟上所有当代挑战，但人道主义行动 (HO) 仍然难以管理。一个关键问题是供应链中救灾物资的浪费，这使本已稀缺的资源变得紧张。此外，人道主义研究受到缺乏理论发展和从其他领域重新部署现有理论的困扰，这对于提高方法的严谨性至关重要。为了解决这些差距，我们进行了一项深入的定性研究，该研究利用了响应尼泊尔大地震（2015 年）的人道主义组织的数据。采用新颖的方法，我们采用约束理论 (TOC) 和动态能力进行调查。首先，我们在分析层面应用 TOC 来挖掘扰动 H2O 的约束。其次，使用动态能力作为总体理论视角，我们得出有助于有效 HSC 管理的见解。总而言之，我们的研究通过扩展动态能力理论为HO 中的精益思想。我们通过提供“维持”作为 HSC 中动态能力的关键扩展来实现这一目标。