Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTWe study fairness ideals in distribution systems where inventory is allocated to multiple retailers and there is supply–demand mismatch. In particular, we focus on (a) what is considered fair inventory allocation by retailers (e.g., equal profit, same fill rate, equal share of supply–demand mismatch?) and (b) how the supply chain context affects fairness perceptions. We consider an integrated supply chain setting where total inventory is allocated at the retail level and retailers may face either shortage or surplus, and a disintegrated supply chain where retailers may face supply scarcity when total demand exceeds available inventory. Our experimental data suggest that subjects, taking on the role of retailers in the same supply chain, are often motivated by fairness considerations: they claim for themselves inventory that is not exactly equal to their needs in more than one‐third of the instances. Across settings, "fair" allocations depend on retail demands rather than on profit comparisons, even when these are facilitated by a decision support tool. However, in cases of surplus, the most prevalent fairness ideal is that of equal split of inventory–demand mismatch, while in cases of shortage, the most prevalent fairness ideal is that of equal fill rates. Follow‐up experiments suggest that retailers under both cases of shortage and surplus are more likely to evaluate an allocation as fair when it is based on realized demands, and this is independent of whether it was determined by a rule or a human decision maker.

AbstractUncertainty on the supply side is a common issue planners face. How do decision‐makers incorporate inventory uncertainty when placing orders? We investigate ordering decisions under two forms of uncertainty regarding total inventory available to satisfy demand: supply uncertainty (SU; unreliability in incoming shipments) and inventory record inaccuracy (IRI; internal inefficiencies leading to a discrepancy between physical and recorded inventories). The experimental results reveal behavioral regularities in ordering decisions under both forms of total inventory uncertainty. We find that subjects overstock in settings with low profit margins, and overstocking is more pronounced under IRI than under SU. This overstocking under low profit margins is similar to observed ordering decisions under demand uncertainty. In these settings, subjects show a stronger shortage aversion under IRI (which is internal uncertainty) than under SU (which is external uncertainty). Furthermore, we find that subjects chase past realizations of supply/on‐hand inventory, although the effect depends on the uncertainty type. Although SU and IRI are, in practice, often simultaneously present, their causes are different. By providing insight into the relative effect of the types of uncertainty on the quality of inventory replenishment decisions, this study highlights the importance of reducing SU and IRI for products with low profit margins.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop propositions explaining the influence of individual goals and social preferences on human decision making in transport planning. The aim is to understand which individual goals and social preferences planners pursue and how these influence planners' decisions.


Design/methodology/approach
Propositions are developed based on investigation of decision making of transport planners in a Dutch logistics service provider using multiple data collection methods.


Findings
The study shows how decision making of transport planners is motivated by individual goals as well as social preferences for reciprocity and group identity.


Research limitations/implications
Further research including transaction data analysis is needed to triangulate findings and to strengthen conclusions. Propositions are developed to be tested in future research.


Practical implications
Results suggest that efforts to guide planners in their decision making should go beyond traditional (monetary) incentives and consider their individual goals and social preferences. Moreover, this study provides insight into why transport planners deviate from desired behaviour.


Originality/value
While individual decision making plays an essential role in operational planning, the factors influencing how individuals make operational planning decisions are not fully understood.