Competitive Strategy in the Supply Chain

As market globalization and technological change accelerate, com­petition between firms has migrated from a focus on the individual firm to networks of firms operating as trading partners within a chain of supply. As a result of this trend the traditional way of determining a strategy within a firm has come into question. The concept of supply chain strategy has consequently been developed. This book reviews the role of product demand characteristics (using Fisher's (1997) four-cell model as the framework) in the determination of supply chain strategy, and the subsequent impact on firm performance. This book sheds new light on the determination of an appropriate supply chain strategy that will be of value to both academic researchers and management practitioners alike. In particular, the potential power of developing hybrid strategies that are responsive to the changing dynamics of the marketplace is highlighted.