Unveiling the Impact of Supply Chain Complexity on Product Safety Risk
type: CreativeWork
description: Purpose: Product safety risks increased over the past decades and in multiple industries, with often very negative consequences for consumers and companies, including fatalities, injuries and bankruptcies of firms involved. The purpose of this research is to examine the root causes of product safety risk by investigating the implications of supply chain complexity on product safety in multiple industries. Furthermore, it examines how these risks could be managed effectively. Methodology: The research objectives are addressed in two distinct, yet content-related studies: Study 1 focuses on identifying the relationships between supply chain complexity and product safety risk in different industries and derives its findings from a multiple holistic, inductive, cross-industry case study approach involving 7 cases of companies operating in the medical device, pharmaceutical, automotive and electronics industries. Study 2 empirically validates the findings of Study 1 by investigating the impact of supply chain complexity on product safety risk in the medical device industry using large scale, industry level data. Building on Complexity Theory, Information Processing Theory and the results of Study 1, Study 2 was conducted using regression techniques and secondary firm financial, supply chain and recall data from multiple sources to operationalise supply chain complexity and test its relationship with product safety risk. Findings: Study 1 provides a conceptual framework, suggesting relationships between multiple supply chain complexity dimensions and product safety risk. It further identifies several reactive and preventive measures that can be applied to managing product safety risk in complex supply chains. The results of Study 2 support hypothesised relationships indicating that various dimensions of supply chain complexity are positively associated with product safety risk. Furthermore, it shows that operational efficiency has a positive impact on product safety. Last…
abstract: Purpose: Product safety risks increased over the past decades and in multiple industries, with often very negative consequences for consumers and companies, including fatalities, injuries and bankruptcies of firms involved. The purpose of this research is to examine the root causes of product safety risk by investigating the implications of supply chain complexity on product safety in multiple industries. Furthermore, it examines how these risks could be managed effectively. Methodology: The research objectives are addressed in two distinct, yet content-related studies: Study 1 focuses on identifying the relationships between supply chain complexity and product safety risk in different industries and derives its findings from a multiple holistic, inductive, cross-industry case study approach involving 7 cases of companies operating in the medical device, pharmaceutical, automotive and electronics industries. Study 2 empirically validates the findings of Study 1 by investigating the impact of supply chain complexity on product safety risk in the medical device industry using large scale, industry level data. Building on Complexity Theory, Information Processing Theory and the results of Study 1, Study 2 was conducted using regression techniques and secondary firm financial, supply chain and recall data from multiple sources to operationalise supply chain complexity and test its relationship with product safety risk. Findings: Study 1 provides a conceptual framework, suggesting relationships between multiple supply chain complexity dimensions and product safety risk. It further identifies several reactive and preventive measures that can be applied to managing product safety risk in complex supply chains. The results of Study 2 support hypothesised relationships indicating that various dimensions of supply chain complexity are positively associated with product safety risk. Furthermore, it shows that operational efficiency has a positive impact on product safety. Last…
author: Schumacher, Roman
language: eng
keywords: product quality, product recall, product safety, quality management, supplier quality management, supply chain complexity, Supply chain management, supply chain risk management
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/b4e8b3c0-b0c8-4540-a3f4-f9a153c1d14b/download
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2023-07-24
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:23Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.105619