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International sourcing emerged initially as a reactive approach designed to reduce production costs in an effort to neutralize the threat of foreign competition. Today, leading edge firms have shifted the focus of their international sourcing efforts to that of a proactive strategy that pursues a sustainable competitive advantage. This article explores the challenges, requirements, and benefits of international sourcing by means of a brief literature review and a discussion of the results of a survey of purchasing managers. The study focuses on the various aspects of international sourcing that affect its ability to impact a firm's competitiveness.

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Purpose -This paper aims to provide the results of a large-scale survey of courses dedicated to the field of logistics in higher education. This research is unique because it represents the first large-scale study of both undergraduate and graduate logistics courses. Design/methodology/approach -Content analysis was performed on each syllabus to identify the actual course coverage: requirements, pedagogy and content emphasis. Content analysis is a descriptive approach to categorize data and the results may be limited by the categorizations used in analysis. This aggregated information was utilized to compare historical research findings in this area with the current skills identified as important for career success. These data provide input for gap analysis between offerings in higher education and those needs identified by practitioners. Findings -Data gathering efforts yielded a sample of 118 logistics courses representing 77 schools and six different countries. The aggregate number of topics covered in undergraduate courses totalled 95, while graduate courses covered 81 different topics. The primary evaluation techniques include the traditional exams, projects and homework. Details regarding learning objectives and grading schema are provided along with a gap analysis between the coverage of logistics courses and the needs identified by practitioners. Originality/value -The goal is to use these data as a means of continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience. The findings are designed to foster information sharing and provide data for benchmarking efforts in the development of logistics courses and curricula in academia as well as training and development by professionals in the field of logistics.

IN BRIEF This article develops an integrative strategic framework utilizing the Product Life Cycle (PLC) as a “common strategic denominator”. The model is an attempt to fill an existing void in the strategic literature concerning the integration of different functional strategies into a holistic business strategy. This article reports the results of a three‐part empirical study of production, purchasing, and logistics management professionals that investigated the linkage between functional level strategies and the PLC. The results are based on the input from 159 production, 126 purchasing, and 133 physical distribution executives who served to identify the strategic importance of the PLC, and effective functional strategies for each stage of the PLC.