In this article, we evaluate the relationship between supply chain design decisions and supply chain disruption risk. We explore two supply chain design strategies: (i) the dispersion of supply chain partners to reduce supply chain disruption risk versus (ii) the co-location of supply chain partners to reduce supply chain disruption risk. In addition, we assess supply chain disruption risk from three perspectives: the inbound material flow from the supplier (supply side), the internal production processes (internal), and the outbound material flow to the customer (customer side) as a disruption can occur at any of these locations. We measure disruption risk in terms of stoppages in flows, reductions in flow, close calls (disruptions that were prevented at the last minute), disruption duration (time until normal operation flow was restored), and the spread of disruptions all the way through the supply chain. We use seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) to analyze our data, finding that lead times, especially supply side lead times, are significantly associated with higher levels of supply chain disruption risk. We find colocation with suppliers appears to have beneficial effects to the reduction of disruption duration, and, overall supply side factors have a higher impact when it comes to supply chain disruption risk than comparable customer side factors.

This study examines relationships among a firm’s innovativeness, its unexpected product failure costs, and financial performance. When a firm chooses to develop more innovative products and processes, product reliability outcomes become more uncertain. These uncertainties in turn may lead to unexpected warranty claims costs, as well as other costs that can erode the advantages of an innovation leadership position. This study empirically tests these propositions using publically reported warranty and financial data from 2003 to 2013, representing 482 unique firms. Consistent with prior studies, our estimation of the direct effects of firm innovativeness on financial performance shows an inverted–u–shaped relationship. Importantly, we find that more innovative firms also experience more unexpected product failure costs, and, consistent with organizational information processing theory, the negative impacts of these costs on financial performance extend well beyond the direct costs associated with remediating warranty claims. Further, we find that this relationship is robust to differing levels of industry innovativeness. Hence, our study suggests that product failure risks associated with firm innovativeness are significant, and act to at least partially offset the financial benefits of innovation leadership. In addition, standard accounting for product warranty claims may substantially understate the true costs associated with product failures, which appear to generate significant SG&A, fixed asset, and inventory costs above and beyond direct warranty processing costs. Our study also demonstrates a novel usage of warranty claims data. We discuss the implications of these findings for both managers and researchers.

BACKGROUND: Organizational factors associated with adoption and use of respiratory care protocols have received little attention. This study examines patterns of protocol use and features of a hospital and providers that are associated with respiratory care protocol use. METHODS: Forty-four hospitals and their health-care providers responded to an online survey regarding perceived outcomes of protocol use and their level of support for using protocols. Hospital features (ie, size, teaching status, and use of information systems) were also assessed. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 9 types of respiratory care protocols assessed (ie, asthma, COPD, ARDS, hypoxemia, pneumonia, noninvasive ventilation therapy, supplemental oxygen titration and discontinuation, ventilator weaning, and bronchopulmonary hygiene), the most commonly used were for oxygen titration and ventilator weaning. Large hospitals (> 350 beds) used protocols more widely than smaller hospitals (P ‫؍‬ .01). Respondents felt that use of protocols enhanced cost and quality of care. Finally, hospital features that were associated with overall protocol use were stakeholder support for protocol use and use of high-quality hospital information systems. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends prior research by clarifying features of hospitals and providers associated with use of respiratory care protocols. Validation in future hypothesis-testing samples will further advance this knowledge.

BACKGROUND: Demand for respiratory care services and staffing levels of respiratory therapists (RTs) is expected to increase over the next several years. Hence, RT job satisfaction will be a critical factor in determining recruitment and retention of RTs. Determinants of RT job satisfaction measures have received little attention in the literature. This study examines the use of respiratory care protocols and associated levels of RT job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress. METHODS: Four-hundred eighty-one RTs at 44 hospitals responded to an online survey regarding job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress. Random coefficient modeling was used for analysis and to account for the nested structure of the data. RESULTS: Higher levels of RT protocol use were associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, lower rates of turnover intentions, and lower levels of job stress. In addition, RTs with greater experience had higher levels of job satisfaction, and RTs working at teaching hospitals had lower rates of turnover intentions. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends prior research by examining how the use of respiratory care protocols favorably affects RTs' perceptions of job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job stress. In a time of increasing demand for respiratory care services, protocols may enhance retention of RTs.

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