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A balancing act : towards a conceptual framework for the governance of buyer-supplier relationships in defence supply chains

Pedersen, Olger LU ; Jahre, Marianne LU and Norrman, Andreas LU orcid (2025) In Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies (SJMS) 8(1). p.152-177
Abstract
Against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation, logistics preparedness emerges as a pivotal area of focus for defence supply chains. Despite the critical role of commercial suppliers, research on utilising these in defence logistics and supply chains remains scarce. Adopting a supply chain governance lens, we have conducted a systematic literature review to provide an overview of existing research, thereby laying the groundwork for future work. Findings suggest that the security crisis spectrum is a key contextual factor influencing the governance of buyer-supplier relationships, requiring a balance of contractual and relational governance mechanisms to accommodate shifting requirements. The literature further highlights the... (More)
Against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation, logistics preparedness emerges as a pivotal area of focus for defence supply chains. Despite the critical role of commercial suppliers, research on utilising these in defence logistics and supply chains remains scarce. Adopting a supply chain governance lens, we have conducted a systematic literature review to provide an overview of existing research, thereby laying the groundwork for future work. Findings suggest that the security crisis spectrum is a key contextual factor influencing the governance of buyer-supplier relationships, requiring a balance of contractual and relational governance mechanisms to accommodate shifting requirements. The literature further highlights the importance of proactively adapting governance mechanisms and addressing regulatory barriers to accommodate shifts from peacetime to wartime operations. We therefore contribute to the defence logistics and supply chain literature with a preliminary conceptual framework which demonstrates this complexity and introduces a distinct preparedness phase for the governance of buyer-supplier relationships, moving beyond a binary view of peacetime and wartime governance. To address critical knowledge gaps, we propose a research agenda focusing on governance mechanisms for war operations and logistics preparedness, including the implications of regulatory and legal frameworks on the ability to employ such mechanisms. Additionally, this study provides insights for defence practitioners and their suppliers, contributing to an enhanced collective response to war and to societal resilience. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Defence logistics, Logistics preparedness, Supply chain governance, Supply chain management;, Systematic literature review
in
Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies (SJMS)
volume
8
issue
1
pages
26 pages
publisher
Royal Danish Defence College
ISSN
2596-3856
DOI
10.31374/sjms.354
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b26d1475-0ee8-4d66-beab-ebad7671b153
date added to LUP
2025-05-07 13:23:04
date last changed
2025-05-08 14:23:28
@article{b26d1475-0ee8-4d66-beab-ebad7671b153,
  abstract     = {{Against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation, logistics preparedness emerges as a pivotal area of focus for defence supply chains. Despite the critical role of commercial suppliers, research on utilising these in defence logistics and supply chains remains scarce. Adopting a supply chain governance lens, we have conducted a systematic literature review to provide an overview of existing research, thereby laying the groundwork for future work. Findings suggest that the security crisis spectrum is a key contextual factor influencing the governance of buyer-supplier relationships, requiring a balance of contractual and relational governance mechanisms to accommodate shifting requirements. The literature further highlights the importance of proactively adapting governance mechanisms and addressing regulatory barriers to accommodate shifts from peacetime to wartime operations. We therefore contribute to the defence logistics and supply chain literature with a preliminary conceptual framework which demonstrates this complexity and introduces a distinct preparedness phase for the governance of buyer-supplier relationships, moving beyond a binary view of peacetime and wartime governance. To address critical knowledge gaps, we propose a research agenda focusing on governance mechanisms for war operations and logistics preparedness, including the implications of regulatory and legal frameworks on the ability to employ such mechanisms. Additionally, this study provides insights for defence practitioners and their suppliers, contributing to an enhanced collective response to war and to societal resilience.}},
  author       = {{Pedersen, Olger and Jahre, Marianne and Norrman, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{2596-3856}},
  keywords     = {{Defence logistics; Logistics preparedness; Supply chain governance; Supply chain management;; Systematic literature review}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{152--177}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Danish Defence College}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies (SJMS)}},
  title        = {{A balancing act : towards a conceptual framework for the governance of buyer-supplier relationships in defence supply chains}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.31374/sjms.354}},
  doi          = {{10.31374/sjms.354}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}