Transparency and digitalization in supply chains

The project investigates the increasing importance of supply chain management (SCM) in today's business context, particularly concerning transparency and digitalization of supply chains. The project has four work packages (WP) that focus on different aspects of supply chain transparency and digitalization. WP1 aims to clarify the concept of supply chain transparency and identify enablers, prerequisites, and outcomes of supply chain transparency. The goal is to map the concept and classify supply chain transparency, providing strong practical and theoretical implications. As a follow-up step, a case study of an international manufacturing company with a subsidiary in Slovenia will be conducted to investigate prerequisites and technologies that enable supply chain transparency, as well as the relationship between transparency, prerequisites, and outcomes. WP2 focuses on the human-related factors that enable digitalization of work and subsequent transparency in supply chains. The work package takes a multidisciplinary approach to address how digitalization can be leveraged for the sustainable achievement of transparency. The proposed research aims to understand the interdependencies of different design factors across multiple levels and their manifestation and outcomes in digital work and supply chains. WP3 focuses on employee attitudes towards the digitalization of supply chain processes, particularly in relation to their role within the organization and their behaviour determinants. The work package will contribute to the understanding of the impact of increased supply chain transparency on employee attitudes, particularly in relation to communication, collaboration, and the sharing of sensitive information with third parties. The proposed research also aims to understand the potential negative attitudes towards increased supply chain transparency, particularly in relation to privacy concerns, the ability to monitor their work, and the fear of being partially or entirely replaced by technology. WP4 will use a business model lens to conceptualize a multi-layer onshoring overall framework. In addition, we will incorporate the neglected value-related dimensions such as value absent and value destroyed to derive a business model approach for so-called ""glocalized"" supply chains and apply the framework to a particular company in which we will thoroughly examine the increases and challenges of transparency. In summary, the proposed project aims to provide a corner-stone contribution to the evolving understanding of supply chain transparency and digitalization, particularly about its impact on organizations, employees, and other stakeholders. The project is deliberately interdisciplinary (within the social sciences domain) and includes researchers from management, information systems, supply chains, and public administration. Such a multidisciplinary approach in combination with the proposed case studies offers practical and theoretical implications that would contribute to developing and better understanding of future practices of digital transition.