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Notes: This manuscript discusses the contributions of Peter F. Drucker and the seminal influences on his logic made by the Austrian School of Economics. According to our research, Drucker focused on four critical elements of the Austrian School: an interdisciplinary approach and philosophical sophistication; the vision of market competition as an endless dynamic process (creative destruction, entrepreneurship); the firm as a social entity and as a depository of knowledge; and the role of the government. The research also suggests that Peter Drucker's prolific legacy has significantly influenced modern management theory and practice through its grounding in Austrian School logic.

Notes: Reverse logistics is one of the toughest supply chain challenges. One approach to achieving more effective reverse logistics is to adopt a relationship-oriented perspective. Two aspects of a relationship-orientation - trust and relationship commitment - were examined by surveying senior marketing and logistics personnel from the automotive aftermarket industry. Relationship commitment was found to mediate the relationship between trust and reverse logistics performance. Reverse logistics program performance was found to be more effective and efficient when relationship commitment was present.

Notes: As the number of firms participating in export activities increases, information regarding the international environment in turn becomes critical in effectively managing corporate ventures. Given the level of economic volatility within certain export markets and the increasing levels of competition worldwide, effective distribution management venturing and strategy will also become more complex. Decision support is crucial in effectively monitoring and modifying marketing channels in an overseas environment. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that drive market information use in export distribution decisions, these factors being both internal and external to the organization. Concurrently, the linkage between market information use and export performance is investigated, in order to better understand the role of this strategy in export operations. First, a discussion of strategic, organization specific, and environment specific factors and their association with market information use is discussed. Second, research hypotheses are developed through the support of the existing literature. Next, data collection and analysis procedures are discussed along with results of the hypothesis testing. Finally, a presentation of the findings along with theoretical and managerial implications is offered. The research reveals the strategic importance of market information usage in distribution control, market positioning, venture planning, and market volatility.

Notes: Trade promotions have become an important instrument in accomplishing supply chain objectives. The extensive use of trade promotions does not appear likely to fade in the immediate future. Results of a recent survey of independent grocery retailers are presented. The research examines the importance of customer service in influencing which vendor's trade promotions are accepted. Customer service was found to be highly important in promotion selection decisions.

Notes: Purpose - Collaboration has been referred to as the driving force behind effective supply chain management and may be the ultimate core capability. However, there is a fairly widespread belief that few firms have truly capitalized on its potential. A study was undertaken to assess the current level of supply chain collaboration and identify best practice. Design/methodology/approach - Supply chain executives provided insights into collaboration. Survey data, personal interviews, and a review of the collaboration literature were used to develop a conceptual model profiling behavior, culture, and relational interactions associated with successful collaboration. Findings - Positive collaboration-related outcomes include enhancements to efficiency, effectiveness, and market positions for the respondents' firms. Research limitations/implications - The small sample size represents a limitation, but is balanced by the quality of the respondent base and their expertise/experience. Another limitation involves securing input from only one party to the collaborative relationships. Developing a longitudinal study would help determine how collaboration-related factors and relationships change over time. Practical implications - Several respondents mentioned a "blurring of lines" between organizations contrasted to an "us vs them" approach. This was expressed in a number of different ways - treating the arrangements as if they both were part of the same operation, treating them as co-owned, and employing a new focus on the best common solution. Many of the respondents indicating rewards are not distributed evenly still admitted they get enough "out of" the collaborative arrangements to make it worthwhile. Originality/value - Real-world practical experiences are recounted involving many of today's top companies.

Notes: Purpose - Aims to provide empirical evidence of the relationships between and among reverse logistics, resource commitment, and innovation. Design/methodology/approach - Mail surveys were sent to members of the Automobile Aftermarket Industry Association, a large trade association. Factor level results followed by between-item results, as typically reported in general linear modeling and mediated regression, are developed using a split sample methodology. Ultimately, Resource-Advantage Theory provided the framework for examining the impact of developing innovative reverse logistics-related dynamic capabilities. Findings - Resource commitment makes reverse logistics programs more efficient and more effective. However, the resources must be used in such a manner as to develop innovative capabilities/approaches to handling returns. Resource commitment was not found to be significantly related to innovation in reverse logistics at smaller firms. This is likely to be related to the level of resources available. Larger firms can commit greater resources and, thus, enjoy superior performance compared with smaller firms in the survey group. Research limitations/implications - The focus is somewhat narrow. New research should extend beyond the one industry examined. Future research should also expand to include more members of the supply chain and employ methods that allow examination of network relationships. Practical implications - Reverse logistics deserves special attention in terms of resource commitment. Resources related to labor, i.e. allocating sufficient personnel to reverse logistics programs, are especially critical. Innovation in reverse logistics programs was found to be related to operational service quality at both small and large firms. Originality/value - The research provides empirical evidence of the relationships between resource commitment and innovation - and how reverse logistics program performance is influenced. This has important implications with respect to customer relations. It can also be used to provide rationale for securing adequate resource commitment for reverse logistics programs.

Notes: Many firms are placing greater emphasis on managing returned product. Reverse logistics programs are being used to recover assets that would otherwise be lost. Research results are presented covering reverse logistics programs in the electronics industry, specifically among firms selling through catalogs. The paper looks at how reverse logistics performance and satisfaction with reverse logistics service are influenced by industry, firm size/sales volume, and internal or external assignment of responsibility for disposition. The results are mixed. Performance is significantly impacted by sales volume, while industry effects significantly impact satisfaction. Neither performance nor satisfaction was significantly influenced by location of responsibility for disposition.