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  • Editors’ Introduction
  • Evelyn Thomchick, Tom Goldsby, and Mary Holcomb

Before summarizing the interesting articles in this issue of the Transportation Journal, we would like to remind readers that we are planning another themed issue of the journal for the Summer 2016 issue. The Summer 2016 issue will focus on the theme of middle-range theory in transportation and logistics. Manuscripts should be submitted no later than August 31, 2015, for consideration. Please refer to www.editorialmanager.com/TransJour for author and submission guidelines. More detailed information can be found in the announcement on page 157-58 of this issue.

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the area of humanitarian logistics, as much humanitarian assistance does not reach the intended recipients due to supply chain and logistics problems. In the first article, Özpolat, Ribbink, Hales, and Windle analyze sourcing approaches used in emergency food aid. They conduct their analysis in the context of theoretical frameworks and use data provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to determine the optimal approach. Their findings contribute to the decision-making and policy discussion about the efficiency of governmental food aid programs.

Sustainability is another timely topic in supply chain management. In the second article of the issue, Suzuki and Kabir propose a vehicle-routing technique that can help motor carriers reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. The technique offers benefits to small motor carriers, which may not have the capabilities to purchase expensive vehicle- routing software. The method in the article also helps to reduce road damage, a factor of major concern in this era of deferred highway infrastructure maintenance.

Demand management is an important strategic and complex supply chain management process. In the third article, Donovan and Manuj present a holistic definition of demand management, based on a structured literature review process. Demand management concepts and relationships were organized into a comprehensive theoretical model. This framework should provide a rich background for conducting empirical research in the future.

Supply chain management strategy integrates supply chain partners across functions and processes. Despite an extensive body of literature on integrated supply chain management, there is no adequate explanation of the sources of the competitive advantage and performance gains that result [End Page 155] from the interfirm partnerships. In their article, Srivastava, Srinivasan, and Iyer use empirical evidence to investigate the nature of the relationships among relational resources as they interact with technological and market turbulence factors. The findings reiterate the importance of collaborative initiatives in the supply chain for operational benefits and high levels of customer service.

Motor-carrier driver behavior is always of interest in supply chain management from the perspective of both safety and transportation cost. This issue’s Industry Note by Prockl and Sternberg outlines how driver time in motor-carrier operations can be measured using different methods. Eighty drivers from 22 European motor carriers were measured using different types of participant observations and driver self-observation. The study findings offer important principles for measuring motor-carrier drivers’ use of time on the job. [End Page 156]

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