Factors Influencing Supply Chain Practices of Seafood Industries in India: An Empirical Examination

Abstract

Effective and efficient supply chain management practices now have become a very valuable and important way to remain competitive in market and to improve the organizational performance. The case of seafood exports from Kerala provides a manageable case study that throws light on the challenges faced by exporters in India as a whole. At the same time, it highlights the particular supply chain management practices followed by the Kerala seafood export sector. The population of interest was the registered seafood exporting companies in Kerala. The data collection instrument used was a questionnaire which was administered to a total sample of 350 managers. Sample selection was based on simple random sampling technique. The analyses involved statistical methods such as reliability and validity tests and Factor analysis. The study reveal the importance of Internal Integration, Strategic Supplier Partnership, Customer Relationship Management and Information Sharing. The results indicate that supplier involvement is a key coordinating process in supply chain design. Effective supply chain practice and effective information sharing are two sources of supply chain improvement. Organization has to understand and recognize supply chain management practice has profit enabler function in seafood industry. Three critical aspects of supply chain partnerships are: recognizing opportunities that would benefit from a partnership, selecting the right partners and meeting the requirements as a partner. To develop a responsive supply chain, continuous collaborative improvement among firms has become strategic imperative. This collaboration is occurring in many industries and has become the source of competitive advantage for some companies