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EJTD
38,1/2
118
Received 9 September 2013
Revised 29 September 2013
Accepted 4 October 2013
European Journal of Training and
Development
Vol. 38 No. 1/2, 2014
pp. 118-135
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2046-9012
DOI 10.1108/EJTD-09-2013-0093
Leveraging human resource
development expertise to improve
supply chain managers’ skills and
competencies
Alexander E. Ellinger
Department of Marketing and International Business,
The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, and
Andrea D. Ellinger
Department of Human Resource Development and Technology,
University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose – There is an ongoing shortage of talented supply chain managers with the necessary skills
and business-related competencies to manage increasingly complex and strategically important
supply chain processes. The purpose of this paper is to propose that organizations can create and
maintain competitive advantage by leveraging the expertise of human resource development (HRD)
professionals to provide a range of developmental and change-oriented interventions related to critical
supply chain manager skill sets that are currently in short supply.
Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper.
Findings – This is a conceptual paper.
Practical implications – Supply chain management (SCM) decisions significantly influence
financial performance since firms expend up to 75 percent of their revenue on supply chain activities.
HRD professionals’ intervention capabilities in training and development, organizational development
and change management uniquely equip them to disseminate a deeper and broader understanding of
the SCM concept within organizations, to help prioritize the development of supply chain managers
and to address the complex interpersonal issues associated with helping people to work together
collaboratively to foster operational innovation and make increasingly complex supply chain
processes function effectively.
Originality/value – The requisite skill sets for effective supply chain managers are described,
linkages between HRD and SCM are highlighted, and areas of HRD professionals’ expertise that can be
exploited to better develop supply chain managers’ skill sets and competencies are considered.
Keywords Change management, Organization development, Talent development,
Supply chain manager, Executive coaching, Managerial coaching, Strategic human resource development,
Supply chain management talent, Supply chain manager skills, Training and development
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
Supply chain management (SCM) is the proactive management of supply chain
activities and processes to maximize customer value and achieve sustainable
competitive advantage through the cumulative effort of multiple entities. The SCM
industry is growing by more than 9 percent per annum and is poised for sustained
growth ( Joyner, 2012). Globalization, market turbulence and the increasing role of SCM
in firms’ strategic planning are intensifying the need for talented supply chain Human resource
professionals who can “view the supply chain holistically in terms of linked processes, development
manage critical relationships, understand the business model, engage in statistical
analysis and fact-based decision making, practice advanced cost management and expertise
understand electronic business systems” (Trent, 2004, p. 57). Yet, although
compensation for supply chain professionals is steadily rising (Bradley, 2013), the
SCM industry is experiencing a serious talent shortage that is predicted to get worse 119
(Cottrill, 2010).
The shortage of SCM managers with the requisite broad set of skills to satisfy
ongoing demand can be largely attributed to many firms placing more emphasis on
cost reduction and improving relationships with customers and suppliers than on
developing people to achieve SCM objectives (McCarter et al., 2005; Shub and
Stonebraker, 2009; Sweeney, 2013a). Relative lack of focus on the people dimension of
SCM may also be impeding “breakthrough operational innovation” like Walmart’s
cross-docking, Dell’s mass customization and Apple’s digital online product delivery
that Hammer (2004, p. 84) contends “can destroy competitors and shake up industries.”
According to Hammer (2004, p. 86), “the invention and deployment of new ways of
doing work” often begins as grassroots movements that are driven by a few people
who are passionate about change. However, such operational innovation is relatively
rare in organizations because senior managers tend not to understand, support and
encourage it (Hammer, 2004). Thus, Senge argues that supply chains “need employees
who are innovative – who have the skill and the vision to redesign products, processes,
and business models – and who understand the business context” (Prokesch, 2010,
p. 70).
The SCM talent shortfall is further exacerbated by the lack of resources and
strategic priority devoted to SCM in functionally oriented organizations where senior
level managers tend to have a limited understanding of SCM (Hammer, 2004; Slone
et al., 2007) and of the critical influence that supply chain decisions have on firm
financial performance (Timme and Williams-Timme, 2000). However, recent
prescriptions for achieving SCM excellence contend that acquiring and developing
the right SCM talent is the first component of supply chain transformational strategy
implementation (Dittmann, 2012; Slone et al., 2010).
To address the talent shortfall, SCM thought leaders suggest that firms must
become more proactive in the development of SCM personnel with the necessary skills
and business-related competencies to manage increasingly complex and strategically
important supply chain processes (Christopher, 2012; Cottrill, 2010; Dischinger et al.,
2006; Dittmann, 2012; Fawcett et al., 2010; Slone et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2013a).
Accordingly, considering developmental approaches for addressing and mitigating the
current SCM talent shortfall appears to be warranted.
This conceptual paper proposes that organizations can create and maintain
competitive advantage by leveraging the expertise of human resource development
(HRD) professionals to provide a range of developmental and change-oriented
interventions related to critical supply chain manager skill sets that are in short
supply. HRD professionals’ intervention capabilities in training and development,
organizational development and change management uniquely equip them to
disseminate a deeper and broader understanding of the SCM concept within
organizations, to help prioritize the development of supply chain managers, and to
EJTD address the complex interpersonal issues associated with helping people to work more
38,1/2 collaboratively to make increasingly complex supply chains function more effectively.
The requisite skill sets for effective supply chain managers are described, linkages
between HRD and SCM are highlighted, and areas of HRD professionals’ expertise that
can be exploited to better develop supply chain managers’ skill sets and competencies
are considered.
120
Supply chain management
Originally, introduced by management consultants in the early 1980s, SCM is the
“degree to which a firm strategically collaborates with its supply chain partners and
collaboratively manages intra- and inter-organization processes in order to achieve
effective and efficient flows of products and services, information, money and decisions
to provide maximum value to the customer” (Flynn et al., 2010, p. 58). SCM involves
“doing more with less” by integrating key business processes to maintain required
levels of service while reducing system-wide costs and sustaining cash flow.
Collaborative integration between supply chain participants reduces the cost of doing
business by better aligning incentives and reward systems to minimize inefficient
resource utilization and non-value adding activities (Narayanan and Raman, 2004). Up
to 75 percent of firm revenue is expended on supply chain activities (i.e. purchasing,
manufacturing, moving, storing, selling and servicing products) (Trent, 2004).
Therefore, SCM decisions significantly influence each of the key drivers of firm
financial performance (i.e. revenue growth, operating cost reductions, and working
capital efficiency) (Camerinelli, 2009; Timme and Williams-Timme, 2000).
SCM is based on integration and teamwork that involves “thinking beyond
established boundaries, strengthening the linkages between functions, and finding
ways for them to pull together” (Sweeney, 2013a, p. 3). Integration behaviors include
information exchange, proactive communication, sharing resources and risks, joint
development of supply chain processes, and coordinated planning and
decision-making within and among supply chain participants. Developing
co-operative relationships between supply chain participants is a pre-requisite for
creating customer value because “unity of effort” (Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967) between
interdependent entities is required to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace
(Alderson and Martin, 1965; Drucker, 1973; Porter, 1985). Supply chain integration
creates customer value because knowledge sharing connects sourcing and
manufacturing operations with market requirements to better match supply and
demand (Esper et al., 2010).
There are, however, relatively few firms with effectively integrated supply chains
largely due to the prevalence of functionally oriented organizational structures that
prioritize the goals and objectives of individual areas instead of the collaborative
teamwork and integration required for successful cross-functional service processes
(Liedtka, 1996; Trent, 2004). Cross-functional collaboration is unstructured, informal
communication that is dependent upon peoples’ ability to trust each other, build
meaningful relationships, and appreciate one another’s expertise that enables
functional areas to “converse, learn and work across the silos that have characterized
organizational structures” (Liedtka, 1996, p. 25).
However, in many firms, overlapping functional responsibilities coupled with
conflicting departmental priorities and mindsets continue to make service failure a
distinct possibility whenever customer order fulfillment entails crossing functional Human resource
boundaries (Kingman-Brundage et al., 1995; Shapiro et al., 2004). Research further development
suggests that internal integration enables external integration because firms that
effectively communicate, share information, and collaborate across functional areas in expertise
their own organizations tend to be proficient at doing the same with external supply
chain participants (Flynn et al., 2010; Zhao et al., 2011). A major reason for the lack of
integration and collaborative teamwork in many firms is lack of emphasis on 121
developing supply chain talent with the requisite range of skills for engaging in such
behavior.

Critical skills for supply chain managers

Supply chain managers need an equal balance of “hard” (analytical and technical) and
“soft” (human and behavioral) business-related skills to achieve supply chain
integration in the current dynamic and unpredictable business environment
(Christopher, 2012; Cottrill, 2010; Sweeney, 2013a). As the “quarterbacks”
responsible for implementing intra- and inter-organizational supply chain initiatives
(Ellinger et al., 2002), complexity management, influencing skills and team leadership
are each vital ingredients within a supply chain manager’s playbook. However,
Fawcett et al. (2010) contend that most supply chain managers possess sound
analytical skills but are not nearly as well versed in the skills needed for team building
and change management.
Table I presents a summary of the requisite skills for effective supply chain
managers proposed in recent studies. As can be seen, there is considerable overlap
between the skill sets in each of the studies summarized. Cottrill (2010) offers the

Study Skills

Cottrill (2010) Higher order problem solving

Adeptness at managing ambiguity
Ability to communicate horizontally and vertically within and between
organizations
Manage teams located in numerous countries
Slone et al. (2010) Global orientation
Cross functional, cross company understanding
Leadership skills
Technical and analytics savvy
Superior business skills
Christopher (2012) Adept with the classic tools and techniques for managing ongoing
operations
Understand complex systems theory and process management in
horizontal organizational structures
Effective team leadership
Change management and influencing skills
Fawcett et al. (2010) Cross-functionalist Table I.
Choreographer Requisite skill sets for
Coach effective supply chain
Champion managers
EJTD following reasoning for the criticality of each the requisite skills for supply chain
38,1/2 managers proposed in his white paper:
.
Higher order problem solving. SCM is not just a numbers game – analytical and
technical skills are necessary but creative thinking and the ability to see the big
picture is equally important.
.
Managing ambiguity. SCM professionals should be able to “navigate in a fog” –
122 general business managers with high order diplomacy and commercial
awareness who can learn from past experiences and apply that learning in
new imprecise situations are needed.
.
Multi-level communicator. Ability to converse horizontally and vertically within
organizations and across communities of trading partners and be able to explain
the SCM concept in simple terms to diverse organizational constituents.
.
World citizen. Manage and relate to teams located in multiple countries – can no
longer assume all reports will be from the same nation.

Consistent with Cottrill’s reasoning, Slone et al. (2010) and Christopher (2012) provide
similar rationales for the skill sets proposed in their studies. Drawing upon
Leonard-Barton’s (1995) notion of T-shaped skills profiles, Christopher (2012) suggests
that such skill sets can be achieved by developing supply chain managers that have
in-depth expertise in one discipline combined with enough breadth to see connections
with others. In addition, Fawcett et al. (2010, p. 22) argue that “the indispensible supply
chain leader” is a cross-functionalist who “understands the key supply chain functions
and keeps them rolling in synch,” a choreographer who sees “the big picture while
understanding where individual pieces fit the pattern,” a coach who “teaches, mentors
and motivates others to contribute as part of a team,” and a champion “who establishes
credibility throughout all levels of the organization, thereby enabling the individual to
be an effective catalyst for supply chain change.” The next sections address linkages
between HRD and SCM and propose ways that HRD professionals can contribute
towards the development of supply chain managers with the requisite skill sets.

Linkages between HRD and SCM

The ability to leverage the skills and talents of human resources for competitive
advantage is an important theme in the strategic human resource development
literature (Garavan, 1991, 2007; McCracken and Wallace, 2000). Human resource
development (HRD) has been variously defined since the term was introduced in the
1970s with Weinberger’s (1998) study identifying more than 15 definitions. Given the
complexities of the contexts and settings where HRD is practiced, there is no
universally accepted definition of HRD. However, most scholars consider HRD to be a
field of study and practice that seeks to enhance learning and facilitate change at the
individual, group/team, organization, and societal levels to improve performance,
effectiveness, and build capacity and expertise at each level (McLean and McLean,
2001). Swanson and Holton (2009, p. 365) contend that HRD is of strategic value to
organizations when it “is performance-based, demonstrates its strategic capability, and
is responsive to the emergent nature of strategy”.
The notion of strategically exploiting human resources for SCM advantage is not
new. Since human interactions largely influence SCM practice, human resource
development strategy significantly affects supply chain performance (Maku et al., Human resource
2005; McAfee et al., 2002; Sweeney, 2013a). Thus, the SCM literature classifies HRD as development
one of the “four pillars of supply chain excellence” (Trent, 2004). However, although
SCM is “predicated on the knowledge, skills and competences of supply chain expertise
professionals” (Sweeney, 2013a, p. 34), organizations have largely neglected the human
and behavioral components of SCM (Ellinger et al., 2002; McCarter et al., 2005; Shub
and Stonebraker, 2009; Sweeney, 2013a; Tokar, 2010). 123
Although the potential contribution of HR systems and employee development
approaches to supply chain performance is under-explored in the literature (Gowen and
Tallon, 2003; Smith-Doerflein et al., 2011; Zaklad et al., 2004), research suggests that
HRD interventions in SCM contexts are associated with beneficial outcomes. For
example, the behavioral consequences of traditional transaction-based approaches to
SCM personnel are contrasted with the potential benefits of implementing
relationship-based human resource strategies in SCM contexts (McAfee et al., 2002;
Shub and Stonebraker, 2009). Similarly, a key theme in Gartner Group’s most recent
Supply Chain Top 25 annual industry report is that some of the most successful SCM
firms are focused on “inspiring the hearts and minds of supply chain talent in new
ways by setting aspirational goals and connecting the dots between the work people do
every day in the supply chain and its contribution to the societies in which they live –
building engaged supply chain talent can lead to business growth” (Hofman et al.,
2013, p. 1). From a societal perspective, Senge suggests that if organizations are to
become more focused on sustainability and environmental matters, understanding the
complexities of the “larger system” in which the organization is situated and learning
to develop working relationships with others are challenges that must be overcome
because “in most supply chains [. . .] there’s very little trust and very little ability to
innovate together” (Prokesch, 2010, p. 71).
Adopting a somewhat different perspective, Becker et al. (2010, p. 146) argue that
operational concepts within SCM such as “zero inventory, flexibility through
postponement, outsourcing, free riding, supply chain surplus, the bullwhip effect, and
changing the givens” have implications for integrating supply chains and human
resources. The authors therefore suggest that strategic HRD, social responsibility and
SCM should be integrated to “allow organizations to respond quickly to changing
conditions while attending to ‘people factors’ in supply chains” (Becker et al., 2010,
p. 144). In slight contrast to Becker et al.’s (2010) application of SCM concepts to the
field of HRD, we consider how HRD expertise can be applied in the SCM context.

HRD expertise and the development of supply chain manager skill sets
In many organizations, HRD professionals are responsible for designing and
implementing training and employee development initiatives that improve employee
and organizational performance and facilitate change at individual, group and
organizational levels (Swanson and Holton, 2009). HRD professionals’ intervention
expertise would appear to uniquely qualify them to address the complex
interpersonal issues associated with helping people to work collaboratively to make
supply chain processes function effectively. However, a recent series of industry
reports that examine SCM talent development commissioned by the Council of
Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) suggest that improvements can
be made in terms of how training funds are allocated. Further the reports suggest
EJTD that current training and development programs for SCM personnel need to be more
38,1/2 thorough and strengthened. Thus, leveraging the training and development
expertise of HRD professionals to cultivate the skill sets for SCM managers
presented in Table I may be an appropriate approach for addressing these
challenges.
Citing the need to develop and enhance human capital, the CSCMP publication
124 examines the recruitment and acquisition of supply chain talent, training and
education, and some forward thinking issues like talent progression and succession
planning (Gibson et al., 2013). With regard to training and development, the findings
presented in SCM Talent Development: The Development Process show that funding
for the development and education of SCM personnel is often treated as discretionary
spending as opposed to an ongoing budgeted item. The study also reports that while
leading organizations understand the need for sustained investment in training to
improve SCM employees’ capabilities, not all organizations invest in training. The
research also indicates that there is considerable variability in the amount of training
provided based on management level. Training investment is highest for executives.
Yet, calls for the growth and development of supply chain personnel contend that the
skill sets of supply chain managers at all levels must be enhanced (Cottrill, 2010;
Dischinger et al., 2006).
The CSCMP research also reports that training methods employed are
predominantly hands-on (i.e. learning by doing), and suggests that, although
considerable progress is being made, more comprehensive training programs for
supply chain personnel are still needed (Gibson et al., 2013). The most widely
addressed training topics reported in the study findings include demand planning,
inventory management, purchasing, and customer service. More general training
topics addressed by respondent organizations include project management, process
improvement, and leadership. However, the most commonly addressed training topics
highlighted in the CSCMP study may not be entirely aligned with developing the
requisite skill sets for effective supply chain managers depicted in Table I.
Best practice firms treat personnel development as a “strategic need” (Gowen and
Tallon, 2003). Thus, Aguinis and Kraiger (2009, p. 466) suggest “organizations that are
able to realize the benefits of training [. . .] are able to move away from viewing the
training function as an operational function or cost center to one that is value driven”.
Given the variability of firms investment in training reported in the CSCMP study, and
the prevalence of informational and hands-on training for SCM personnel described in
Gibson et al.’s (2013) research, the development of supply chain managers may be
contingent on partnering with HRD professionals to ensure that the training and
development provided is more focused on growing the requisite skill sets shown in
Table I.
Extant research consistently demonstrates that training and development benefits
individuals, teams and organizations (Aguinis and Kraiger, 2009; Birdi et al., 2008).
Aguinis and Kraiger’s (2009) review of the training and development literature further
indicates that developmental interventions affect recipients’ declarative, procedural
and strategic knowledge and that the most effective training programs include
cognitive and interpersonal skills. The review also acknowledges that the benefits
associated with training extend beyond performance issues at the individual and team
levels to the organization. Aguinis and Kraiger state that studies support the
performance benefits of training to the organization that include “improved Human resource
organizational performance (e.g. profitability, effectiveness, productivity, operating development
revenue per employee” (Aguinis and Kraiger, 2009, p. 459) and also indirect benefits
associated with turnover, and organizations’ reputations. A number of approaches and expertise
strategies have been found to maximize the benefits of training including: needs
assessment and pretraining states, training design and delivery, training evaluation,
and transfer of training (Aguinis and Kraiger, 2009). With expertise in these areas, 125
HRD professionals may be able to improve existing training given some of the noted
shortcomings associated with existing SCM training programs.
Developmental interventions can be targeted toward individual supply chain
managers to expand and develop the requisite skill sets and competencies. At the
group and team levels, interventions designed to enhance supply chain managers’
influencing skills to help build teamwork and resolve cross-functional conflicts can be
implemented. At the organization level, HRD interventions to enhance supply chain
managers’ competencies as change agents would help to promote the cultural changes
and understanding needed to successfully implement the myriad of operational
process and technological initiatives characteristic of today’s supply chains.
Additionally, since systems theory and systems thinking are critical underpinnings
of HRD practice, HRD professionals may also contribute by helping to disseminate a
deeper and broader appreciation of the SCM concept within organizations to combat
the fundamental lack of understanding that is all too frequent among non-supply chain
(Trent, 2004) and upper level managers (Slone et al., 2010).
Table II presents a summary of potential HRD approaches that can be exploited to
grow the requisite skill sets of supply chain managers and more effectively
disseminate the SCM concept throughout organizations. The next sections elaborate
upon the four HRD approaches considered in this article.

HRD intervention Objectives and skill set development

Managerial coaching Provide supply chain managers with an understanding and

appreciation of the importance of adopting coaching roles that can
enhance the skills, knowledge, learning and performance of supply
chain personnel
Executive coaching Provide senior level executives with one-on-one coaching that can
increase their self-awareness as well as their understanding and
appreciation of SCM issues thereby enhancing their effectiveness in
leadership roles
Organization development Provide supply chain personnel, managers and executives with an
and change management understanding of the process and implementation of planned change,
as well as how to build internal capacity for transferring and sharing
the knowledge and skills required to manage and sustain change
Team leadership and Provide supply chain managers and executives with an understanding Table II.
strategic initiative of team leadership and management and strategic initiative HRD approaches for
implementation implementation approaches that can enable supply chain managers to developing supply chain
more effectively lead and manage diverse teams and impact managers’ skills and
competitive advantage through successful implementation of SCM disseminating the SCM
initiatives concept
EJTD Managerial coaching
38,1/2 The notion of managers serving as coaches is not new and has gained credence as
research continues to indicate the powerful nature of managerial coaching as an
employee development intervention. Ellinger et al. (2010a) define the “manager as
coach” as a manager or supervisor who enacts specific behaviors that enables his/her
employees (or coachees) to learn and develop, thus serving as a facilitator of learning or
126 coach to his/her respective employees. Hamlin et al. (2006, p. 328) suggest that coaching
is at the “heart of managerial and leadership effectiveness”.
Several behavioral taxonomies in the HRD literature identify the effective and
ineffective behaviors of managers who serve as coaches (Beattie, 2002, 2006; Ellinger,
1997; Ellinger and Bostrom, 1999). These taxonomies can be useful for determining
areas where HRD professionals can help supply chain personnel to develop managerial
coaching competencies to enhance employee skills, knowledge, learning and
performance. Empirical research conducted in supply chain contexts consistently
demonstrates the positive influence of managerial coaching on employee and
organizational performance (Ellinger et al., 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010b; Elmadağ
et al., 2008; Hannah, 2004), while Kim et al.’s (2013) recent study further underlines the
potential value of managerial coaching.
According to Fawcett et al. (2010), a key characteristic of the “indispensable” supply
chain leader is coaching. However, the managers interviewed in Fawcett et al.’s study
“strongly reiterated the need for coaching. But at the same time, they noted that few
within their organizations possess true coaching skills” (p. 27) because most companies
are not cultivating managerial coaching capabilities. Despite the apparent benefits of
managerial coaching, HRD scholars agree with Fawcett et al. that managerial coaches
are often rare in practice. Often, work demands, lack of time, insufficient training, and
mis-aligned reward systems contribute to sporadic or non-existent levels of managerial
coaching (Ellinger, 2013). Yet, Hutchinson and Purcell (2007) identify a number of
supportive conditions for promoting coaching by line managers. Based on these
criteria, HRD professionals, for whom coaching is deemed an area of expertise, can
design, develop, and implement coaching training programs for supply chain
managers, can serve as one-on-one coaches to supply chain managers and can help to
foster work environments that are conducive to managerial coaching.

Executive coaching
At the mid, senior, and executive levels, executive coaching is becoming an increasingly
prevalent skill-development intervention (Baron and Morin, 2009). Kilburg (2000, p. 65)
defines executive coaching as “a helping relationship formed between a client who has
managerial authority and responsibility in an organization and a consultant who uses a
wide variety of behavioral techniques and methods to assist the client to achieve a
mutually identified set of goals to improve his or her professional performance and
personal satisfaction and consequently to improve the effectiveness of the client’s
organization within a formally defined coaching agreement”. Similarly, Stokes and Jolly
(2010) suggest that executive coaching enables senior level executives to become more
self-aware thereby enhancing their effectiveness in leadership roles. Baron and Morin
(2009) identify a number of empirical studies that suggest executive coaching is
positively associated with self-efficacy, leadership, organizational commitment, conflict
resolution, and individual performance.
 Although typically provided by an external coach or consultant, HRD professionals Human resource
are often equipped with the expertise necessary to help senior managers in need of development
executive coaching because of their consulting and change facilitation skills. Slone
et al.’s (2007) article entitled, “Are you the weakest link in your company’s supply expertise
chain?” provides a template of topics whereby executive coaching may help CEOs to
not “become unwitting weak links in their companies’ own supply chain strategies” (p.
117). Given the critical nature of supply chain operations in organizations, Slone et al. 127
identify seven areas influenced by CEOs: picking the right leaders, initiating
benchmarking and devising metrics, setting incentives for supportive behavior,
keeping up with supply chain technologies and trends, eliminating cross-functional
crossed wires, adding supply chain insight to business planning, and resisting the
“tyranny of short-term thinking”.
Slone et al.’s (2007) research provides a self-assessment tool for CEOs to evaluate
their level of supply chain leadership across the seven key areas as well as some
strategies to help CEOs address low scores on the self-evaluation. The recommended
strategies include hiring top supply chain talent, rewarding behavior that benefits the
entire organization, and investing personal time in learning about industry innovations
and new technologies. It is possible that executives and CEOs who are not sufficiently
“up to speed” with SCM may need some personalized development in order to fully
engage and ensure that they are not acting as “unwitting negative influences.” In such
instances, executive coaching may represent a developmental approach that can serve
to enhance CEOs’ understanding and appreciation of critical SCM-related strategic
issues and encourage the requisite behaviors and knowledge to leverage SCM for
competitive advantage.

Organization development and change management

While managerial coaching and executive coaching are interventions used to bring
about changes in individual effectiveness and performance, a multitude of
interventions exist at the team, group and organization levels to bring about
planned change. According to Cummings and Worley (2009), organization
development (OD) typically refers to planned changes in the “strategy, structure
and/or processes of an entire system” (p. 2) to improve organizational effectiveness. OD
is often distinguished from change management (CM) based upon value orientation.
Whereas OD embraces the notion of transfer of knowledge and skills to build capacity
for internal change, CM does not necessarily require the transfer of such skills.
Moreover, CM is often associated with operational issues like cost, quality, and work
scheduling (Cummings and Worley, 2009).
Models used by HRD professionals and managers to guide the process of planned
change generally have action research as a core underpinning. Within the cyclical
process of action research, organizational members may partner with HRD
professionals, OD consultants, subject matter experts or others internal or external
to the organization with the specific expertise to assess problems and areas in need of
improvement. This involvement in diagnosing problems, designing and implementing
appropriate solutions to address such problems, and then evaluating the impact of the
planned change is intended to reflect the importance of organizational members as
co-learners in the process. Organizational members ultimately own the problem and
the solution and learn how to build capacity for change during the process. Cummings
EJTD and Worley (2009) further contend that managers are increasingly being challenged to
38,1/2 develop and apply OD and CM skills given the pace of change and the need for them to
play central roles in managing and sustaining change.
Supply chain managers with the requisite cross-functional (and cross company)
understanding and communication skills to champion major change are relatively rare
(Cottrill, 2010; Fawcett et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2013a, b). However, Slone’s (2004) account
128 of “Leading a supply chain turnaround” provides an impactful example of how a senior
supply chain executive successfully effected change by relentlessly communicating
with functional area counterparts to “sell the revolution” and ensure buy in for the
devotion of substantial organizational resources to radical SCM process change. Slone
et al.’s outline provides a roadmap that may be used by HRD professionals to help
supply chain managers develop the cross-functionalist and inter-organizational
communication skills needed to effectively champion planned change in supply chain
processes that may affect multiple internal and external constituents.

Team leadership and strategic initiative implementation

Closely related to the development of change facilitation skills is the ability to lead and
manage diverse teams that is highlighted in Table I as a necessary and desired skill for
supply chain managers (Christopher, 2012; Cottrill, 2010; Slone et al., 2010).
Team development, team building, and conflict resolution among teams are
interventions that have a long history in OD and for which a large and growing body of
literature exists (Cummings and Worley, 2009). Given the importance of teamwork,
collaborative integration, and open and trusting communications in the SCM context
(Prokesch, 2010; Sweeney, 2013a), leveraging the skills of HRD professionals to create
training and development initiatives focused on team leadership and management
could also prove beneficial to the development of supply chain managers’ skill sets.
With the growth of virtual teams and technologies that enable teamwork and
collaboration to occur across time zones, cultures, and geographies (Freidman, 2005;
McWhorter, 2010), it is essential that supply chain managers develop skill sets to
leverage virtual work team situations. Again, HRD professionals are typically well
versed in team/group interventions and could be called upon to apply their expertise
towards enhancing supply chain managers’ team leadership and management skills.
Similarly, HRD professionals’ expertise can be leveraged to help supply chain
managers implement the myriad of SCM-related strategic initiatives like lean process
implementations, outsourcing of core activities, the adoption of new technologies and
the offshoring of sourcing and manufacturing. With regard to the implementation of
such strategic initiatives, Alagaraja and Egan’s (2013) case study examines the role
and strategic value of HRD professionals involved in a lean process implementation.
The study findings show that HRD professionals were instrumental in the
implementation of several initiatives at both at the corporate and local strategic
business unit (SBU) levels. At the corporate level, HRD professionals facilitated
“360-degree appraisal, team accountability, and communication campaign”; at the local
SBU, HRD professionals were responsible for developing “new-hire orientation,
revamping employee-related training, and facilitating the Q12 survey for capturing
employee engagement data” (p. 19).
Despite the predominantly transactional-based approaches to SCM personnel
described by McAfee et al. (2002) and Shub and Stonebraker (2009), people involvement
is critical to the success of strategic initiative implementations in supply chains (Maku Human resource
et al., 2005; Shub and Stonebraker, 2009; Sweeney, 2013a). To this end, a recent white development
paper provides a benchmark for lean process implementation in supply chain contexts
that may be used by HRD professionals as a template for helping supply chain expertise
managers to more effectively involve people in the implementation of strategic supply
chain initiatives (Ryder Corporation, 2011).
129
Conclusion
The strategic significance of SCM has become more apparent to firms in recent years
as senior managers realize and empirical studies consistently indicate that superior
execution of the supply chain concept is associated with superior financial performance
(Ellinger et al., 2011, 2012). However, although the SCM industry appears to be poised
for sustained growth, there is an ongoing shortage of supply chain managers with the
broad range of managerial skills and competencies to foster operational innovation and
effectively manage complex supply chain processes. Moreover, firms’ current training
and development initiatives for SCM personnel may not be sufficiently aligned with the
objective of developing the requisite skills and competencies for supply chain
managers.
Many organizations accord “high degrees of lip service” to the notion that people
are vital to SCM (McCarter et al., 2005), and extant literature has devoted far more
attention to technical and physical components than to the human and behavioral
components or “soft side” of SCM (Smith-Doerflein et al., 2011; Shub and
Stonebraker, 2009; Sweeney, 2013a; Tokar, 2010). In consequence, although the
success of the myriad of strategic SCM initiatives implemented by organizations is
predicated on human interaction, “creating an organizational culture in which
change can be effectively managed represents a particular challenge for supply
chain leaders” (Sweeney, 2013b, p. 34).
Perhaps the shortage of appropriately developed SCM managers and the associated
challenges with implementing change is because OD – a core function and domain of
expertise for HRD professionals – is often left to organizational leaders and managers
who are tasked with such responsibilities but who may not be equipped to execute
them. In contrast, HRD professionals tend to be knowledgeable about theories of
change, and are trained to use a number of action research based change models that
enable them to partner with managers and leaders to help them facilitate and
implement strategic change initiatives.
Current market trends indicate that firms must become more proactive in the
development of supply chain managers. Leveraging the expertise of HRD professionals
to facilitate this strategic necessity appears to make a lot of sense. Therefore, the
ongoing shortage of appropriately developed SCM personnel and the increasing
strategic importance and financial significance of SCM practice present opportunities
for HRD professionals to become more cognizant of the human and behavioral nuances
of SCM and to apply their expertise to contribute towards the achievement and
maintenance of competitive advantage.

Implications for practice and directions for future research

This conceptual manuscript considers interventions that can be developed and
implemented in partnership with HRD professionals to improve SCM managers’ skill
EJTD sets and disseminate a better understanding of the SCM concept throughout
38,1/2 organizations. We propose that executive coaching interventions at the individual level
may help senior leaders and SCM managers gain personal self-awareness that may
enable them to further develop the requisite skill sets and improve their value as
leaders. Further, developing the managerial coaching capabilities of SCM may enable
them to develop their employees. Similarly, interventions focused at the group and
130 team levels may enable leaders and SCM managers to build integration and teamwork,
as well as develop higher levels of trust through managerial coaching of individual
employees within teams. In addition, interventions that help leaders and SCM
managers to more effectively facilitate organizational change may develop
organizational climates that are more conducive to fostering the operational
innovation that can improve complex supply chain processes.
This paper also represents a foundation for research that better establishes the
HRD-SCM connection. As mentioned above, there is a relative lack of research that
examines the so-called “soft side” of SCM, and studies that examine the influence of
HRD interventions in SCM contexts are also rare. More research on these topics would
serve to extend what is currently known about the application of HRD expertise in
SCM contexts and would help organizations to better manage strategically significant
supply chain processes by more effectively addressing the needs of the SCM personnel
who are tasked with the responsibility to do so.
Suggestions for conducting research to better establish the HRD-SCM connection
include examining organizations recognized for superior execution of the SCM concept
– an annual ranking of such firms is published by Gartner Supply Chain group
annually – to evaluate how these best in show/best practice firms are exploiting HRD
and OD competency to “capture the minds and souls of SCM personnel”. Assessments
of how exemplary supply chain managers (like the protagonist in Slone (2004))
acquired their cross-functional communication, influencing and change
implementation skills would also help to identify roadmaps for developing effective
supply chain managers. Finally, detailed examinations of the efficacy of formal and
informal HRD interventions combined with evaluations of the quality – rather than the
quantity – of training and development for SCM personnel would serve to establish a
better understanding of the relative benefits of alternative HRD approaches and
interventions in SCM contexts.
Christensen and Raynor’s (2003) contend that many studies are so focused on
success stories and best practices that failures are not considered and that the most
useful research helps managers understand the circumstances in which theories or, in
the current context, training and development interventions, do and do not work.
Worst case/failed practices should therefore also be examined to assess ineffective as
well as effective HRD interventions in order to identify influential factors in the
development (or non-development) of supply chain personnel. It would also be
interesting to conduct longitudinal analyses that examine the influence of HRD
interventions designed to enhance supply chain managers’ skill sets.
Case analyses, field observations, and in-depth interviews are appropriate research
approaches for crafting a more comprehensive understanding of the potentially diverse
support and developmental needs of supply chain managers. The authors hope that the
issues considered in this paper will stimulate further research on the HRD-SCM
connection, an important, but relatively dormant area in the extant literature.
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About the authors

Alexander E. Ellinger (PhD, University of Georgia) is the Frank Schultz Professor of Business
Administration in the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration at The
University of Alabama. He is Editor of International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics
Management and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference
proceedings. His research interests include the influence of human resource development
strategies in logistics organizations, marketing/logistics interdepartmental integration, and
resource-based theory and firm performance. Prior to entering academe, he worked in the retail
furniture industry.
Andrea D. Ellinger (PhD, The University of Georgia) is Professor of Human Resource
Development at The University of Texas at Tyler. She is editor of Human Resource Development
Quarterly and is the recipient of the 2012 Academy of Human Resource Development Scholar of
the Year Award. Her research interests include informal learning in the workplace,
organizational learning, evolving managerial roles, managerial coaching, mentoring, and the
learning organization concept. Prior to entering academe, she worked in sales and marketing in
the technology and social expression industries. Andrea D. Ellinger is the corresponding author
and can be contacted at: andrea_ellinger@uttyler.edu

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