Integration and self regulation of quality management in Dutch agri-food supply chains: A cross-chain analysis of the poultry meat, the fruit and vegetable and the flower and potted plant chains

296 Pages·2007·3.294 MB·English

by  Wijnand van Plaggenhoef

Integration and self regulation
of quality management in
Dutch agri-food supply chains
A cross-chain analysis of the poultry meat, the fruit
and vegetable and the fl ower and potted plant chains
Wijnand van Plaggenhoef
ageningen Academic
u b l i s h e r s International chains and networks series – Volume 4
Integration and self regulation
of quality management in
Dutch agri-food supply chains
Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within
the InterregIIIC Programme, project PromSTAP.
Integration and self regulation
of quality management in
Dutch agri-food supply chains
A cross-chain analysis of the poultry meat, the fruit
and vegetable and the flower and potted plant chains
Wijnand van Plaggenhoef
International chains and networks series – Volume 4
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ISBN: 978-90-8686-055-5 without prior written permission from the
e-ISBN: 978-90-8686-627-4 publisher, Wageningen Academic Publishers,
DOI: 10.3920/978-90-8686-627-4 P.O. Box 220, 6700 AE Wageningen,
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ISSN 1874-7663
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International chains and networks series
Agri-food chains and networks are swiftly moving toward globally interconnected systems
with a large variety of complex relationships. This is changing the way food is brought to
the market. Currently, even fresh produce can be shipped from halfway around the world at
competitive prices. Unfortunately, accompanying diseases and pollution can spread equally
rapidly. This requires constant monitoring and immediate responsiveness. In recent years
tracking and tracing has therefore become vital in international agri-food chains and networks.
This means that integrated production, logistics, information- and innovation systems are
needed. To achieve these integrated global supply chains, strategic and cultural alignment,
trust and compliance to national and international regulations have become key issues. In this
series the following questions are answered: How should chains and networks be designed to
effectively respond to the fast globalization of the business environment? And more specificly,
How should firms in fast changing transition economies (such as Eastern European and
developing countries) be integrated into international food chains and networks?
About the editor
Onno Omta is chaired professor in Business Administration at Wageningen University
and Research Centre, the Netherlands. He received an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD
in innovation management, both from the University of Groningen. He is the Editor-in-
Chief of The Journal on Chain and Network Science, and he has published numerous articles
in leading scientific journals in the field of chains and networks and innovation. He has
worked as a consultant and researcher for a large variety of (multinational) technology-
based prospector companies within the agri-food industry (e.g. Unilever, VION, Bonduelle,
Campina, Friesland Foods, FloraHolland) and in other industries (e.g. SKF, Airbus, Erickson,
Exxon, Hilti and Philips).
Dedicated to my parents
Table of contents
Acknowledgements 11
Chapter 1. Introduction 13
1.1 General introduction 13
1.2 Research questions 15
1.3 Theoretical and managerial contributions 16
1.4 Study domain 17
1.5 Methodology: three phases 18
1.6 Outline of the book 19
Chapter 2. Study domain 23
2.1 The Dutch agri-food sector 23
2.2 The poultry meat chain 26
2.3 The fruit and vegetable chain 30
2.4 The flower and potted plant chain 34
2.5 European food safety and quality regulations 37
2.6 Private European quality management systems 43
2.7 National food safety and quality regulations 48
2.8 Regulations in the poultry meat chain 51
2.9 Regulations for the fruit and vegetable chain 58
2.10 Regulations for the flowers and potted plant chain 64
2.11 Concluding remarks 65
Chapter 3. Theoretical review 69
3.1 Supply Chain Management 69
3.2 Total Quality Management 73
3.3 Transaction Cost Theory 77
3.4 Contingency Theory 80
3.5 Self regulation 84
3.6 Concluding remarks 89
Chapter 4. Hypotheses 91
4.1 Integration of quality management 91
4.2 Self regulating behaviour: commitment and enforcement 96
4.3 Performance 99
4.4 Concluding remarks 100
Integration and self regulation of quality management 7
Chapter 5. Study design 103
5.1 The conjoint analysis 104
5.2 The questionnaire survey 110
5.3 In-depth interviews 128
5.4 Concluding remarks 130
Chapter 6. Conjoint analysis results 133
6.1 Study sample 133
6.2 Drivers 134
6.3 Ranking of the drivers 138
6.4 Concluding remarks 146
Chapter 7. Survey results 149
7.1 Response 149
7.2 Characteristics of the study samples 151
7.3 Analysis of response, non-response bias and informant selection 157
7.4 Analysis of generalisability 158
7.5 Analysis of the validity and reliability of the constructs 166
7.6 Analysis of the structural models 180
7.7 Concluding remarks 194
Chapter 8. In-depth interview results 197
8.1 Study sample 197
8.2 Factors influencing integration of quality management 198
8.3 Self regulating behaviour 201
8.4 Performance 206
8.5 Concluding remarks 208
Chapter 9. Discussion and conclusions 211
9.1 Answering of the research questions 211
9.2 Managerial and policy implications 220
9.3 Theoretical contribution 224
9.4 Methodological implications 225
9.5 Limitations of the study and recommendations for further research 226
9.6 Concluding remarks 227
References 229
8 Integration and self regulation of quality management
Appendices 249
Appendix 1. Validation and reliability assessment 249
Appendix 2. Analyses of the sub-groups 257
Appendix 3. The drivers and their levels included in ACA 275
Appendix 4. The questionnaire survey 277
Appendix 5. Interview protocol for the in-depth interviews 284
Summary 287
About the author 295
Integration and self regulation of quality management 9