Abstract
The worldwide shortage of logistics and supply chain talents has been highlighted for years. Moreover, effective nurturing and retention of such talents are becoming increasingly crucial. The recent evolution of Industry 4.0 and the experience gained from the COVID-19 pandemic have presented additional challenges for company officials regarding the knowledge and skills required for logistics and supply chain practitioners within their organizations and trading partners.In line with the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2022, which aims to promote the development of high-value-added modern logistics in Hong Kong, and as advocated by the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council, the Transport and Logistics Bureau has recently revisited the shortage situation in the local labor market.
Senior management within companies have expressed concerns about the ability of the current logistics and supply chain practitioners to drive business excellence, thereby identifying significant skills gap that must be addressed to meet the new demands of the market. Research suggests that recent university graduates lack the necessary employability skills when entering the logistics and supply chain management (SCM) profession. In addition, with the rapid advancement of technology, some traditional knowledge has been criticized for its inability to explain and manage the ever-changing business scenarios, leading to the emergence of significant skill gaps in the past decade.
This study identifies the stakeholders involved in nurturing young supply chain practitioners amidst disruptions in education and business environments, emphasizing continuous learning and mental wellbeing in recognizing future-ready supply chain practitioners.
In the study, three themes of studies are conducted. Theme 1 about the “knowledge and hard skills in SCM perspectives” found that solutions adopted by SCMPs shifted from inventory buffering and redundancy to strategic partnerships and outsourcing. after learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the changes were not large enough. Theme 2 about “soft skills, personal traits, adaptability and entrepreneurial orientation perspectives” found that entrepreneurial traits correlated positively with continuous learning competency and skills for managing supply chain disruption, so SCMPs should be with these attributes to strengthen preparedness to shepherd supply chains through evolving business climates. Theme 3 about the “business simulation and gamified approaches in SoTL perspectives” found that digital business simulation games serve as an effective tool for teaching and learning, and persons with entrepreneurship orientation is positively correlated to perceived competence in handling supply chain disruptions.
Actions are implemented in various occasions to contribute directly to the SCM industry in terms of nurturing future-ready SCM practitioners (SCMPs) including (i) an undergraduate course in the local university of Hong Kong; (ii) a refresher course as well as a government-funded project in a local professional body.
Findings show that a gamified approach, i.e., simulation games, could facilitate effective teaching and learning in the logistics and SCM context of the current generation. Furthermore, the personality orientations in terms of interpersonal skills, cross-functional capabilities, and entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship could predict the likelihood of success of young talents in this industry.
Even though most of the research conducted, data collection and implementation took place during the COVID-19 pandemic period, thus between 30 January 2020 and 5 May 2023, which was declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), the problem of supply chain talent shortage under this study remains unchanged and has even become more severe in the post-pandemic era.
This study concludes by offering recommendations and highlighting its contributions to the logistics and supply chain industry by outlining actions for key stakeholders on the way to nurture young logistics and SCM practitioners. The results also guide local professional bodies in coping with the shortage of young practitioners. Thus, Hong Kong can continuously be promoted and developed as a logistics hub and a region of excellence in global SCM.
| Date of Award | 21 Mar 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Hoi Shou Alan CHAN (Supervisor) |