Arturo E. Osorio, Maria G. Corradini, Grace Dewi
In-store temperature controlled distribution channels (i.e., in-store cold chains) are a retailing critical factor to ensure the safety of food products. Our study seeks to understand the role that access to standardized knowledge, in-store cold chain practices, and the interaction of those two have on the integrity of in-store cold chains. We develop a model to assess the impact of knowledge in preventing in-store cold chain disruptions, introduce the concept of latent failure (i.e., a nonidentified failure that allows for the unexpected deterioration of products ahead of their expiration date), and use a knowledge-based perspective to conceptualize how disruptions in the cold chain affect the safety and quality of food sold at retailers. We analyze a primary dataset generated over two years of field observations in four socioeconomically distinct urban neighborhoods using a partial least squares path model. Implications are discussed. © 2017, Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Department of Management & Global Business, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States; Department of Food Science, College of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States; Departamento de Biotecnología y Tecnología Alimentaria, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fakultas Bisnis, Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia