An evaluation of logistics and transportation professional o

Journal of Business Logistics, 1995 by Fawcett, Stanley E, Vellenga, David B, Truitt, Lawrence J

Logistics and transportation have received increasing recognition as vital business and educational disciplines since Drucker(1) identified logistics as an important but overlooked function. Noting that a lack of knowledge existed about the logistics concept, Drucker said, "We know little more about distribution today than Napoleon's contemporaries knew about the interior of Africa. We know it is there, and we know it is big; and that's about all." The importance of logistics was thus identified, establishing the need to develop a better understanding of logistics as it relates to managerial decisions and government policy. Over the past thirty years, the level of understanding regarding logistics has increased substantially. Even so, many managers and policy makers continue to view logistics as a satisficing support function rather than as a strategic weapon.(2)

This situation emphasizes the need for continued education concerning logistics and transportation management. Numerous resources exist in the form of professional organizations, college and university programs, and academic and practitioner publications to help meet today's educational needs. However, the quantity and diversity of resources available makes it difficult for the average manager (or educator) to be aware of all the possible information outlets. This article therefore endeavors to evaluate the existing educational resources for logistics and transportation management.

METHODOLOGY

The data for this study were collected using a four-page questionnaire mailed to 177 logistics and transportation educators. The objective was to target all college and university educators involved in logistics and transportation education throughout the United States. The questionnaire consisted of three major sections; that is, one section for each of the three primary sources of logistics and transportation education--professional organizations, college/university programs, and publications. The final section focusing on publications was divided into two distinct parts representing academic journals and practitioner periodicals. The questionnaire was further structured so that respondents rated the various criteria that are frequently used to evaluate the different sources of information before they actually evaluated the educational sources themselves. This approach helps develop some consensus such that the different respondents work from a similar reference point as they perform their evaluations. A total of 101 usable questionnaires were returned (response rate=57%) and used to provide the basis for the following discussion.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

By the early 1990s, a variety of logistics and transportation professional organizations offering a wide range of educational services existed. Some organizations such as the Council of Logistics Management and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics serve the general needs of professionals who perform a variety of managerial functions-related to logistics management. Other organizations, including the Warehousing Education and Research Council and the National Defense Transportation Association, are designed to meet the needs of a more specific and targeted audience. Thus, the educational role and influence of these organizations varies considerably.

To assist in evaluating these diverse organizations, respondents were asked to rate five factors that influence their opinion regarding the value of membership in each organization. The five criteria of interest were: (1) seminars or workshops offered by the organization, (2) overall prestige of the organization, (3) national conferences sponsored by the organization, (4) the role adopted by the organization in educating professionals, and (5) the characteristics of membership. The results of this rating process are displayed in Table 1 (a five-point scale was used with 5=very important and 1=very unimportant). With a rating of 4.46, the national conference of each organization was considered to be the factor that most influences the decision to join a professional organization. In general, the "state-of-the-art" information relating to the field is presented and discussed at the national conference. Further, the national conference provides perhaps the best opportunity to network with and learn from other professionals involved in similar managerial and/or research endeavors. The only other factor to receive a rating greater than four was the organization's efforts in educating professionals. Organization prestige and seminars/workshops sponsored by the organization received equal ratings of 3.92. General membership characteristics were viewed as only somewhat important.

Based on their perceptions of how well the different organizations meet the combination of criteria discussed above, respondents were asked to rate the organizations themselves. Again, a five-point scale was used to perform the evaluation (5=outstanding, 3=average, and 1=poor) (see Table 2). (Table 2 omitted). Information regarding the respondent's familiarity with each organization was also gathered. The Council of Logistics Management (CLM) received a 4.45 rating--almost half a point higher than the next most highly rated organization--and is thus perceived to be the most educationally influential professional logistics organization. The Transportation Research Forum, an organization that focuses more on "pure" transportation issues, was the only other organization to receive a rating greater than four. o other organizations were rated highly--the Transportation Research Board and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. Both of these organizations tend to place greater emphasis on more traditional transportation issues (economics, policy, and regulation). These four organizations tended to possess the greatest following among the respondents with each scoring well in terms of respondent familiarity. In fact, only one organization that is well known by the respondents failed to receive an above average rating. Thus, an organization's ability to create an overall awareness of its activities appears to influence educators' perceptions of the benefits and influence of the organization. Among the very specialized organizations, the Warehousing Education and Research Council received the highest evaluation. Also, the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS), an organization that is only tangentially related to areas of logistics and transportation management, received the fifth highest rating (interestingly, with a membership of 70,000, APICS is the largest management organization in the country). Finally, four organizations received below average ratings.