Supply Chain Management in Syrian Telecoms

This assignment investigates the challenges and opportunities facing supply chain management within the Syrian Telecommunication industry. It explores the influence of evolving customer demands, technological advancements, and factors like political instability and lack of skilled labor. The assignment includes a questionnaire for employees and managers to gather insights into their perspectives on supply chain processes, key challenges, and the impact of effective supply chain management on organizational performance.

Running head: DISSERTATION
Impact of supply chain management practices on organizational performance: A case study of
Syrian Telecommunication Industry
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Abstract
The research study focusing on the impact of effective supply chain management process on
enhancing the organizational performance. The reference of the Syrian Telecommunication
Industry provides the in-depth knowledge about the service supply chain management and the
associated components. The literature study develops the concept based analysis of the subject
matter. The supply chain management process is even defined as the method of planning,
controlling, and developing the right information flow to convert the raw materials into the
finished products or services.
The purpose of using the methodology is to gather information in a robust manner from different
reliable sources and authentic resources. In this respect, the discussion has to encapsulate proper
research philosophy and structure.The mixed method research conducted in this study provides
the clear and concise ideas about the concept, theory, significance, and challenges.
Considering the discussed challenges, the study also presents the suitable recommendations for
developing the future prospects. The telecommunication industry requires collaborating with the
government to deal with the challenging regulations imposed by the Syrian government.
Establishing the communication transparency to communicate with both the internal and external
stakeholders would be beneficial for the telecommunication industry to ensure strengthened
relationships.

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Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my professor for assigning me with this research study. With the help of
my supervisors and the fellow mates, I could gather the information related to the subject area. I
would to thank them as well.
I would also like to thank the members of Syrian Telecommunication Industry to participate in
the survey process. I would thank the managers from this industry for the interview session. The
journey has been much promising for me.
Thanking You

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1..........................................................................................................................................8
Introduction......................................................................................................................................8
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................8
1.1 Problem definition.....................................................................................................................8
1.2 Research Background................................................................................................................9
1.2 Research Rationale..................................................................................................................11
1.3 Research Aim...........................................................................................................................13
1.4 Research Objectives.................................................................................................................14
1.5 Research Objectives.................................................................................................................14
1.6 Research Hypothesis................................................................................................................14
1.7 Research Significance..............................................................................................................15
1.7 Research Structure...................................................................................................................15
1.8 Summary..................................................................................................................................17
Chapter 2........................................................................................................................................18
Literature Review..........................................................................................................................18
2.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................18
2.1 Concept of Supply Chain Management Process in Telecommunication Industry..................18
2.2 Components of the Supply Chain Process in Telecommunication..........................................20
2.3 Research Framework ofSCM Process in Telecommunication Industry..................................21
2.4 Organisational Performance....................................................................................................24
2.5 Impact of Supply Chain Management Process on enhancing organizational Performance....25
2.6 Incorporation of DEA..............................................................................................................26

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2.7 Selecting suppliers...................................................................................................................27
2.8 Role of DEA............................................................................................................................28
2.9 Sustainable supplier.................................................................................................................29
2.10 Fuzzy theory of DEA.............................................................................................................29
2.11 Gap in the Literature..............................................................................................................30
2.12 Summary................................................................................................................................30
Chapter 3........................................................................................................................................31
Research Methodology..................................................................................................................31
3.1 Overview of the research methodology...................................................................................31
3.2 Tools of research methodology...............................................................................................31
3.2.1 Research Philosophy.............................................................................................................31
3.2.1.1 Justification of chosen research philosophy......................................................................32
3.3 Research approach...................................................................................................................32
3.2.2.1 Justification of the chosen research approach...................................................................33
3.4 Research Strategy....................................................................................................................33
3.5 Research design.......................................................................................................................33
3.2.3.1 Justification of the chosen research design........................................................................34
3.6 Research Process.....................................................................................................................35
3.7 Data collection.........................................................................................................................36
3.8 Data analysis............................................................................................................................36
3.9 Ethical issues and considerations.............................................................................................37
3.10 Summary................................................................................................................................38
Chapter 4........................................................................................................................................39

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Data Results and Analysis.............................................................................................................39
4.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................39
4.1 Quantitative Data Collection Process......................................................................................39
4.2 Qualitative Questions for 3 managers......................................................................................59
4.3 Summary..................................................................................................................................60
Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................62
Discussion of the Data...................................................................................................................62
5.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................62
5.1 Discussion................................................................................................................................62
5.2 Summary..................................................................................................................................67
Chapter 6........................................................................................................................................68
Conclusion, Limitation, and Recommendation.............................................................................68
6.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................68
6.1 Linking Objectives with the Primary Research and Literature Review..................................68
6.2 Recommendations....................................................................................................................72
6.3 Research limitation..................................................................................................................72
6.4 Future Scope of the Study........................................................................................................73
References......................................................................................................................................74
Appendix........................................................................................................................................83

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List of Tables
Table 3.1: Time-frame of the entire research plan........................................................................28
Table 4.1: Age...............................................................................................................................30
Table 4.2: Tenure...........................................................................................................................32
Table 4.3: Use of Internet..............................................................................................................34
Table 4.4: Impact of Customer Demand........................................................................................36
Table 4.5: Importance of Technological Advancements...............................................................38
Table 4.6: Effective Supplier Relationship....................................................................................40
Table 4.7: Factors affecting the supply chain management process in Syrian Telecommunication
Industry..........................................................................................................................................42
Table 4.8: Factors creating challenges in the Syrian Telecommunication Industry......................44
Table 4.9: Effectiveness of Supply Chain Management in developing Customer Relationship...46
Table 4.10: Effectiveness of the supply chain management in improving the overall organisation
performance...................................................................................................................................48

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List of Graphs
Table 4.1: Age...............................................................................................................................32
Table 4.2: Tenure...........................................................................................................................34
Graph 4.3: Use of Internet.............................................................................................................36
Graph 4.4: Impact of Customer Demand.......................................................................................38
Graph 4.5: Importance of Technological Advancements..............................................................40
Graph 4.6: Effective Supplier Relationship...................................................................................42
Graph 4.7: Factors affecting the supply chain management process in Syrian Telecommunication
Industry..........................................................................................................................................44
Graph 4.8: Factors creating challenges in the Syrian Telecommunication Industry.....................46
Graph 4.9: Effectiveness of Supply Chain Management in developing Customer Relationship. .48
Graph 4.10: Effectiveness of the supply chain management in improving the overall organisation
performance...................................................................................................................................50

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
Due to the dynamic nature in all markets, telecommunication sector is also not free from the
challenges and competitive environment because of the changing customer demands. According
to Bennett, (2012), customers usually demand for the better quality products with cheaper price.
Therefore, telecommunication industry has been concentrating on operating more efficiently
with the supply chain management process. Maintaining the efficiency in supply chain might
help the company to develop a high degree of performance (Danese 2013). Moreover, effective
supply chain management is often known as a strategy to derive competitive advantage in a
dynamic and challenging business environment (Pettersson and Segerstedt 2013). The study thus
pay attention to establishment of a complete understanding of effectiveness of supply chain in
increasing business performance. With the special references of this Syrian telecommunication
industry, the study will explode the conceptual and theoretical analysis of the subject. In this
chapter, the study will develop the aim, objectives, and questions by considering the rationale
behind the research study.
1.1 Problem definition
As the topic revolves around the concepts of supply chain management within the
telecommunications industry of Syria, the problem identification basically includes multiple
issues linked to supply chain. The issues may include absence of effectiveness in providing
quality product at the peak point of the market poor ability to control the costs associated
incurred during the freight management, stock management, increased costs of labor and prices
of commodity. There could also be other issues related to the availability of credit along with

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inability to respond to the changes in market conditions such as during the introduction of new
products and while protecting the intellectual properties. The improper management of
relationship between the suppliers and partners and globalization are other significant issues
related to supply chain network. The outsourcing activities expand the processes of production
globally as well as improves the procurement network though the presence of suppliers in
different geographic locations can result in complexities in supply chain management,
furthermore create scheduling of tasks related issues and deteriorate the effectiveness of the
manufacturing and production processes associated with it. Therefore, these are the issues that
are often faced and with the management of proper supply chain activities, the organizational
performance will likely improve and boost the profitability of the organization too.
1.2 Research Background
The demands of the customers have been changing drastically since last few decades due
to the continuous innovations in the globalized era. The organizations have been determining the
efficient logistics and optimal operations for participating in the global marketplace. Prajogo
(2012) implied that the advancements of the technologies and globalized market place are
responsible for this increasing global competition. The business marketers are adopting the
improved version of supply chain management process to strengthen the sustainable position and
gain the competitive advantage. Therefore, the organisations are concentrating on improving the
internal processes for strengthening their competitive position Christopher (2016). This initiative
is making the business getting faster and scope is getting wider. However, the improvement of
this internal process is not enough for strengthening the competitive position (Hugos 2018).
Hence, the organizationsget more involved in establishing the global supply chain network. The
internal supply chain management practices require the involvement of the skilled

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employees.The utilization of the appropriate skills and infrastructure is essential for bringing
more innovations and improving the performance of the organisation.Telecommunication
industry is also structuring their upstream and downstream process in a sequential way while
developing the global supply chain network. Wang et al. (2015) pointed out that the supply chain
management process in the telecommunication industry mainly focuses on the innovations and
the customer demands. In order to win over the market competitors, it is essential for the
business marketers to establish the better logistics process that can attract maximum amount of
the customers (Monczka et al. 2015).
Syria is a country that has been facing the impact of the civil war for a decade now. The
Syrian Ministry of Communication is controlled by the governmental authority over the internet.
The information received from the various historical research reported that that the Syrian
telecommunication industry started moving towards the liberalization prior to the civil war
(Ameen and Willis 2016). It is reported that the Syrian Arab Republic has the lowest mobile
penetration level in the region. Among this lowest number of phones, almost 11.9 million
subscribers are operating the internet services in Syria (Houngbonon and Jeanjean 2016). The
government of Syrian Arab Republic realizes that the current advancements in the global market
pose challenges for the business marketers. The telecommunication industry in Syria is highly
threatened by the political instability, which is another major concern for establishing the
appropriate supply chain process (Hussain, Khan and Al-Aomar 2016). Therefore, there is the
necessity of developing the telecommunication sector to generate more profits with the
considerations of the challenges from the external market.

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1.2 Research Rationale
According to Dubey et al. (2017), telecommunication industry plays an important role in
becoming backbone of the services since they have the significant effects on the growth of the
other industries. One of the major issuesin Syria is the increasing competitiveness among the
rivalries. Moreover, the region has been affected by the civil war due to which the government
has taken the authority to control over the internet (Schönsleben 2016). However, the growth in
the telecommunication sector has the considerable impact on the global economy. In addition to
this, the continuous changes in customer preferences are quite challenging for the companies to
develop any specific type of the supply chain management process. Moreover, the current trends
of the social media use are also changing the utilization of the telecommunication services
(Tatoglu et al. 2016). People tend to use majority of the time on internet for their diverse needs.
Therefore, the government is concentrating on the improving the supply chain network of the
telecommunication industry and develop a better customer segment and generate profit.
The pricing structure and the quality of the telecommunication services are also
considerable issues identified in the Syrian Telecommunication industry. The high quality and
the higher pricing structure are affecting the business cost as well as the capacity of the form to
establish the Global Network and participating in both the domestic and foreign market (Oelze et
al. 2016). The Rapid innovation in the information and the communication Technologies is also
feeling the Global competitiveness in a significant way. The telecommunication industry in Syria
is highly threatened by the political instability, which is another major concern for establishing
the appropriate supply chain process (Wolf 2014). The internal supply chain management
practices require the involvement of the skilled employees.These employees are required being
capable of responding much frequently to the needs of the external environment and dealing with

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the advanced technologies. In order to deal with this high competition level, the supply chain
process need to be improved (Meckenstock, Barbosa‐Póvoa and Carvalho 2016). However, the
lack of sufficient capital amount, infrastructure, and skilled employees is some identifiable
barriers identified in developing the better performance management of the organization.
The current peace of the innovations and competitive market forces are continuously
posing threat to the existing companies. In Quest of generating more profit and strengthening the
competitive position in the globalized market, the business marketers are adopting the improved
version of supply chain management process (Saroha and Diwan 2017). Moreover, considering
the threats of the civil war, the government is also paying more attention to the regulatory terms
and conditions. Telecommunication industry is also structuring their upstream and downstream
process in a sequential way while developing the global supply chain network (Houpis et al.
2016). This global supply chain network requires the adequate capital investment, appropriate
environmental support, and skilled associates. However, the current political instability and the
effects of the civil war are affecting the business functionalities in a recognizable way
(Sutherland 2016). Therefore, the Syrian telecommunication industry has been facing more
significant challenges in current time. In order to achieve this purpose of strengthening and
securing competitive position, the adequate infrastructure and the capital amount is necessary.
Considering the information provided by Oelze et al. (2016), it is important to ensure that
the management of supply chain is done properly for resolving the issues associated with the
telecommunications industry. The telecommunication industry has been facilitated with the
advancement of technologies, which has led to wide range of telecommunication service
providers and providers of internet services due to which the profit margins have decreased and
the lines between telecommunications’ companies and technology vendors are subsiding. The

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revenue generation potential has been reduced and with the major challenges associated with the
management of supply chain, the organizational performance has further deteriorated. With the
expansion of sales in global markets, there is need for changes in the supply chain that can also
create complexities for the organization to adapt to the different culture and meet the preferences
of people properly. The lack of resources, global networks and inadequate capital investment
could be other issues, which should be managed at Syria too. Therefore, Meckenstock, Barbosa‐
Póvoa and Carvalho (2016) stated that the supply chain management could resolve all these
issues though proper management of stocks and inventories and ensure that the
telecommunications industry remain successful within the global competitive environment.
The research process develops the clear understanding of the Global supply chain
management in the telecommunication industry. The exploration of the conceptual and the
theoretical background of supply chain management process will help in understanding the
sequential steps adopted by the business markets in their upstream and downstream process.
Moreover, the study will also focus on the impact of this supply chain and logistics process on
the business functionalities and the organizational performance level. Considering the issues
discussed in this chapter, the study well developed both the primary and the secondary research
on this subject matter.
1.3 Research Aim
The research aims to identify the potential impact of supply chain management practices
on organizational performance. The study also attempts to identify the importance of developing
the better supply chain management process for improving the organizational performance of the
Syrian Telecommunication industry. The research aims to identify the impact that
will be created by managing the supply chains effectively on the

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organizational performance within the telecommunications industry
considering the level of profit achieved and attaining competitive advantage
in business.
1.4 Research Objectives
 To identify the scope for gaining high level of profit by the
telecommunications industry based on the supply chain management
practices in Syria
 To critically analyse the impact of supply chain management practices on organisational
performance
 To identify the loopholes in the supply chain process in telecommunication industry that
affect the organisational performance
 To present the preferable recommendations for minimising the risks associated with the
supply chain process in Syrian Telecommunication industry
1.5 Research Objectives
 What are the major supply chain management practices need to be undertaken?
 How the supply chain management practices create the significant impact on the
organizational performance of Syrian Telecommunication industry?
 What are the major challenges encountered in performing the effective supply chain
management process?
 How the supply chain issues can be mitigated to improvise the organizational
performance in Syrian Telecommunication industry?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis
H0: The management of supply chains cannot create positive impact on the
organizational performance by obtaining higher profit level and gaining
competitive advantage
H1: The supply chain management does create positive impact on the
organizational performance by ensuring generating high revenue and
gaining competitive advantage in business.
1.7Research Significance
The research study would specifically concentrate on exploring the conceptual and
theoretical as well as the mixture of supply chain management practices. It will discuss the
service based supply chain management in the telecommunication Industry that will shed light
on the subject area. The obtained idea from the primary and secondary research process will
explain the major challenges faced by the Syrian telecommunication industry while developing
the effective supply chain management process. The study will also apply the appropriate
methodology to make this research process as a systematic approach. The idea received from the
entire study will generate the enriched knowledge regarding the supply chain management
process that improves the organizational performance in the telecommunication industry.
1.7 Research Structure
Introduction: The chapter introduces the research subject by presenting a brief
background. The rationale provided in this chapter would signify the entire research purpose.
The chapter develops the aim, objectives, and research questions based on which the further
study will be demonstrated.

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Literature Review: This chapter of the dissertation reviews the existing papers to derive
the concepts and theoretical background of Supply Chain Management. The review has been
performed by considering thirty peer-reviewed journals. The enriched idea gained from literature
review has been further linked to primary findings in the latter section of the study.
Research Methodology: The research methodology describes the structured and
sequential process of conducting any specific research study. A complete research methodology
chapter contains the selection and justification of the research approach, research design,
research philosophy, data collection method, and appropriate sampling technique. Furthermore,
the methodology also develops the timeframe within which the entire research will be completed.
The ethical concerns maintained for gathering the relevant information will be stated in this
methodology chapter. The positivism philosophy will be considered as the effective research
philosophy while the designs that are suitable include the descriptive research design. The
deductive research approach will be considered as an effective research approach while the data
collection includes both primary and secondary data collection. The primary data collection will
further consist of qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the responses of managers and
by conducting survey processes respectively. The analysis of data will be done with the use of
SPSS tool and the data and information will be presented in graphical format for easily
understandable by the research. This can further assist in linking the research methods with the
accomplishment of research goals and objectives with ease and effectiveness.
Data Collection and Result: The chapter discloses the survey and interview results
gathered from the primary data collection process. The data will be interpreted in this chapter.
Data Analysis: In this chapter, the collected data will be analyzed to identify the major
issues faced in this subject context.

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Conclusion and Recommendation: This chapter concludes the entire research work
with clear implications. When concluding the dissertation, research findings have been linked to
objectives formed in the introductory chapter. On the basis of the findings, a set of suggestions
have been given in this chapter.
1.8 Summary
The chapter introduces the topic of supply chain management process that improves the
organizational performance. With the special reference to the Syrian Telecommunication
industry, the study concentrates on identifying the major barriers in establishing the sound supply
chain management process. The identification of the aim, objectives, questions, and hypothesis,
the further research will be conducted. The further study will develop the literature by including
the conceptual and theoretical analysis of the subject area. The information will be connected to
the primary research data.

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Chapter 2
Literature Review
2.0 Introduction
The current trends in the telecommunication industry have been feeling the Global
competitiveness among the business rivalries. The customers seek better product or services
from the company with better offerings. Each of the business marketers is trying to develop more
attractive segments to draw the attention of the customers towards their offered products and
services. On the other hand, as opined by Masys (2016), many business companies are adopting
the most suitable strategies to strengthen their competitive position in a challenging business
scenario. Development of the sound supply chain management is one of those most effective
strategies that can ensure the accomplishment of the business objectives. In the
telecommunication industry, the logistics process is quite different to the other industries. The
current Trends of using internet is creating a recognizable impact on customers mind (Pagell and
Shevchenko 2014). The literature study will the US explore the concept of supply chain
management by developing the context of the telecommunication industry. It will further discuss
the impact of efficient supply chain management on improving the overall organizational
performance. The exploration of the theoretical background will develop a considerable
understanding regarding the subject area.
2.1 Concept of Supply Chain Management Process in Telecommunication Industry
The concept of the supply chain management has been defined in various ways.
According to Power and Simpson (2016), the supply chain management is a process of aligning
the activities of the firm with the products or services that are to be featured in the market. The

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supply chain management process is even defined as the method of planning, controlling, and
developing the right information flow to convert the raw materials into the finished products or
services. On the other hand, Touboulic and Walker (2015) explain that the supply chain
management process consists of some of the direct and indirect request of the customers that are
to be included in the finished product or services. It is mainly a process of fulfilling the demands
of the customers and strengthening the competitive edge of the business within a challenging
business ground. It is noticeable that the supply chain process does not only include the suppliers
or the manufacturer, it even deals with the Transporters, customers, and other external
stakeholders. Genovese et al. (2017) defined that a clear and concise supply chain process is one
form of network that distributes the appropriate product or services to the customer as per their
demands. The current globalized world is highly influenced by the advanced technologies and
innovative equipment. Therefore, it has become easier to distribute the desired services or
products to the customers within the stipulated time (Khalid et al. 2015). Accordingly, these
functionalities are creating the competitive edge, which is sometimes much challenging for the
other business marketers. During such situation, the effective supply chain management process
creates the bridge between the organization and the customer demands. Formentini and Taticchi
(2016) explain that the efficient supply chain management process concentrates on appropriate
information flow among the all departments.
The modern telecommunication industry is highly influenced by the current Trends of
internet due to which, the Global competitiveness has reached to its ultimate level. The supply
chain management in the telecommunication industry requires involving the versatile tools and
reliable design structure for controlling the entire material flow (Taticchi et al. 2015). The major
focus of developing an efficient supply chain management process in the telecommunication

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industries to reduce Lead times, inventory, and related costs twins show the on time delivery of
the product or service. It is to be indicated that the supply chain management is conceptualized
as the art and science that formulates the process of improving the entire organizational
functionalities. This process even helps the company to find out raw components that are
required to manufacture the product or service and deliver them to the customers (Fahimnia et
al. 2017). The coordinated network associated with the supply chain management process helps
in converting the raw materials into the finished products. The motto of developing an effective
supply chain management process is to produce the appropriate products, in the right quantities
within the stipulated time at minimum cost (Reefke and Sundaram 2017). Especially, in the
telecommunication industry, the supply chain management process connects the component of
inbound logistics, supply, finished goods, outbound logistics, and manufacturing process.
2.2 Components of the Supply Chain Process in Telecommunication
The supply chain management process in the telecommunication industry consists of
different components that have the cleared impact on the entire organizational functionalities.
According to Waters and Rinsler (2014), the modern telecommunication assembly has been
working with diverse suppliers with different components. In today's market, the business
companies have been concentrating on achieving the operational efficiency as well as reduction
of costs as much as possible (Gaur et al. 2016). However, it has been noticed that there are some
great deal of complexity, especially in terms of purchasing processes that are used by the service
providers. Generally, the supply chain process encompasses the different activities associated
with moving goods from the actual material stage show to the finished product or the end user. In
fact, various companies are engaged in retailing and wholesaling and the product or services.
These companies usually deal with production scheduling, procurement, manufacturing,

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inventory management, order processing, and customer services. In the Telecom industry, the
supply chain management process enables the associated Telecom equipment purchases to
reduce the inefficient procurement process. It will cut down the extra costs that can later be
invested for generating more profits.
2.3 Research Framework ofSCM Process in Telecommunication Industry
The supply chain management practices are conceptualized as a set of activities that are
undertaken by an organization for promoting the effective management of the logistics purposes.
Different scholars have presented their views regarding the supply chain management practices
and the dimensions associated with process (Laudon and Laudon). It has been observed that four
dimensions of supply chain management practices have been found that ensure the effective
organizational performance. The dimensions are stated below:

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Figure 2.1 Dimension of Supply Chain Management in Telecom Industry
(Source: MacCarthy et al. 2016)
 Strategic partnership with the suppliers
According to Duhamel, Carbone and Moatti (2016), the development of the long term
relationship and partnership with the supplier influence both the parties. As a result, it helps the
company to achieve the significant benefit. The maintenance of the appropriate relationship with
the suppliers help the company to gain the competitive advantage for a longer period of time in
terms of price, schedule time, delivery, and quality. It is also noticed that the emerging
competition in the business market has been affecting the entire supply chain performance of a
firm. In this context, the development of the long-term and effective supplier partnership will be
crucial to enhance the entire supply chain performance.
 Relationship with the customers
The development of the efficient customer relationship is necessary for a company while
preparing for an efficient supply chain management process. In order to maintain the effective
customer relationship, the company needs to consider several segments (Behera, Mohanty and
Prakash 2015). For example, the company needs to manage the customer complaints, create the
long term relationship, and enhance the customer satisfaction rate. Accordingly, the customer
relationship process will help the company to enhance the supply chain management process that
will eventually lead towards the better performance of the organization.
 Sharing the necessary information

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Wong, Lai and Bernroider (2015) defined that Information sharing refers to the method of
conveying the critical information that is needed to be shared among the supply chain member.
This information may contain the customer specification, and the information regarding the
market as well as the product. In the supply chain management practices, this specific segment is
quite essential. In fact, it is even observed that Information sharing process is correlated with the
supply chain performance even though the relative effect size is quite low.
 Integration of the logistics
Logistics process plays an integral role in terms of measuring the performance of the firm.
Yusuf et al. (2014) describe that the Logistic integration practices are aligned with the
operational activities that helps in coordinating the material flow from supplier to the customers
throughout the value stream process. On the other hand, Adamczak et al. (2016) explain that
logistics integration is quite a new formulation criteria for the companies that help in evaluating
the performance between the suppliers and the company. It has been observed that the positive
and strong relationship maintained between the Logistic integration and the performance
parameter helps in ensuring the best outcome of the product or services.
 The overall supply chain performance
The measurement of the efficiency and effectiveness determine the supply chain
performance parameter. According to Mathauer and Hofmann (2018), there are two major
indicators that define the supply chain performance. The first is the cost containment indicator,
which informed about the cost involved in different process, such as inbound and outbound
Logistics. The second is the reliability indicator, which generally includes safety stock, inventory
turns, and the fulfillment of the order. Gonzalez-Feliu, Semet and Routhier (2014) argued that

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the supply chain performance focuses on long term goal for increasing the market share and
short term goal that include cost reduction process. It is to be indicated that the supply chain
performance is one of the most important components for the company in order to participate in
the Global competitive market.
2.4 Organizational Performance
The organizational performance is described in various ways. The different stakeholders
associated with an organization require diverse performance indicators for enabling the
appropriate decision making process. According to Epstein (2018), organizational performance is
based on three specific areas of the organizational functionalities, such as financial performance,
shareholder return, and product market performance. Wang et al. (2016) pointed out that
organizational performance is conceptualized as the ability of a company to accomplish the
business objectives to developing effective management, strong, and persistency in attaining
goals. On the other hand, McCormack and Johnson (2016) argued that the focus on the financial
measurement can make the research quite Limited since it only gathers idea about the financial
results. It does not provide the knowledge about the organizational capability of achieving the
strategic objectives and competitiveness in the current market. Therefore, organizational
performance should not be based only on financial performance or profit outcome of the
company. In addition to this, it is essential to identify the operational activities, the survival
measures, and the value added services that can gain the attention of maximum stakeholders.
Gunasekaran et al. (2017) explain that performance is a flexible procedure and an
ongoing process that includes the working practices of the managers and clay associated
employees. It also measures their performance efficiency whether it is capable enough to achieve
the predetermined business objectives or. It is to be indicated that practice sizing the strategic

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management help in enhancing the performance level of a company. The current
telecommunication industry is highly influenced by the market competitions, which create the
significant impacts on the performance level of the organization. Therefore, the business
marketers adopt diverse strategies that can ensure the adequate profit level and accomplishments
of the business objectives. It should also ensure that the organization will be able to strengthen
their competitive position in a challenging business ground. The organizational performance
needs improvisation in order to participate in the high competitive market. An efficient supply
chain management process is one of those effective business strategies that ensure the
accomplishment of the business purposes. The further section of the study will highlight the
considerable impact of the supply chain process in enhancing the performance level of the
telecommunication firm.
2.5 Impact of Supply Chain Management Process on enhancing organizational
Performance
The above studies suggest that the development of the effective supply chain
management practices can create the direct impact on the overall marketing and financial
performance of any specific organisation. The supply chain management process often includes
the effective relationship with the suppliers and the customer. The suppliers provide the high
quality raw material that often cost much higher (Qrunfleh and Tarafdar 2014). Therefore, the
product and service preparation cost will also increase due to the high prices of the raw
materials. The maintenance of the effective relationship with suppliers can help in overcoming
the specific pricing challenge. The long term relationship with the suppliers will be helpful in
negotiating the price of the high quality raw materials. It will even cut down the cost from the
supply chain procedures. On the other hand, establishing the effective relationship with the

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customers will help the organization to understand their basic demand and needs (Yawar and
Seuring 2017). The company will then be able to manufacture the product or the service within
the stipulated time. The clarification of the customer demands is beneficial in terms of fulfilling
the desires of the customers. Gradually, this process leads to high level of customer satisfaction.
Accordingly, it will improve the profit level and the financial investment as well.
On the other hand, it is noticeable that the skilled supply chain management process deals
with the diversified functions that develop through step wise process. When the employees are
engaged with these functions, they receive the appropriate guidance to deal with the advanced
machineries. Therefore, they receive the scope to enhance their technical and professional skills
that eventually lead towards the better performance skills (Ralston et al. 2015). The customer
service department needs to establish the clear and transparent communication with the clients to
understand their basic demands and requirements. The overall idea derived from the study thus
suggests that the effective supply chain management process helps in improving the
organisational performance.
2.6 Incorporation of DEA
Supply Chain is considered to be one of the pivotal parts in a service providing sectors. In
response to that, the role of the supply chain is to create a continuous flow of production on the
basis of either the consumer specifications or the competitive market orientation (Liotta and
Holmström 2016). However, there are two aspects regarding the supply chain management in
telecommunication. One is identified as the service supply chain and the other is referred as
inventory supply chain. Therefore, it is highly important for the operation department to ensure
the continuous flow of production and generate more profit for the organization. According to
Gonget al. (2014) supply chain management is a hybrid concept incorporating the framework of

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managing supply of raw materials, manufacturers, distribution centers and customers. Moreover,
the purpose of the supply chain is to produce the right products based on the market demand and
the continuous flow of raw materials. Hence, decision making is very important for developing a
better supply chain management. As a matter of fact, in the telecommunication sector supply
chain is identified as a major tool to create more effectiveness in the production and
manufacturing unit as well as facilitating a better understanding about the market expansion and
orientation of an individual company or the entire telecommunication industry (Suet al. 2016).
Jabbour and de Sousa Jabbour (2016) has argued that the increasing competitiveness in the
telecommunication market compelled the telecom companies to operate their supply chain
management effectively.
In this regard, the fuzzy DEA model can be a beneficial mechanism to analyze the
efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain management. DEA or the data envelopment
analysis system is very relevant in the telecom industry. In his words, Azadiet al. (2015) argued
that effective decision making in the telecom industry is highly important for the telecom
companies and incorporating the DEA model is intensely dedicated to deal with the decision
making process and evaluate it. There are a number of elements that the DEA framework
includes in its analysis process. In fact, according to Brandenburget al. (2014) DEA is a non-
parametric linear programming technique that puts emphasis on the relative efficiency off
decision making units. Therefore, the purpose of this section is to illustrate different supplier
selection approaches in telecommunication. Besides this, the discussion further develops an
understanding regarding the role of DEA in selecting suppliers for the telecommunication
industry. After that, the section highlights the sustainable supplier selection approaches. Finally,
the discussion presents literature on the fuzzy theory of DEA.

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2.7 Selecting suppliers
It can be argued that the modern telecommunication industries require a continuous
production facility with time effectiveness. In fact, for making a less time consuming mechanism
it is important to set up continuous visibility to channel inventory, share the information and plan
and execute demands as per the customer demand (Gonget al. 2014). This is related to the
inbound material flow. As far as the data envelopment analysis is concerned it is linked with the
decision making approaches of the selection of suppliers who are entitled to do provide all the
essential inbound materials for the telecom service. According to Liotta and Holmström (2016),
selected the best supplier in respect to the organizational objectives can foster an analytic
network process (ANP) which is beneficial for the telecom company. Moreover, Suet al. (2016)
opined that the fuzzy decision making generates linguistic values to assess ratings and weights
for the required criteria. As a result of that the managers will able to figure out the strengths and
weaknesses of each supplier and evaluate the priorities based on conflicting criteria.
2.8 Role of DEA
In this context, DEA plays a pivotal role by introducing a better environment for the
operations of the company and create a simple interface for the supply chain management.
Therefore, Fahimnia, Sarkis and Eshragh (2015) advocated that the unique feature of DEA is to
incorporate multiple criteria based on the suppliers priorities. It can be stated that using multiple
criteria paves the way for determining benchmarks. In fact, it is also resembled with the
inventory supply chain. According to Dubeyet al. (2017) it can be considered that agility of the
supply chain fosters a close relationship with the logistics, transportation and supply chain
management for telecommunication projects. As a result of that the possible loss in the decision
making process can be reduced and in return presents a better framework to enhance the ability

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and efficiency of the supply chain management in telecommunication. As per the definition
given by Azadiet al. (2015) it is worth mentioning that critical supply chain management forms
the dynamic planning technique, venturing relationship as well as internal informal system which
creates scope for better and highly effective supply chain grounds in telecommunication sector.
2.9 Sustainable supplier
In addition to this, sustainability is always considered to be an essential concern for any company
irrespective of belongs to different industries. In his words, Azadiet al. (2015) argues that the
fuzzy interference system is based on sustainable supply and decision making process. The
transportation mechanism in the supply chain management is associated with the operations of
the operator and the reducing delays in delivery. As a result of that simulation plays a pivotal
role in this context. In the telecommunication industries simulation helps to increase the
efficiencies of decision making process and incorporate evaluation and strategies in the strategic
communication system framework (Dubeyet al. 2017). As a result of that the gap between
introduction of a new technology and the existing operational mechanism will be reduced and in
return an intense adaptability will take place to continue the supply and manufacture of
telecommunication services. The inventory is a key factor that can be used in this process as the
aim of this incorporation is to build an effective supply chain management in order to create a
better environment for the telecommunication industry (Brandenburget al. 2014).
2.10 Fuzzy theory of DEA
Azadi et al. (2015) argued that the traditional optimization creates a series of problems in
the supply chain management and as a result of that it is important to create a better framework
that can venture continuous inflow in the supply chain management. The framework incorporates
inputs and outputs into DEA model considering the degree of tolerance in functional objectives.

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2.11 Gap in the Literature
The literature study has clearly focused on exploring the conceptual and framework based
analysis of the supply chain management. The study also attempts to identify the impact of the
efficient supply chain management process in terms of improving the organisational
performance. Even though the study is focusing on the main subject area, it lacks the in-depth
analysis of the telecommunication industry. It is true that the customers in the telecommunication
industry have been changing their needs and demands. However, the study did not justify the
suggestive approach that is needed to be undertaken while improving the internal supply chain
management process. Moreover, this study is generally focusing on the manufacturing-based
approach. In the telecommunication industry, the service based approach would have been more
appropriate. The lack of the focus in these specific segments has created the considerable
limitations in the literature study.
2.12 Summary
The literature study discloses the concept of the supply chain management processin a
more detailed way. The research framework established for the defining the service based supply
chain management process is providing the ideas regarding the most crucial segments of the
study. The further section will develop the ideas of the appropriate methodologies used for
conducting the entire research. The idea obtained from this literature review will further connect
with the information extracted from the primary data collection process.

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Chapter 3
Research Methodology
3.1 Overview of the research methodology
The aim of this part is to portray a detailed overview of the methodological tool that has
put immense impact in completing the entire research effectively (Lewis 2015). In this respect,
the purpose of using the methodology is to gather information in a robust manner from different
reliable sources and authentic resources. In this respect, the discussion has to encapsulate proper
research philosophy and structure. As a matter of fact, the data collection method, used in this
research, is considered to be an effective and appropriate framework to evaluate the identified
research issue accurately (Choy 2014).
3.2 Tools of research methodology
3.2.1 Research Philosophy
It can be argued that research philosophy is a systematic method of analyzing the
collected data with the help of a philosophical approach. In this context, the research philosophy
is comprised of three major types in terms of positivism in research philosophy, interpretivism in
research philosophy and the essence of realism (Mackey and Gass 2015). The role of positivism
in research philosophy encompasses the concept of evaluating data based on rapt observation. As
a matter of fact, it can be argued that numerous eminent positivists view is repeatable but the
phenomenon is isolate. On the contrary, interpretivism research philosophy describes the
interpretation of collected information from different aspects. Furthermore, realism is considered
to be a hybrid philosophy blended with both positivism and interpretivism. In fact, in realism

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researcher puts emphasis on the interpretation of the collected data by developing a clear
observation of the research issue. In this regard, this study is going to use positivism as the
research philosophy for completing the entire research process successfully, as positivism
research helps to generate adequate research outcomes as this research philosophy gives
importance to numbers as well as statistical modelling to create quantifiable and generalizable
conclusions. This means that research findings can be accurate due to the inclusion of statistical
data and numbers. For example, the study wises to analyze the impact of changing customer
demands on supply chain process, generally, the outcome could be unmeasurable and vast to
access, while if it is done on the perspective of a positivism research philosophy, the outcome
could be specific and measurable.
3.2.1.1 Justification of chosen research philosophy
It can be ascribed that the positivism in research philosophy follows keen observation
(Collis and Hussey 2013). It is in fact an advantage for the researcher because he does not have
to invest bulk of money for implementing methodological tools. Moreover, with the help of the
repeated observation it can be possible for the researcher to gather huge amount of information
on research issue. The low cost effective approach of the positivism research philosophy is
identified as the best part of using this technique.
3.3 Research approach
Research approach is known as a particular method which is used to evaluate the collected data
on the basis of conceptual framework and theoretical approaches (Coleman 2013). Research
approach compromises of two different categories deductive and inductive. Deductive approach
is known to be depended on existing theories generally found in the previous studies, while

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inductive approach is helpful in building new theories. Nonetheless, in the present study,
deductive research approach has been used.
3.2.2.1 Why deductive approach is effective for the present study
As the present study focuses on using several case studies on impact of supply chain
management in Syrian Telecommunication sector. Thus, deductive research approach would be
an effective choice, as it particularly focuses on the previous papers.
3.4 Research Strategy
In order to answer the research questions, the study uses a survey and interview method,
which are derived from quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The survey, in the
study has been performed by including 50 employees of telecommunication organizations in
Syria, while the interview has been performed involving 3 managers of the telecommunication
organizations in Syria only. Now, the collected data has been analyzed with a chosen
philosophical stance. In the present, study a positivism research philosophy has been selected.
Positivism research philosophy has been considered to fit the data analysis requirements.
Moreover, positivism research philosophy is considered to be suitable for the present study as it
considers the world as real and independent in which organization remain as a separate entities.
This means, the techniques of analyzing the primary can be applied unbiasedly. Another
significant aspect of positivism research philosophy is that the research findings are generally
judged against the criteria of validity, generalizability and reliability. So, in the present study, the
scope for analyzing the data in an indifferent manner is vast.
3.5 Research design

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Research design is associated with the evaluation of data by following proper research
guidelines and structure (Collis and Hussey 2013). As a matter of fact this particular
methodological tool is comprised of three distinct types in the form of descriptive research
design, exploratory research design and the explanatory research design. In this regard, this
particular research is going to opt for the descriptive research design for making in depth
research work.Besides these designs, the outcome of the study is dependent on data collection
and analysis. In the present study, to gather the data both survey and interview methods have
been applied. However, the stated methods have been applied on the basis of the research
instruments. As the instrument, the study includes two different set of questionnaire namely
close-ended and open-ended questionnaire. Particularly, for performing the survey among the
employees, a close-ended questionnaire has been used which includes 10 questions, while an
open-ended questionnaire has been used for carrying out the interview among the managers of
the organizations. The questionnaire has been distributed to the respondents through their
personal email id but an appropriate consent has been taken from the organizational bodies for
using the personal information of the respondents. Survey and interview methods are suitable for
the present study, as they help to extract the facts that occurred and are real. In addition, in
survey and interview, facts collected are not limited to a certain boundary, while the case study
methods mainly aims to analyze specific issues within a range of situation and environment. On
the contrary, explanatory case study method has been rejected as it only aims to answer how and
why questions with a very limited control on behalf of researcher over the occurrence of the
events.
Rationale for selecting descriptive research design

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As stated above, the study is more reliant on the digits and numbers, when it comes to analyzing
the data. Therefore, descriptive research design has been selected which helps to determine and
identify what is, while analytical study attempts to develop why it is that way or how it should
be. Moreover, descriptive study is suitable for the study, as it helps to cast light on the existing
issues through the process of data collection. For example, by surveying the current supply chain
practice of Syria Telecom, it might be easy to find out the issues that supply chain network of
Syria Telecom. On the other side, exploratory research design particularly focuses on exploring
the research questions but the challenge associated with this methodology is that it does not
provide final or conclusive solutions to the identified problems. Exploratory research
methodology is only applicable to the study with a problem that has not been clearly defined;
however, in the present study, where research issues are identified, such methodology is not
required rather needing one that helps to generate accurate outcomes.
3.2.3.1 Justification of the chosen research design
As far as the descriptive research design is concerned it can be stated that the method of
this research design is associated with the data accumulation for finding and analysis. In fact, the
researcher does not have to explore new information from the research. Rather, collecting and
analyzing the data is the primary purpose of the descriptive research design. Moreover, there is
no such scope of data interpretation in this research design.
3.6Research Process
For performing the analysis, the data has been collected by implementing both quantitative and
qualitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data has been collected by performing a
survey among the employees of different telecommunication organizations, while the qualitative
data has been collected by performing an interview among the managers of the organizations.

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The data in the form of responses have been gathered based on the questionnaire- close-ended
and open-ended questions. Likewise, to analyze the quantitative data, first the raw data has been
converted into numerical forms such as the numbers and digits and then the data has been
presented in table and charts to present a clear interpretation. Thereafter, the data has been
compared to the findings found in the literature review. On the other side, qualitative data has
been analyzed by comparing the interview response with the findings of the literature review.
However, when analyzing the interview data, a narrative analysis method has been applied to
reformulate the facts presented by the respondents considering the experience of each
respondent.
As a matter of fact, the sampling technique is divided into two categories in the form of
probability sampling technique and non-probability sampling technique. Probability sampling
technique is the random selection that enables the researcher in gathering relevant information
from the participants randomly. Besides this, the non-probability sampling technique is
associated with the people belong to specific groups who are directly involved with the research
issue. In the present study, the target population is the employees of telecommunication
organizations and the sampling frame is derived from the target population. The sampling frame
includes 53 employees but only 50 employees have been involved for performing the survey and
3 managers for collecting the qualitative data.
3.7 Data collection
Data Collection is identified as a systematic procedure of collecting relevant data from
various resources (Novikov and Novikov 2013). Therefore, the data collection technique is
constituted with two principle factors that are, primary source of data collection technique and
secondary source of data collection techniques. In this regard, the primary data collection is

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associated with two different data collection method. One is identified as quantitative data
analysis technique and another is related to the qualitative data analysis method. In this context,
this study is going to choose primary source of data collection method for conducting the
research successfully. However, the secondary data collection method is also implemented in
order to facilitate justification for conducting the research.
Research Instruments
To perform quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, a survey and interview have
been performed respectively. A suitable research questionnaire has been developed which
includes close ended- and open ended questions. For performing the survey, 10 close-ended
questions have been prepared and distributed among the employees of Syria Telecom, while 3
open ended- questions have been prepared to perform the interview involving the managers of
the organization.
In this regards, the primary data collection method puts focuses on both qualitative and
quantitative data collection method. For an instance, the research on 50 participants who are
employees of different telecom companies located in Syria follows the quantitative data
collection because of the strength of the sample size. Besides this, for 3 participants who are the
project managers working on different telecom companies in Syria irrespectively are
incorporated in the qualitative data collection method in the form of interview session.
3.8 Data analysis
Data analysis is a pivotal part in the result findings of the research. In this regard, it is
important to analyze the relevant data and information the researcher is going to use data given
in the secondary sources (van Wyk 2012). Moreover, it can be argued that an effective

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qualitative data is also incorporated into the research process. It can be argued that the qualitative
data analysis tool is associated with the survey questionnaire and the interview session.
Therefore, the participants have to act accordingly. As a result, the researcher does not have to
put any extra effort at the time of interview session for preparing questions.
3.9 Ethical issues and considerations
Ethical issues and considerations contribute a great deal of importance to the research
assessment. In fact, a successful research will not be granted if it does not follow the ethical
considerations (Tracy 2012). In this regard, the research has faced some ethical issues during
conducting the research. As a matter of fact, the researcher has failed to maintain proper ethical
issues in form of data protection while collecting data from the participants. As far as the Data
protection act is concerned it can be argued that this act is entitled to ensure safety and
preserving data security collected from the respondents. It is against the ethical consideration and
the data should not be breached. As a matter of fact, involving third party and sharing the
information without informing the participants must not be the right way to conduct a research
(Wahyuni 2012). In fact, data confidentiality is an important aspect of research. In addition to
this, the researcher should keep an eye on the equal priority rather than categorized the data on
the basis of geographical backgrounds and attitudes. In this research, language barrier becomes a
key issue which has to be resolved while doing data analysis of the participants. It is observed
that the researcher did not follow these rules and created discrimination intentionally or
unintentionally that can lead to disqualification of the research.
Apart from the basic ethics, cultures and values there are some different issues that must
be identified as well. Putting pressure on the participations in order to extract more information
related to the research is against the morality and ethics of the research proceedings (Zikmund et

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al. 2013). On the contrary, spontaneous participation of the respondents is highly appreciated at
the time of collecting data and information through survey and interview session.
3.10 Summary
In order to create a proper and authentic research, this study carefully incorporates valid
data and methodology. As a matter of fact, the research does not restrict its study by relying only
on primary data. Rather it takes evidences from the reliable secondary sources as well. Besides
this the sampling method using in primary data collection are justifiable and valid. For an
instance, using the non-probability data collection reduces ambiguities and reflects a clear and
direct result as per the research objective. For the primary data collection, the sample size is 53.
Among these, 50 samples are identified as the employees working on different telecom
companies in Syria and 3 are the project managers of different Syrian telecom organization. In
fact, both open ended and close ended questions are used. For the employees the researcher
conducts a survey based on the close ended question where as for the project managers interview
session filled with open ended question has been introduced. In the end drawing a time plan is
very significant in order to make the research more justifiable and understandable.

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Chapter 4
Data Results and Analysis
4.0 Introduction
The chapter discloses the results identified in the primary data collection process. The
study focuses on the establishment of effective supply chain management process in improving
the organisational performance in the Syrian Telecommunication industry. The information
gathered from the quantitative data collection process will be interpreted in this chapter. The
interpretation of the results would provide the knowledge about the subject area that will be
discussed in the further chapter.
4.1 Quantitative Data Collection Process
Q.1) What is your Age?
Table 4.1: Age
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
18 years-24 years 24% 12 50
25 years-30 years 28% 14 50
30 years-40 years 30% 15 50
Above 40 years 18% 9 50
Mean 2.42

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Median 2
Mode 3
Standard Deviation 1.051529
18 years-24 years 25 years-30 years 30 years-40 years Above 40 years
24%
28% 30%
18%
Age
Table 4.1: Age
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
The first question of the quantitative data collection process was about the participants
who fall in different category of ages and their engagement in the survey process. The
information and data obtained from the survey process shows that more than 30% of the
respondents belong to the age group of 30-40 years. There are respondents aged between 25-30
years, who comes at second for the involvement in the survey process. Almost 24% of the

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DISSERTATION
respondents fall in the age group of 18-24 years. Remaining 18% of the respondents are above
40 years old.
The average of the response is 2.42, which indicates the average of the responses. The
median is 2, which depicts that the midpoint of the response is lying in the second option. The
mode is 3, which determines that the maximum respondents selected the third option, which is
the age group of 30-40 years. With the value of standard deviation 1.05, which is equivalent to 1,
it can be believed that the risks of conducting the survey questionnaire process is low.
Q.2) How long have you been associated with the telecommunication industry?
Table 4.2: Tenure
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Less than 6 months 34% 17 50
6 months- 1 year 36% 18 50
1 year to 3 years 18% 9 50
More than 3 years 12% 6 50
Mean 2.08
Median 2
Mode 2
Standard Deviation 1.006915

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Less than 6 months 6 months- 1 year 1 year to 3 years More than 3 years
34% 36%
18%
12%
Tenure
Table 4.2: Tenure
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
From the analysis of the survey process and based on the questionnaire it could be seen
that 36% of the respondents are associated with the telecommunication industry for 6 mongths-1
year. This ratio is followed by 34% of the respondents who are associated with this industry for
less than 6 months. On the other hand, almost 18% of the respondents and all of them have been
working within this industry for 1-3 years whereas remaining 12%, i.e., 6 out of 50 respondents
are there in the industry for more than 3 years.
With the mean value of the questionnaire being 2.08, the average of the responses can be
understood. The median is 2, and thus the midpoint of the responses is found in the second

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DISSERTATION
category. The value of mode is 2, which shows that most of the respondents fall in the second
option, i.e., between 6 months-1 year. The standard deviation is 1.0, which means that the risks
associated with the questionnaire and survey process conducting is comparatively low.
Q.3) For what purpose the customers use the internet service? (According to you)
Table 4.3: Use of Internet
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Searching for
Information
32% 16 50
Social Media Surfing 36% 18 50
Playing Games 18% 9 50
Online Transaction 14% 7 50
Mean 2.14
Median 2
Mode 2
Standard Deviation 1.030356

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32%
36%
18%
14%
Use of Internet
Searching for Information
Social Media Surfing
Playing Games
Online Transaction
Graph 4.3: Use of Internet
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
The question identifies the perceptions of the employees working in the
telecommunication industry about the use of the internet. The result shows that majority 36% of
the respondents think that people mostly use the internet for surfing the social media sites. The
32% of the respondents means the 16 people out of the 50 respondents think that using the
internet can help in searching different information through various search engines. On the other
hand, almost 18% of the respondents think that people are using internet for playing online
games. Remaining, 14% of the respondents think that people have been using the internet for
paying online bills or any other online transaction purposes.
The mean in this questionnaire is 2.14, which shows the responses are average. The value
of median is 2, which means that the middle most point for the responses provided by

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respondents fall in the second category. The mode is 2, and thus most of the respondents among
the 50 respondents believed that internet usage is confined to mostly the use of social media
surfing. The risks that may be found in the questionnaire are low because of the value of standard
deviation as 1.0.
Q.4) How far do you agree that the changes in the customer demands is creating impact on the
supply chain process?
Table 4.4: Impact of Customer Demand
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Strongly Agree 30% 15 50
Agree 32% 16 50
Neutral 18% 9 50
Disagree 12% 6 50
Strongly Disagree 8% 4 50
Mean 2.36
Median 2
Mode 2
Standard Deviation 1.257792

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Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
30% 32%
18%
12% 8%
Impact of Customer Demand
Graph 4.4: Impact of Customer Demand
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
From the survey process, it can be seen that the most of the respondents, i.e., 30% of the
respondents strongly agreed about the changing customer demands making an impact on the
supply chain process. 32%, i.e., 16 out of 50 respondents agreed to the statement while 12% of
the respondents disagreed to it and 8% of the respondents basically fall in the ‘strongly disagree’
category. There were no responses by the remaining 18% of the respondents who remain biased
in their responses.
The mean value is 2.36, which is considered as average of the responses provided by the
respondents. The midpoint of response lies in second category because of the value of median as
2.

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With the value of mode as 2, most of the respondents believed that the demands and
expectations of customers have enabled companies to increase the supplies through proper SCM
strategies. As the value of standards deviation is 1.2 and thus quite near to1, the risk in the
questionnaire is quite low.
Q.5) How far do you agree that the technological advancement is the crucial part in developing
the innovative supply chain process in the telecommunication industry?
Table 4.5: Importance of Technological Advancements
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Strongly Agree 32% 16 50
Agree 36% 18 50
Neutral 18% 9 50
Disagree 8% 4 50
Strongly Disagree 6% 3 50
Mean 2.2
Median 2
Mode 2
Standard Deviation 1.160577

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Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
32% 36%
18%
8% 6%
Importance of Technological Advancements
Graph 4.5: Importance of Technological Advancements
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
The responses received from this questionnaire that majority 36% of the respondents
agreed to the fact that the technological advancements are a crucial factor in developing the
innovative supply chain management practices. This ratio is followed by 32% of the respondents
that also agreed to this statement. On the contrary, almost 8% of the respondents disagreed to this
fact whereas 6%, which means only 6 out of the 50 respondents strongly disagreed to the
statement. The remaining 18 percent, i.e., 9 out of 50 respondent remain neutral in their
responses.
The mean is 2.2, which signifies the average of the response. The median is 2, which
shows that the midpoint of the responses is fall in the second option ‘agree’, which means that
the technological advancements are crucial for the successful management of supply chain

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management activities. The mode is 2, which highlights that the majority of the respondents
selected the second option, which is ‘agree’. The standard deviation is 1.1, which is equivalent.
Therefore, it can be inferred that the risk in this questionnaire is considerably low.
Q.6) How far do you agree that the maintenance of the long term relationship with the suppliers
can reduce the cost of the raw materials?
Table 4.6: Effective Supplier Relationship
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Strongly Agree 22% 11 50
Agree 28% 14 50
Neutral 32% 16 50
Disagree 12% 6 50
Strongly Disagree 6% 3 50
Mean 2.54
Median 2.5
Mode 3
Standard Deviation 1.181663

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Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
22%
28% 32%
12%
6%
Effective Supplier Relationship
Graph 4.6: Effective Supplier Relationship
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
By analysis the data and information presented in the survey, it can be found that the
most of the respondents, i.e., 32% of them were biased in their responses regarding the statement
provided in the survey questionnaire about long term relationships with the suppliers influencing
the reduction of cost of raw materials. However, on the other hand, almost 28% of the
respondents agreed to this statement and almost 22% of the respondents strongly agreed to it.
The questionnaire also highlights the contradictory view when almost 12% of the respondents
disagreed and 6% of the respondents strongly disagreed to it.
The mean in this questionnaire is 2.54, which signifies the average of the overall
response. The median is 2.5, which indicates that mid-value of the responses is lying between the
second and the third option. The value of mode is 3 and it means that the maximum of the

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respondents are considered in the neutral category because of their no responses. As the value of
SD is 1.1, and nearly equivalent to 1, it is proved that the risks associated with the survey
questionnaire is low.
Q.7) Which of the following factors has been affecting the effective supply chain management
process in the Syrian Telecommunication industry?
Table 4.7: Factors affecting the supply chain management process in Syrian
Telecommunication Industry
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Political Instability 24% 12 50
Lack of skillfulness 28% 14 50
Lack of knowledge
regarding customer
needs
32% 16 50
Lack of technological
Infrastructure
16% 8 50
Mean 2.4
Median 2
Mode 3
Standard Deviation 1.030158

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Political Instability Lack of skillfulness Lack of knowledge
regarding customer
needs
Lack of technological
Infrastructure
24% 28% 32%
16%
Factors affecting the supply chain
management process in Syrian
Telecommunication Industry
Graph 4.7: Factors affecting the supply chain management process in Syrian
Telecommunication Industry
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
From the above survey based on the questionnaire, it can be found that majority 32% of
the respondents think that the rapid changes in the customer demands are much challenging to
develop a sound supply chain management process. This ratio was followed by 28% of the
respondents who think that the lack of skillfulness is another most considerable challenge that
the Syrian Telecommunication Industry usually face. Almost 24% of the respondents mentioned
about the political instability and the effects of civil war that create the negative impact on
developing the effective supply chain management process. The remaining 16% of the

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respondents mentioned about the lack of technological infrastructure, which is also a major area
of concern in such context.
The mean has been calculated as 2.4, and thus again the response is average for the
question. The value of median being 2 suggests that the midpoint of the responses is falling in
the second category. With the value of mode being 3, it can be found that the majority of the
respondents selected the third option and it indicates the lack of information and knowledge of
theirs regarding the demand and expectations of customers. The standard deviation is 1.0, which
depicts that the risk in this questionnaire is low.
Q.8) Which of the following factors may create the significant challenge in the Syrian
telecommunication industry?
Table 4.8: Factors creating challenges in the Syrian Telecommunication Industry
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Extensive
competition
34% 17 50
Lack of adequate
capital resources
20% 10 50
Changing Demands
of the customers
24% 12 50
Cultural and Political
Barriers
22% 11 50

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Mean 2.34
Median 2
Mode 1
Standard Deviation 1.171254
Extensive competition Lack of adequate
capital resources Changing Demands of
the customers Cultural and Political
Barriers
34%
20% 24% 22%
Factors creating challenges in the Syrian
Telecommunication Industry
Graph 4.8: Factors creating challenges in the Syrian Telecommunication Industry
(Source: Created by the Author)
Findings
The above questionnaire suggests that the majority 34% of the respondents mentioned
about the extensive competitions as the crucial factor affecting the Syrian Telecommunication
Industry. This ratio is followed by 24% of the respondents who mentioned about the repeated

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changes in the customer demands. Almost 22% of the respondents mentioned about the cultural
and political barriers. Remaining 20% of the respondents mentioned about the lack of adequate
capital resources for the investment purposes.
Q.9) How far do you agree that the establishment of the effective supply chain management
process requires developing the appropriate customer relationships?
Table 4.9: Effectiveness of Supply Chain Management in developing Customer
Relationship
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Strongly Agree 22% 11 50
Agree 28% 14 50
Neutral 32% 16 50
Disagree 12% 6 50
Strongly Disagree 6% 3 50
Mean 2.52
Median 2.5
Mode 3
Standard Deviation 1.147135

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Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
22%
28% 32%
12%
6%
Effectiveness of Supply Chain Management
in developing Customer Relationship
Graph 4.9: Effectiveness of Supply Chain Management in developing Customer
Relationship
(Source: Created by the Author)
The above questionnaire reflects that the majority 32% of the respondents stood biased
when they were asked about the effectiveness of the supply chain management in developing the
customer relationship. However, on the other hand, almost 28% of the respondents agreed to this
statement and almost 22% of the respondents strongly agreed to it. The questionnaire also
highlights the contradictory view when almost 12% of the respondents disagreed and 6% of the
respondents strongly disagreed to it.
The mean in this questionnaire is 2.52, which signifies the average of the overall
response. The median is 2.5, which indicates that mid-value of the responses is lying between the
second and the third option. The mode is 3, which indicates that the maximum of the respondents

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the third option in this context that is ‘neutral’. The standard deviation is 1.1, which is equivalent
to 1. Therefore, it can be inferred that the risk in this questionnaire is low.
Q.10) How far do you agree that the effective supply chain management improves the overall
organisational performance?
Table 4.10: Effectiveness of the supply chain management in improving the overall
organisation performance
(Source: Created by the Author)
Option Response Frequency
(%)
Number of
Responses
Total Respondents
Strongly Agree 32% 16 50
Agree 36% 18 50
Neutral 18% 9 50
Disagree 8% 4 50
Strongly Disagree 6% 3 50
Mean 2.2
Median 2
Mode 2
Standard Deviation 1.160577

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32%
36%
18%
8% 6%
Effectiveness of the supply chain
management in improving the overall
organisation performance
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Graph 4.10: Effectiveness of the supply chain management in improving the overall
organisation performance
(Source: Created by the Author)
From the responses provided for the question present in the survey questionnaire, it could
be seen that the most of respondents, i.e., 36% of them agreed to the fact that the establishment
of the effective supply chain process improves the overall performance of the organization. 18
out of 50 respondents strongly agreed to the fact and it shows that 32 percent fall in this category
while the 8 percent and 6 percent of the respondents disagreed and strong disagreed to the fact
respectively. The 18 percent of the respondents, i.e., 8 out of 50 respondents remained neutral in
their responses.
The avrge of response is assumed because the eman value is 22 whule the valye of
median, being 2, means that the most of respondents agree to the context. Based on the analysis,
itw as found that the standard deviation is 1.1, which can prove that the risks that may be

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experienced while obtaining responses in the questionnaire, is quite lower and it indicates
successful data collection process too.
4.2 Qualitative Questions for 3 managers
Q.1) Why do you feel that developing an effective supply chain management process is essential
for the telecommunication industry?
In the qualitative data collection process, the managers of the Syrian Telecommunication
industry were asked about the effectiveness of undertaking the sound supply chain management
process. In respond to this question, one of the managers stated that this supply chain
management helps the organisations to compete with the business rivalries in the
telecommunication industry. Another manager implied that the effective supply chain
management process helps in establishing the effective customer relationship for the longer
period of time. The other manager from the Syrian Telecommunication industry specified that
the development of the effective supply chain management process helps in generating more
profits by gathering the responses from the customers.
Q.2) What impact the effective supply chain management process has on the organisational
performance?
In the qualitative data collection process, the managers were asked about the
effectiveness of the supply chain management on developing the organizational performance. In
responding to this question, one of the managers stated that the supply chain management
process helps in flowing information to all department within the organization. Therefore, they
become informative regarding the basic needs and demands of the target customers. In support of
this statement, another manager stated that the effective supply chain management process

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develops the organizational potentiality to achieve the competitive advantage in a challenging
business landscape. Another manager Implied that the companies get benefited by the effective
supply chain management process since it divides the functional segments into different
department. This method helps in conducting organizational functionalities in a systematic way.
Q.3) What are the key challenges the Syrian Telecommunication face while establishing the
supply chain management process?
In the qualitative interview process, the managers provided the knowledge regarding the
possible challenges faced while developing the effective supply chain management process in
Syrian Telecommunication industry. One of the managers referred to the impact of the civil war
and the political instability that have the clear effects on the business functions. In responding to
this context, another manager even implied that the development of the effective supply chain
management requires the adequate capital resources, infrastructure, and skilled employees.
However, in Syria, the lack of these specific necessities is quite challenging in terms of
developing the organizational performance through sound supply chain management process.
The last manager explained that the customers’ needs are continuously changing due to which
they are sometimes confused to make the appropriate decisions while preparing for the supply
chain process. Hence, the changing customer needs is also a considerable matter of concerns
faced by the managers in Syrian Telecommunication industry.
4.3 Summary
The chapter discloses the findings obtained from the primary research process. The
interpreted data point will be analyzed elaborately in the next chapter of the study. The
information will then be aligned to the secondary research to determine the accomplishment of

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the research objectives. Depending on this outcome, the study will also provide some suitable
recommendations in the further chapter.

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Chapter 5
Discussion of the Data
5.0 Introduction
The chapter will interpret the data that has been collected from the primary survey and
interview process. The complete analysis of the supply chain management efficiency in
enhancing the organizational performance will be discussed in this chapter. The information
from the secondary data sources will also be analyzed to understand the entire research subject. It
will also strengthen the knowledge regarding the Syrian Telecommunication industry and the
challenges they encounter while establishing the effective supply chain management process.
5.1 Discussion
Question 1: Major supply chain management practices need to be undertaken
The above presented data uncovers the fact that supply chain network is a significant
business element of organization. In the light of Syria Telecom Industry, it is worth stating that
the firm is in the need of undertaking severe transition with respect to its supply chain
management practices. The quantitative question, technological advancement as the crucial
element for innovative supply chain practice reveals the fact that a majority of respondents
agrees to the implementation of technology. Implementation of technology in supply chain
would facilitate the practice by saving time and cost. It will lead to increased productivity. In the
literature, it was also studied that fuzzy DEA model can be a beneficial mechanism to analyze
the efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain management. DEA or the data
envelopment analysis system is very relevant in the telecom industry (Azadiet al. 2015).

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Another significant practice needing to be undertaken found in the quantitative data is the
establishment of long-term relationship with suppliers to reduce cost of the raw materials.
Almost 22% of the respondents agree to the fact that by developing a long-term relationship with
suppliers, the business can reduce the cost of raw materials since in long-term relationship,
profits of suppliers are fixed at a particular rate while short-term relationship often raise of
question of stability in profit margin of suppliers. According to Duhamel, Carbone and Moatti
(2016), the development of the long term relationship and partnership with the supplier influence
both the parties. As a result, it helps the company to achieve the significant benefit.
Question 2: How the supply chain management practices create the significant impact on
the organizational performance of Syrian Telecommunication industry?
It is found that supply chain management practices have positive impact on
organizational performance as the qualitative data findings imply the fact that the supply chain
management process helps in flowing information to all department within the organization.
Therefore, they become informative regarding the basic needs and demands of the target
customers. So, when each member in the organization is aware of the needs and demands of the
business, they comprehend what needs to be done; a unanimous approach of leading the business
can be developed through such knowledge. One of the respondents in the interview has stated the
fact that effective supply chain management process develops the organizational potentiality to
achieve the competitive advantage in a challenging business landscape. According to the
literature, skilled supply chain management process deals with the diversified functions that
develop through a systematic process. When the employees are engaged with these functions,
they receive the appropriate guidance to deal with the advanced machineries. Therefore, they
receive the scope to enhance their technical and professional skills that eventually lead towards

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the better performance skills (Ralston et al. 2015). For example, the customer service department
needs to establish the clear and transparent communication with the clients to understand their
basic demands and requirements. The overall idea derived from the study thus suggests that the
effective supply chain management process helps in improving the organizational performance.
So, it can be concluded that supply chain management practices have both positive and negative
impact on organizational performance.
Question 3: What are the major challenges encountered in performing the effective supply
chain management process?
When investigating this particular research question, the data primary data findings reveal the
fact that extensive competition, lack of adequate capital resources and changing customer
demands are major challenges in front of an effective supply chain management practice. In
addition, the challenge encountered in this context is the political instability in Syria. It has been
previously observed that the Syrian telecommunication industry is greatly threatened by the
impacts of civil war.
The government has been controlling the use of the internet due to which the industry
faces numerous obligations. The rules and regulations imposed by the government on the
telecommunication industry is quite disadvantages for the companies. In fact, the employees
involved in the server process also pointed out the issues faced by the political instability.
Furthermore, it is also noticed that the government has imposed regulations on using the
technological tools that are widely used in the telecommunication industry. Therefore,
developing a skilled supply chain management process to improve the organizational
performance is quite challenging for the telecommunication industry in Syria. On the other hand,
it is also observed that the lack of proper infrastructure is also a critical component that is

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restricting the development of the effective supply chain management. It is therefore necessary to
pay attention towards the public relations and more advanced techniques that can help in
generating more revenues. Considering the threats of the civil war, the government is also paying
more attention to the regulatory terms and conditions. However, the existing studies did not pay
much attention to the contemporary challenges that a business might face in implementing
supply chain practices. The chosen literature did not mention about any existing and future
challenges of supply chain practices.
Question 4: How the supply chain issues can be mitigated to improvise the organizational
performance in Syrian Telecommunication industry?
The primary data findings imply that practice sizing the strategic management help in enhancing
the performance level of a company. The current telecommunication industry is highly
influenced by the market competitions, which create the significant impacts on the performance
level of the organization. In today's market, the business companies have been concentrating on
achieving the operational efficiency as well as reduction of costs as much as possible. However,
it has been noticed that there are some great deal of complexity, especially in terms of
purchasing processes that are used by the service providers. The respondents in the primary data
collection process informed about the challenges that they often face while practicing the well-
organized supply chain management process. The current telecommunication industry is highly
influenced by the market competitions, which create the significant impacts on the performance
level of the organization. Therefore, the business marketers adopt diverse strategies that can
ensure the adequate profit level and accomplishments of the business objectives.
The managers in the qualitative data collection process also mentioned about the
effectiveness of adopting the essentiality of the supply chain management process. Each of the

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companies is therefore trying to establish the innovative procedures to satisfy the customers’
demand and generate profit. The supply chain management is widely focusing on these demands.
However, generating profits is not the only focus for the businesses. It is also important to
maintain the pace of the skilled organizational performance. Hence, it is essential to create the
profound strategies that can help the organizations in overcoming the identified challenges in a
more appropriate way. In the literature it was found that Logistics process plays an integral role
in terms of measuring the performance of the firm. Yusuf et al. (2014) describe that the Logistic
integration practices are aligned with the operational activities that helps in coordinating the
material flow from supplier to the customers throughout the value stream process. Adamczak et
al. (2016) explain that logistics integration is quite a new formulation criterion for the companies
that help in evaluating the performance between the suppliers and the company
5.2 Summary
The chapter analyzes the information received from the primary and the secondary data
collection process. The study provides the clear and concise ideas about the perceptions
presented by the primary respondents. Considering these specific challenges and the analysis
report, the further section of the study will provide the preferable recommendations to overcome
these barriers.

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Chapter 6
Conclusion, Limitation, and Recommendation
6.0 Conclusion
The chapter sums up the entire research study by gathering the information from the
primary and secondary data collection process. The study concentrates on developing the
effectiveness of supply chain management on increasing organizational performance in the
Syrian telecommunication industry. The mixed method research conducted in this study provides
the clear and concise ideas about the concept, theory, significance, and challenges. In this
chapter, the study will link the information gathered from both the primary and secondary
research process with the pre-determined objectives. The outcome of the research will determine
whether the study has met the objectives or not. In addition to this, the chapter will also disclose
the suitable recommendations against the challenges that have been encountered in this study.
6.1 Linking Objectives with the Primary Research and Literature Review
 Objective 1: To investigate the supply chain practices in telecommunication
industry
The supply chain process in the telecommunication industry determines the greater
opportunistic values for the organisations. It does not only improve the organisational
performance parameter, it also increases the profits level of the company by strengthening the
competitive position. The data gathered from the primary survey process discloses that the
supply chain management in the telecommunication industry requires involving the versatile
tools and reliable design structure for controlling the entire material flow. Majority of the

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DISSERTATION
respondents admitted that the supply chain management process helps in strengthening the
competitive position in the challenging business landscape where the customer demands are
continuously changing. Each of the company is looking forward to develop more innovative
process that can help in gathering the customers’ attention towards the offered product and
services. On the other hand, the literature study reveals that the supply chain process does not
only include the suppliers or the manufacturer, it even deals with the Transporters, customers,
and other external stakeholders. The current globalized world is highly influenced by the
advanced Technologies and innovative equipment. Therefore, it has become easier to distribute
the desired services or products to the customers within the stipulated time. During such
situation, the effective supply chain management process creates the bridge between the
organization and the customer demands. The responses received from the qualitative interview
session disclosed that supply chain management helps the organisations to compete with the
business rivalries in the telecommunication industry. The managers also stated that the efficient
supply chain process helps in establishing the effective customer relationship for the longer
period of time. The information received from both the sources provides the enriched knowledge
about the supply chain practices in the telecommunication industry. Therefore, it can be inferred
that this specific research objectives is successfully achieved by developing the understanding of
the context.
 Objective 2: To critically analyse the impact of supply chain management practices
on organisational performance
Organisational performance is not only measured through the profit level generated by the
company. Organizational performance concentrates on some of the specific areas like
organizational functionalities, such as financial performance, shareholder return, and product

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market performance.The idea obtained from the primary research process notifies that the supply
chain management process helps in developing the relationships with the customers and
suppliers. Therefore, the employees are aware of the basic needs and demands, which can be
fulfilled by developing a sound supply chain management process. The employees then learn
more innovative approaches that strengthen their technological skills. The effects of adopting
such innovative process helps in improving the overall performance. Even the literature study
specifies that the current telecommunication industry is highly influenced by the market
competitions, which create the significant impacts on the performance level of the organization.
Hence, if the organisations do not concentrate on their performance management, it might affect
in retaining their competitive positioning in a challenging business scenario. The supply chain
management process often includes the effective relationship with the suppliers and the
customer. The customer service department needs to establish the clear and transparent
communication with the clients to understand their basic demands and requirements. The
responses gathered from the qualitative data collection process also reveal that the supply chain
management process helps in establishing the systematic work process and innovative
technicalities, which lead to the improvement of the overall performance. Hence, this specific
objective of the study is met.
 Objective 3: To identify the loopholes in the supply chain process in
telecommunication industry that affect the organisational performance
The next objective specifies the analysis of the underlying loopholes. In respond to this
segment, the respondents in the primary survey process informed that the political instability and
the threats of the civil war are quite considerable challenge faced by the telecommunication
industry in Syria. The information derived from the literature review indicates that the rules and

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regulations imposed by the government on the telecommunication industry is quite
disadvantages for the companies. In fact, the employees involved in the server process also
pointed out the issues faced by the political instability. It is also observed that the lack of proper
infrastructure is also a critical component that is restricting the development of the effective
supply chain management. It is therefore necessary to pay attention towards the public relations
and more advanced techniques that can help in generating more revenues. The current
telecommunication industry is highly influenced by the market competitions, which create the
significant impacts on the performance level of the organization. The supply chain management
in the telecommunication industry requires involving the versatile tools and reliable design
structure for controlling the entire material flow. It was also notified that the lack of adequate
knowledge and capability of using technological tools can affect the entire supply chain
management process. Therefore, it is important to select the suitable employees who are quite
efficient in dealing with the innovative Technologies. Especially, the millennial are quite skilled
about the technological use in current business environment. Hence, encountering these gaps and
loopholes in the Syrian Telecommunication industry, the research study has met this specific
objective.
 Objective 4:To present the preferable recommendations for minimizing the risks
associated with the supply chain process in Syrian Telecommunication industry
Identifying these observable challenges in the Syrian Telecommunication industry in terms of
developing the supply chain management process, the further study will present some of the
preferable recommendations below:

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6.2 Recommendations
The challenges faced from the external market are quite observable in the Syrian
Telecommunication industry. Considering these specific challenges, the following
recommendations are presented.
 Telecom industry needs to adapt to the advancement of technology to speed up and
smoothen the supply chain activities. This would be effective for the business as it is
undeniable that businesses in each sector is adopting technology and in the file of supply
chain, technology could facilitate the entire process by saving time and cost. The findings
indicate that fuzzy DEA model can be a beneficial mechanism to analyze the efficiency
and effectiveness in the supply chain management. In the literature, it was also found that
DEA or the data envelopment analysis system is very relevant in the telecom industry
(Azadiet al. 2015). In addition to this, the primary findings indicate that 36% of the
respondents agreed to the fact that the technological advancements are a crucial factor in
developing the innovative supply chain management practices. So, use of technology in
supply chain is an effective choice for the businesses in the telecom sector of Syria.
 The employees associated with the telecommunication industry require more structured
and well-organised training sessions to improvise their skills on performing supply chain
process. This strategy falls under the category of developing an effective supply chain
practice and to implement the same businesses in the sector require more structured and
well organized process. The interview findings indicates that the effective supply chain
management process helps in establishing the effective customer relationship for the
longer period of time.

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 Establishing the communication transparency to communicate with both the internal and
external stakeholders such as the suppliers would be beneficial for the telecommunication
industry to ensure strengthened relationships. This strengthened relationship would create
the long term profitability for the companies in this sector. Moreover, the effective
organizational performance achieved through the skilled supply chain process will secure
the competitive ground as well. The quantitative data also indicates that almost 32% of
the respondents agree to the fact that long-term relationship with the external
stakeholders such as the suppliers could influence reduction of cost and raw materials.
6.3 Research limitation
The purpose of discussing this part is to identify the possible limitations that the research
will go through. It is very natural that during the research people can face a number of problems
and it never undermines the credibility of the research. This study is not exceptional to that. It is
already mentioned that the study is going to focus on both primary and secondary data collection.
Lack of validity and authenticity can be a major problem in this regard. In case of the secondary
data collection, dearth of in depth investigation and the authenticity of the source material are
considered to be very important. Therefore, the researcher must know that the sources that he
uses, is essentially a peered reviewed article.
On the other hand, using primary data can also create problems regarding the aims of the
research. Validity of the respondents and biasness in course of participating in the primary data
collection is a major threat that the researchers often face with. In response to this, it is pivotal
for the researcher to take caution while collecting primary data. Moreover, the authenticity of the
secondary can also provide further rationality in the progress of the research.

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Furthermore, this research is based on the positivism research philosophy. As per the
method of positivism research philosophy, it can be stated that this method intensely relies on the
keen observation of the researcher. As a result of that slight diversion or unmindful attitude can
create a grave problem for the research. Therefore, rapt attention with a great understanding of
using data is important for conducting this research a success.
6.4 Future Scope of the Study
The data collected from the primary research will be used as the secondary information
for the future similar research. The study has strengthened the knowledge regarding the Syrian
telecommunication industry and the process of managing the supply chain to improve the
organisational performance. The ideas gathered from this research will be beneficial in
conducting more in-depth analysis on the different research process based on the same industry.

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Appendix
Questionnaire for 50 employees
Q.1) What is your Age?
o 18 years-24 years
o 25 years-30 years
o 30 years-40 years
o Above 40 years
Q.2) How long have you been associated with the telecommunication industry?
o Less than 6 months
o 6 months- 1 year
o 1 year to 3 years
o More than 3 years
Q.3) For what purpose the customers use the internet service? (According to you)
o Searching for Information
o Social Media Surfing
o Playing Games
o Online Transaction
Q.4) How far do you agree that the changes in the customer demands is creating impact on the
supply chain process?
o Strongly Agree

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o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
Q.5) How far do you agree that the technological advancement is the crucial part in developing
the innovative supply chain process in the telecommunication industry?
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
Q.6) How far do you agree that the maintenance of the long term relationship with the suppliers
can reduce the cost of the raw materials?
o Strongly Agree
o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree
Q.7) Which of the following factors has been affecting the effective supply chain management
process in the Syrian Telecommunication industry?