Interesting study last week out of Oregon State University, where a researcher set out to discover whether supply chain managers have developed stronger interpersonal connections in this age of multifaceted business roles. The hypothesis of the study by Zhaohui Wu, associate professor and director of Oregon State's Sustainable Business Initiative, went something like this: Today companies rely on their supply chain managers to "wear more hats"; in wearing more hats, supply chain managers should develop better bonds among themselves, the companies they represent, and the suppliers with which they interact. Turns out they don't.
