Any gender differences exist in the collaborative and innovative mindset of supply managers ?
This article received the ‘coup de coeur’ prize in Sustainable Supply Chain in 2026.
This prize is awarded jointly by France Supply Chain by Aslog’s Lab SupplyChain4Good and AIRL-SCM, the association of French-speaking researchers in logistics and SCM.
This study examines the influence of gender on collaborative and innovative mindsets in upstream supply chain management (SCM), also considered as supply management. Given the critical role of these mindsets in addressing today’s supply challenges, this research explores how gender impacts these attributes among supply managers. Using a quantitative methodology, the study surveyed 250 junior supply managers in training and conducted a narrow replication with 47 experienced supply managers in the same national context.
The results show significant gender differences in innovative mindset and differences in collaborative mindset among junior managers only. Supported by replication, the study highlights gender dimensions in upstream SCM mindsets. It extends discourse on gender in SCM by linking it to collaboration and innovation. Findings encourage re-evaluating gender biases and their impact on SCM practices. Practitioners and educators can apply these insights to design training programmes that address and leverage gender differences, fostering innovative and collaborative environments.
By Romaric Servajean-Hilst & Salomée Ruel from Kedge Business School and De Vinci Higher Education, France .
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