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Prof. Christian Durach Wins Chan Hahn Best Paper Award at the Academy of Management Conference

Prof. Dr. Christian Durach, Chair of the Supply Chain and Operations Management at ESCP, was awarded the Chan Hahn Best Paper Award for his paper “Diffusion of Irresponsible Workplace Practices in Supply Chains: The Chinese Industrial Sector Case”.

The award was presented at the Academy of Management Conference held in Chicago, IL, USA in August 2024.

This study looks into a potential key factor behind workplace accidents in China, where fatality rates are 2.5 to 3.5 times higher than in the United States and Europe. It focuses on how accidents at Chinese industrial firms spread into their supply chains. 

Analyzing data from nearly 4,700 Chinese firms and their suppliers between 2007 and 2020, the research found that when a buyer firm has an accident, casualty rates in their supply chain can go up by as much as 267% over the next two years. This effect is stronger in companies with high government ownership, strong operational performance, and fewer recent accidents in their supply chain. The findings highlight how unsafe practices can spread through supply chains and offer useful insights for government bodies, inspectors, and business leaders on how to prevent such accidents.

Finalists for the award are chosen by the OSCM Division Program Chair, based on the feedback and ratings provided by AOM conference reviewers. An independent committee then selects the award winner from these finalists through a blind review process.

Durach’s co-authors for the paper included Di Fan from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Frank Wiengarten from ESADE Business School, and Veronica Haydee Villena from Arizona State University. To read the study, visit https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2024.369bp

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