Supply chain management and food security in Qatar

5 Supply Chain Management and Food Security in the State of Qatar Introduction The topic of this proposed study is the relationship between supply chain management and food security in the State of Qatar. The study is designed to be both exploratory (qualitative) and quantitative, and so is expected to yield qualitative as well as quantitative results for analysis. This proposal will describe the objective, study questions, importance of the study, relevant literature and background on the study, and the mixed-methodology used and why it is appropriate. 1 Objective: The aim of the study is to explore and test the relationship between supply chains and food security in Qatar.  2 Study Question: Is there a positive relationship between supply chain management to achieve food security in Qatar when unexpected crises or not? Hypothesis: There is a positive relationship between supply chain management and food security, particularly in cases when unexpected crises emerge. Null hypothesis: There is no relationship between supply chain management and food security, particularly in cases when unexpected crises emerge. 3 Importance of Study This study is important to the subject of supply chain management and food security in Qatar because of the necessity for firms in the region to be able to assess their current supply chain management systems and ensure that they will be able to guarantee food security in case of disruptive crises. Currently, Qatar is under pressure from regional players to adopt certain geopolitical policies that might harm or offend its regional neighbors. Qatar can also suffer from environmental issues, like drought, climate change and population growth, which can also adversely affect its food security or cause potential problems to supply chains (Cheeseman, 2016). Such an environment, if not carefully tread, can result in the disruption of supply chains; thus, it is important for the safety of consumers in the food industry that food security is not harmed in such cases. Exploring and evaluating the relationship between supply chain management and food security in Qatar can help managers better understand the risks they face in the industry in this region. 4 Background and Literature Review Food security is an important issue in Qatar, as Aktas et al. (2014) show. In fact, the issue goes beyond the ME region, as global food chains “have become longer and more complex owing to the decoupling of geographical locations where food is produced and consumed” (Aktas et al., 2014). The situation is exacerbated by a an environment in which “increases in global food prices, lower levels of production in grain-producing nations and rising costs of oil, fertilizers and transportation” have combined to cause “concerns about food security in many countries, including Qatar” (Aktas et al., 2014). Since the three biggest issues in supply chain management are 1) managing inventory, 2) managing suppliers, and 3) ensuring quality and safety, it stands to reason that firms in Qatar must allocate a substantial amount of resources to overseeing its supply chains for the sake of food security. One element that may have an impact on safeguarding food supply is supply chain management. Al-Busaidi, Jukes and Bose (2016) conducted a study that indicated a pressing need to harmonize the various component parts of regulatory bodies, food protection standards, and the global supply chain in order to address safe food issues. Additionally, Shaffer (2017) shows that there are many vulnerabilities in the Middle East and that Qatar must adopt a new perspective on management in order to ensure stability in its services. Allan (2015) also focuses on the importance of food supply chains in maintaining security, as so much depends upon the ability for these supply chains to efficiently and effective get supplies from one part of the world to another without risk of contamination or spoilage. 5 Methodology (Quantitative and Qualitative) The qualitative methodology used for this study will be the interview method: supply chain managers in Qatar will be interviewed using a non-structured interview process that will enable the researcher to explore the organic responses of participants with as little researcher bias as possible. The sample will be obtained using the snowball method, where one participant recommends another for interviewing, and so on. The responses will then be analyzed by examining the transcripts, using open coding, eidetic reduction and imaginative variation to identify the themes that emerge and categorize that accordingly. The quantitative methodology that will be used to test the relationship between supply chain management and food security during times of crisis will be the survey method. This method will allow quantitative data to be obtained that will help solidify the data obtained through the exploratory research. The survey will be structured and the sample will be purposive, consisting of representatives or supply chain managers of firms in Qatar that have dealt with overseeing food chain supplies during times of crisis in the region.