The partial mediating role of supply chain integration between Industry 4.0 and supply chain performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizem Erboz ◽  
Işık Özge Yumurtacı Hüseyinoğlu ◽  
Zoltan Szegedi

Purpose Industry 4.0 not only impacts the manufacturing industry but also supply chain practices. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), the purpose of this paper is to examine how Industry 4.0 affects supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP). Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 212 respondents in manufacturing companies. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypotheses of this study. Findings The findings reveal that Industry 4.0 has a positive impact on SCI and SCP, and SCI has a positive impact on SCP. In addition, a partial mediating role of SCI has been found between Industry 4.0 and SCP. Practical implications This study reveals the role of Industry 4.0 on supply chain practices and draws attention to SCI in the linkage between Industry 4.0 and SCP. The findings emphasise the need for Industry 4.0 and SCI to enhance SCP. Originality/value There is limited research on the impacts of Industry 4.0 on SCI and SCP. This research finds empirical evidence for these impacts and enhances knowledge of Industry 4.0 by using a sample from an emerging country.

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 733-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Joon Seo ◽  
John Dinwoodie ◽  
Dong-Wook Kwak

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to study the impact of innovativeness on supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP) and the role of SCI in mediating between innovativeness in the supply chain and SCP. Innovativeness is an accepted driver to leverage firm performance. SCI and SCP require innovativeness in the supply chain, but their interrelationships have rarely been researched empirically. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey and structural equation modelling were used in this work. After a structural and measurement model was devised from existing supply chain literature, the main data were collected in a web-based questionnaire survey of South Korean manufacturers. Structural equation modelling was applied to test proposed hypotheses on the associations between variables, following a hierarchical analysis process. Findings – Innovativeness in the supply chain had a positive impact on both SCI and SCP. However, the direct impact of innovativeness on SCP disappeared when the model included SCI as a mediator. In specific, internal and supplier integration fully mediated innovativeness–SCP relationships, whereas customer integration had no mediating role on those relationships. The findings suggest that innovativeness can influence SCP only when the manufacturer’s level of SCI is sufficiently effective in developing necessary supply chain practices. Research limitations/implications – In this work, innovativeness in the supply chain effectively influenced SCP through the mediation of SCI. However, cross-sectional analysis in one nation using one response per organisation invites validation embracing other geographical areas and longitudinal studies. Practical implications – Design of an innovative culture within a firm and along a supply chain can enhance SCI practices by stimulating innovativeness. A high level of SCI should be pursued to effectively transform innovativeness into performance. Originality/value – This work seminally examines the effect of innovativeness in the supply chain on SCI and SCP as well as the mediating role of SCI in the relationships between innovativeness and SCP.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Luu

Purpose The interaction between opening and closing behaviors of ambidextrous leadership produces “change” force throughout the organization in proactive response to market forces. This research aims to assess the role of ambidextrous leadership in fostering entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market responsiveness. The research also seeks an insight into how external supply chain integration moderates the positive effect of EO on market responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach Research data were collected from 327 meso-level managers and 517 subordinates from chemical manufacturing companies in the Vietnam business context. Findings Research findings shed light on the positive effect of ambidextrous leadership on EO, which in turn contributes to market responsiveness. The moderation role that external supply chain integration plays on the EO–market responsiveness linkage was also grounded on the data set. Originality/value Through the identification of the predictive roles of ambidextrous leadership and EO for market responsiveness, the current research indicates the convergence between leadership, EO and market responsiveness research streams.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arshad Alam ◽  
Prabir K. Bagchi ◽  
Bumsoo Kim ◽  
Subrata Mitra ◽  
Fernando Seabra

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of individual logistics-related factors, namely, supplier involvement (SI), length of supplier relationship (LSR), use of information technology (IT), and logistics integration (LI) on a firm's supply chain performance (SCP) and test for the mediating effect of LI in a multi-country survey conducted in Brazil, Korea and India. The paper also develops a composite variable, supply chain competency (SCC), as an overall measure of the quality of a firm's supply chain and demonstrate its effect on a firm's SCP. Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology was based on designing and administering a survey instrument. Data collected from 187 organizations in Brazil, Korea and India were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling methodology. Findings – Results show that for the combined data, the direct effects of SI, LSR and IT on SCP are insignificant while LI has a very significant direct effect on SCP. On the other hand, except for SI, LSR and IT have significant effects on SCP through LI establishing the mediating role of LI. The paper also finds that SCC has a significant effect on SCP. Further, when countries are considered individually the paper finds that IT has a significant indirect effect on SCP in the case of all the countries while LSR has a significant indirect effect on SCP, both in the case of Brazil and Korea. Additionally, in the case of Korea SI has a significant indirect effect on SCP. Research limitations/implications – Like other survey-based research, the findings of this paper are also limited by the sample size. Especially, the observations specific to individual countries are as good as the respective sample sizes. Also, since all the respondents belonged to manufacturing firms, the findings of this paper are relevant for the manufacturing sector. Practical implications – This paper establishes the mediating effect of LI in assessing the impact of logistics-related factors on a firm's SCP. It confirms that although logistics-related factors are necessary for a firm's superior SCP, they are not sufficient unless their interactions are taken into consideration, as evidenced by the significant positive relationship between SCC and SCP. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first paper to study the effect of logistics-related factors on a firm's SCP and establish the mediating role of LI in a multi-country setting. This paper also develops a composite variable SCC and examines its effect on SCP.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (8) ◽  
pp. 1650-1668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengying Feng ◽  
Wantao Yu ◽  
Roberto Chavez ◽  
John Mangan ◽  
Xumei Zhang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend prior supply chain research by empirically exploring the relationship among guanxi, supply chain integration (SCI), and operational performance. More specifically, this study investigates the mediating role of SCI. Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least square regression is used to analyze survey data collected from 126 automobile manufacturers in China. Findings The results reveal a significant positive relationship between guanxi and SCI, and that SCI is significantly and positively related to operational performance. The authors’ findings further suggest that guanxi indirectly affects operational performance through SCI. Practical implications The empirical findings imply that it is vital for managers to recognize the important mediating role of dynamic SCI capabilities. Originality/value As a fundamental Chinese cultural norm, guanxi can be critical in a supply chain context. Although previous research has identified the importance of guanxi and SCI in improving firm performance, far less attention was given to the study of the mediating effect of SCI on the guanxi-performance relationship. This study thus fulfills the research gap by providing an initial empirical examination of the mediating role of SCI in China’s automotive industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhat Afshan ◽  
Purnendu Mandal ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Jaideep Motwani

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of immediate performance outcomes on the relationship between dimensions of supply chain integration (SCI) and financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study tests the proposed model linking dimensions of SCI, immediate performance outcomes and financial performance using structural equation modeling on a sample of Indian manufacturing companies.FindingsThe findings suggest that the relationship between dimensions of SCI and firm performance is fully mediated through the immediate performance outcomes.Originality/valueThis study deals with the potential benefits of SCI, especially in developing countries like India, where a little research has been done in this area. Also, this study provides support to practitioners that SCI is an effective way of improving both supply chain performance and financial performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 511-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Skipworth ◽  
Janet Godsell ◽  
Chee Yew Wong ◽  
Soroosh Saghiri ◽  
Denyse Julien

Purpose – This study aims to explain how supply chain alignment, which remains a major challenge for supply chains, can be achieved and its implications for business performance (BP) by testing the strengths of the relationships between previously identified enablers, supply chain alignment and BP. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review develops hypotheses on the relationships between enablers, alignment and BP. A survey of medium-to-large UK manufacturing companies was conducted where the sample comprised 151 randomly selected companies, and the response rate was 56 per cent. Partial least square regression was used to test the hypothesis. Findings – Two types of supply chain alignment are defined – shareholder and customer – but only customer alignment (CA) has a direct positive impact on BP, while shareholder alignment (SA) is its antecedent. Top management support was shown to be an enabler of both shareholder and CA, while organisation structure, information sharing and performance measurement system enabled SA, while internal relational behaviour enabled CA. Research limitations/implications – Supply chain management research lacks knowledge on exactly how supply chain alignment can be achieved and what BP implications it has. This research provides a tested conceptual model to address this gap. Practical implications – The refined conceptual model provides precise guidance to practitioners on how to improve BP through supply chain alignment. Originality/value – Whilst the strategic management literature emphasizes the importance of SA, this study reveals another crucial alignment – CA – and shows its direct positive impact on BP.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah ◽  
Esther Ahenkorah ◽  
Ebenezer Afum ◽  
Essel Dacosta ◽  
Zhongxing Tian

PurposeThis study primarily explores the influence of green warehousing, logistics optimization and social values and ethics on supply chain sustainability and economic performance. The study further examines the mediating role of supply chain sustainability between economic performance and green warehousing, logistics optimization and social values and ethics.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a quantitative research approach where survey data are collected from 200 managers of manufacturing companies in Ghana. The dataset is analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling software (PLS-SEM) SmartPLS 3.FindingsThe results show that green warehousing and logistics optimization negatively influence economic performance but improves economic performance through supply chain sustainability. It is further discovered that social values and ethics have a positive influence on supply chain sustainability and economic performance.Originality/valueThis paper proposes and tests a theoretical model that explores the relationships between green warehousing, supply chain sustainability, economic performance, logistics optimization and social values and ethics through the resource dependency theory (RDT) in the manufacturing firms in Ghana.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amol S. Dhaigude ◽  
Rohit Kapoor ◽  
Narain Gupta ◽  
Sidhartha S. Padhi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complex interrelationships among the key constructs, supply chain orientation (SCO), supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP) in Indian manufacturing industries. These relationships have been studied using the relational view (RV) and the knowledge-based view (KBV) theoretical perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model was derived from the existing body of knowledge in the supply chain domain. The study is based on a sample size of 122 data collected via face-to-face meetings with the Indian manufacturers using well-established scales. The covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings In Indian manufacturing and supply chains, SCO has a positive relationship with SCI and SCP. Moreover, the direct impact of SCO on SCP diminishes when SCI is used as a mediating variable. This study also observes positive impact of: i) SCO on SCP, ii) SCI on SCP and iii) discovery of mediating role of SCI on SCP under the theoretical lenses of RV and KBV. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional survey of manufacturing firms of one country (using one response per firm) calls for validation covering other parts of the world and demands a longitudinal survey. This research will trigger more scholarly, practice and policy debate among researchers studying Indian and emerging economies context. Practical implications The notion of a holistic view of the SC with a focus on improving the customer value can enhance strategic partnerships among the SC partners (i.e. SCI) and overall SCP. Firms should make efforts to include SCI in SC designs to successfully transform SCO into SCP. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in studying the complex interrelationships among key concepts of SC in a unique Indian manufacturing context. The Indian supply chains operate in a set of unique characteristics, which have been detailed out in this paper. This paper not only establishes the mediating role of SCI for overall SCP in emerging economies but also enhances the scholarly knowledge in the SC domain. Most studies report SCO as a single-order construct, measured by scales comprising of only few items. The second-order SCO measures in this study bring credibility to the findings. Additionally, it contributes to both academicians and practitioners alike in the context of an integrated SC in emerging economies.


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