Linking product modularity to supply chain integration and flexibility

The impact of supply chain integration on performance: A contingency and configuration approach

The goal of supply chain integration is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of supply chain for creating customer values. Supply chain integration can be classified into IT integration and structural integration. Also, structural integration can be collapsed into three dimensions: internal, supplier and customer integration. In this study, we investigate the relevance between customer value and supply chain integration. To explore the current study, we collected from 73 Korean firms. The results are as follows: First, customer value has a positively significant effect on IT integration. Second, customer value influences on customer integration but does not has an effect on internal and supplier integration. Third, IT integration improve internal, supplier and customer integration. Finally, each of structural integration positively influences firm performance. These results indicated that declaration of customer value is important factor in supply chain integration.

This study examined the relationship between supply chain integration and marketing success of agriculture producers in Nigeria. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and the correlational research design. The population of this study is made up of all the agricultural producers in South-East Nigeria. The exact population of agricultural producers in the South-East Geopolitical Zone is unknown, hence the Cochran’s formula was used to arrive at a sample size of 384 agricultural producers. The 384 agricultural producers were drawn from the five (5) states in the South-East Geopolitical Zone. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed statistically while the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r) was used to test the hypotheses. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) was computed using SPSS 23.0 version. The findings revealed that internal integration has significant relationship with sales growth of agricultural producers. The study also found a significant relationship between internal integration and market share growth of agricultural producers. A significant relationship was reported between supplier integration and sales growth of agricultural producers. The study also confirmed a significant relationship between supplier integration and market share growth of agricultural producers. The study equally found a significant relationship between customer integration and sales growth of agricultural producers. The study also discovered a significant relationship between customer integration and market share growth of agricultural producers. Based on these findings, it was concluded that supply chain integration is a significant predictor of marketing success of agricultural producers in South- East Nigeria. In line with the findings and conclusion, it was recommended that agricultural producers and marketers should embrace supply chain integration as it would enable them achieve marketing success.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of external supply chain integration (SCI) dimensions on operational performance (OP) under varying conditions of internal integration. SCI is operationalized to include suppliers, customers, logistics and internal integration. This study argues that internal integration serves as a transformative mechanism through which the effect of the three dimensions of SCI can be leveraged to enhance OP. Design/methodology/approach The proposed model was validated using survey data from 340 cold pharmaceutical firms in the sub-Saharan African market. A structural equation model was used to analyze the data. Findings The findings reveal that all three dimensions of SCI (supplier, customer and logistics integration) significantly drive OP. In addition, the authors found that internal integration positively moderates customers, logistics integration and OP relationships. By contrast, the relationship between supplier integration and operational relationships is not significantly moderated by internal integration. In explaining the mixed conclusions surrounding the performance implications of SCI, this study sheds light on how managers in cold product firms can combine customer and logistics integration with a high level of internal integration to enhance OP via SCI. Originality/value This study is among the few attempts to provide an understanding of how the success of the three SCI dimensions of SCI depends on the level of internal integration. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to empirically examine the moderating role of internal integration in the relationship between the other dimensions of SCI and OP. Therefore, the findings advance the boarders’ knowledge by demonstrating that for firms to reap the full benefits of SCI, it is imperative to ensure effective collaboration, communication and coordination among the different departments and units of the firm.

PurposeThis paper aims to simultaneously examine the impact of three types of supply chain integration (SCI) on three types of company performance from the perspective of organizational capability.Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected from 617 companies in China and the structural equation modelling method, the research investigates the relationships among internal integration, customer integration, supplier integration, supplier‐oriented performance, customer‐oriented performance, and financial performance from the perspective of organizational capability.FindingsThe results show that internal integration improves external integration and that internal and external integration directly and indirectly enhance company performance. In addition, full or partial mediating effects among SCI and company performance are identified, and therefore explain the inconsistent findings in previous studies regarding the impacts of SCI on performance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to SCI, organizational capability theory literature, and SCI practices.

Organisations today face an increasingly complex and rapidly changing business environment, driving them towards adopting advanced technological innovations to achieve sustainable success. This study focuses on the impact of adopting Internet of Things (IoT) technologies within Industry 5.0 on the sustainable performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector, with a particular emphasis on the mediating role of supply chain integration. The primary data were gathered from 424 professionals working in Egyptian manufacturing SMEs by using an online questionnaire. The collected data were analysed through the application of regression analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modelling to evaluate the study hypotheses. Results showed that Industry 5.0 (IoT) adoption has a partial significance on the sustainable performance of manufacturing SMEs. This is further supported by the fact that the Industry 5.0 characteristics positively empower supplier, internal, and customer integration. The results also indicated that although the supplier integration is not critical in influencing the environmental performance, it has a strong impact on economic and social performance. Internal and customer integration affects environmental and social performances but does not affect economic performance. The findings are consistent with the study hypotheses that supply chain integration indeed plays a critical mediating role in the relationship between IoT adoption and sustainable performance.

Firms undertake efforts to compete along multiple fronts. First, they integrate internally in order to prepare a cohesive organizational response and to ready the ground for external integration. They then seek to integrate with both customers and suppliers which can increase the breadth and depth of resource endowments. Internal and external integration are posited to improve manufacturing related competitive capability. This study examines whether internal integration and external integration impact manufacturing related competitive capability. The findings indicate significant positive effects of internal integration on both supplier and customer integration. Each supply chain integration dimension has a significant direct effect on competitive capability. Testing for mediation effects indicates that customer integration and supplier integration partially mediate the effects of internal integration on competitive capability.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of supply chain integration (SCI) in terms of supplier integration, customer integration, and internal integration on knowledge management (KM) and technical innovation (TI). The study also investigates the effect of KM on TI. Furthermore, the mediating effect of KM on the relationship between SCI and TI is investigated.Design/methodology/approachStudy model and hypotheses were developed based on literature review. The study is based on survey data collected from 217 Jordanian manufacturing companies in electrical, electronics, machinery, and mechanical appliances industries. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to assess construct validity. Direct and indirect effects were tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrap re-sampling technique.FindingsThe results reveal that supplier integration and customer integration have positive effects on KM and TI, while internal integration has not. Also, KM has a positive effect on TI. In addition, KM mediates supplier integration-TI and customer integration-TI relationships, while does not mediate internal integration-TI relationship.Originality/valueMost existing studies examined the effect of KM on SCI and supply chain management. This study argues and empirically demonstrates that SCI contributes to KM capability of manufacturing companies. Moreover, this is one of the first studies to investigate the mediating role of KM on SCI-TI relationship. The paper provides evidence that external integration is superior to internal integration in enhancing KM and TI.

Purpose Despite extensive research on supply chain integration (SCI), practical applications remain limited. This study aims to examine SCI and identify real gaps in performance in Korean export firms. Design/methodology/approach A total of 104 questionnaires were analyzed. The reliability and validity of the collected data were verified using Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis. The relationships between variables were examined using correlation analysis, and hypotheses were tested using cluster analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc analysis. Findings The results reveal gaps in the cost and quality performance between SCI levels. Customer integration proved more important than supplier integration in achieving cost performance. Additionally, higher SCI contributes to improved quality performance, whereas lower SCI results in diminished quality performance. Finally, the gaps in quality performance are more pronounced than those in cost performance. Originality/value This study’s originality lies in its practical application to the theoretical implications of SCI. Managers of firms with low SCI aiming to improve cost performance should maintain a moderate level of supplier integration and focus on achieving high customer integration. Those aiming to enhance quality performance should prioritize both supplier and customer integration.

Supply chain integration nowadays is considered as an important approach to building and sustaining advantages. Many previous empirical researches focus on the effect of supply chain integration on the firms' performance, yet, the antecedence of supply chain integration is still largely unknown. This paper investigates the relationship between environmental uncertainty (including demand uncertainty, supply uncertainty and technology uncertainty) and supply chain integration (including customer integration, supplier integration and internal integration) with 139 samples from Chinese manufacturing industry. The results reveal both supply uncertainty and technology uncertainty significantly influence supply chain integration; the effect of supply uncertainty is negative, while that of technology uncertainty is positive. However, demand uncertainty just has a significant effect on internal integration. The relationship between demand uncertainty and external integration (including customer integration and supplier integration) is mediated by the internal integration.

Purpose– Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the purpose of this paper is to combine concepts from human resource management (HRM) and supply chain management (SCM) fields and explore the effects of high-involvement HRM practices on supply chain integration (SCI).Design/methodology/approach– Using empirical survey data collected from ten countries, the authors examine the specific effects of three dimensions of high-involvement HRM practices – employee skills, incentives and participation – on three types of SCI – internal integration, supplier and customer integration. The authors use structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation method to test the proposed relationships.Findings– The results confirm the overall relevancy of HRM to SCI. However, several proposed links are not supported by the data collected.Originality/value– This study makes both theoretical and managerial contributions by empirically examining the interface between HRM and SCI. More specifically, it examines the effects of different high-involvement HRM practices on different types of SCI. The findings will not only help researchers to better understand the interface, but will also guide managers in adjusting HRM practices to achieve desired operational goals.

Recently, environmental protection is emerging as global warming is becoming an increasing issue of concern worldwide. In addition, the world society has shifted its preference from the conventional product to the environmental-friendly product. But, on the contrary, the manufacturing industry management is still in doubt whether the green practices benefit the company, given that it requires a lot of capital investment and culture change. This study examines the impact of top management commitment on competitive advantage with the mediating role of supplier integration, customer integration, and green innovation. The data collection used a questionnaire designed with a five-point Likert scale to measure the objective opinion of the respondents against the item statement by choosing the predetermined measurement scale starting with 1: strongly disagree up to 5: strongly agree. Questionnaires were created in Google Form link and distributed to 600 respondents via email, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook. This survey received 285 responses (response rate 47.50%) considered valid for further analysis. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) technique using SmartPLS software version 3.0. The result revealed that top management commitment directly influences supplier integration, green innovation, customer integration. Top management commitment did not directly affect competitive advantage. Instead, competitive advantages were affected by supplier integration, green innovation, and customer integration. Similarly, green innovation was supported by supplier integration and customer integration. In addition, top management commitment indirectly affects competitive advantage through supplier integration, green innovation, and customer integration. This result implies that top management commitment plays a vital role and has multiple effects in enhancing competitive advantage through establishing strategy and policies. This result provides a practical contribution on how the manufacturing companies could improve competitive advantage and at the same time concerns the environmental protection through green innovation. This study could also enrich and extend the acceptance of the recent research in the context of the manufacturing industry. Finally, this work has some limitations, particularly regarding the population and the variables involved. Further studies on the current topic are suggested to apply the variables such as digital and technology capability as these issues are currently in the growing stage. Future research is also suggested to cover a broader population such as the service and health industry.

Background: Operational performance faces many challenges in the production of tin especially for Indonesia as the global market leader. Optimization of its operational performance by bolstering its supply chain integration such as customer integration in downstream processes and integration internally is a big challenge with the lack of smelter though it has been catalyzed by Indonesian government regulation. Additionally, supply chain risk management has been considered important globally to the sustainability and environmental awareness of a tin company related to its operational performance and supply chain integration.Purpose: This research aims to investigate how internal integration and customer integration, mediated by supply chain risk management, affect operational performance in a tin mining company. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a quantitative associative design and proportionate stratified random sampling method used in this study. Data from 47 employees from seven divisions of a tin company in Indonesia were collected and analyzed using PLS-SEM analysis on SMART PLS 3.29 software. Findings/Result: Results indicate a significant positive relationship between customer integration and operational performance, mediated by supply chain risk management. Contrary to expectations, internal integration did not significantly influence operational performance, either directly or indirectly.Originality/value (State of the art): These findings contribute to the evolving body of knowledge on supply chain integration by highlighting the critical role of customer-centric approaches in enhancing operational effectiveness within the tin mining sector. For practical implication, Effective collaboration, knowledge sharing, and understanding customer needs are key factors in achieving success in supply chain management. Keywords: customer integration, internal integration, supply chain, risk management, operational performance

This study analyzes survey-based studies examining the benefits of supply chain integration (SCI) and presents opportunities for further empirical examination. The literature review method is used to evaluate the empirical research published from 1990 to 2012. The analysis reveals that internal integration serves as a foundation for establishing external collaboration. There is empirical evidence on the positive effect of supplier integration on performance, whereas the findings on benefits through customer integration are conflicting. While researchers have made significant progress in our understanding of SCI, there is a substantial need for more work to provide in-depth insights into the potential of SCI and to improve the methodological issues. This study makes three contributions. First, this study expands the current understanding of benefits and considerations in implementing internal, supplier, and customer integration. Second, this study provides a critique of the empirical work and offers research agendas that can stimulate future researchers to carefully explore the topic. Finally, this study enhances the quality of analysis by employing the five-step approach proposed by Vokurka and O’Leary-Kelly (J Oper Manag 18(4):485–501, 2000).

Purpose – The current research examines the effect of life cycle stages on capital structure of listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange. Research design, data, methodology – By aid of 685 year‐company data, which collected from financial statements of companies during 2006‐2012, first, the companies, are classified into three groups including companies in growth, maturity and decline stages. After removing the companies, which were not in accordance with life cycle model, 86 companies were selected to test two main hypotheses of the research. Results – The results show that the capital structure of the sample companies is different in various life cycle stages. More investigation by LSD test also revealed that the total debt to total assets ratio means of the companies in growth stages were significantly different from those companies in maturity stages and those in growth stages had high level of debt to assets ratio. Conclusions – The result showed the average amount of the working capital for companies in three stages are significantly different and due to high level of operation of the companies in maturity and decline stages, these companies held high amount of working capital than those in the growth stages.