How to Complete Supply Chain Integration and Improve Supply Chain Performance Through Relationship Governance in the Digital Age

Jamaluddin F., Saleh N.M., Abdullah A., Hassan M.S., Hamzah N., Jaffar R., Abdul Ghani Aziz S.A., Embong Z.

Despite the proliferation of systematic literature review studies on cooperative organization, a similar review of cooperative governance and performance literature has yet to be conducted. To close this gap, this paper presents a systematic literature review on the relationship between cooperative governance (CG) and cooperative performance using the PRISMA approach. Major search engines were used in the compilation of studies published between 2009 and 2021. A review of the 30 selected papers indicate there are four categories of CG used in relation to cooperative performance: board characteristics, policy compliance, management, leadership and strategies, and the board’s social or human capital. The results also suggest mixed and inconclusive findings on the CG–cooperative performance relationship. The current study seeks to contribute to the existing literature by highlighting patterns and gaps of past studies on the CG–cooperative performance relationship, thereby providing insights for future research.

Kankam G., Kyeremeh E., Som G.N., Charnor I.T.

Li L., Yang S., Chen N.

Taking China's A-share listed manufacturing enterprises from 2014 to 2020 as objects, this paper discusses the impact and mechanism of corporate digital transformation on supply chain relationship transactions from the perspectives of information asymmetry and agency costs. The findings show that digital transformation significantly inhibits the supply chain relational transactions; the mechanism testing results reveal that digital transformation is conducive to the alleviation of information asymmetry and agency costs, which thereby reduces the degree of supply chain relational transactions; the regulatory effect analysis demonstrates that the impact of digital transformation on supply chain relationship transactions becomes more significant in non-high-tech enterprises and enterprises with less fierce industry competition. Finally, this paper confirms that a decline in the proportion of supply chain relationship transactions can significantly reduce the operational risk of enterprises.

Chen N., Yang S., Li L.

Digital transformation has become a new engine driving the development of enterprises. Based on the data of Chinese A-share listed manufacturing enterprises from 2008 to 2020, this paper measured the intensity of enterprise digital transformation with the help of machine learning method, and empirically investigated the impact mechanism of digital transformation on the quality of enterprise's internal control. It is found that digital transformation can significantly improve the quality of internal control. Mechanism analysis shows that digital transformation has a positive impact on the quality of internal control mainly by reducing agency costs and increasing the shareholding ratio of institutional investors. The results of heterogeneity analysis indicate that the promotion effect of digital transformation on the quality of internal control is more significant in enterprises with small scale and strong manager's ability. Digitization improves the total factor productivity of enterprises by promoting the quality of internal control.

Lin J., Lin S., Benitez J., Luo X.(., Ajamieh A.

Drawing upon resource orchestration theory, we argue that deploying digitally-driven business capability aligned with supply chain governance may improve supply chain resilience. Using a sample of Chinese agriculture firms, the empirical analysis verified three fit mechanisms (complementing fit, balancing fit, and configuring fit) between digitally-driven business capability and supply chain governance and their effects on supply chain resilience. This research offers novel insights into the specific actualization mechanisms by which digitally-driven business capability and supply chain governance jointly improve supply chain resilience. Implications for management and future Information Systems (IS) research are provided.

Garcia F., Grabot B., Paché G.

Digitalization in the supply chain involves important transformations in the relationships between supply chain partners. Studies investigating these transformations underline the need to create and share new knowledge processes in order to achieve successful digital projects that improve integration and collaboration in the supply chain. This article proposes to make a parallel between the stages of the SECI model concerning knowledge conversion and the different phases of a Supply Chain 4.0 project. By using a longitudinal case study, the authors fill the gap on the dynamics of knowledge transformation in supply chain digital projects. Based on a supplier portal project, the case study presented helps to understand how to ensure that the different partners will get fully involved in the digital project. It provides five managerial recommendations for companies that wish to commit to supplier development and knowledge sharing through digital projects.

Oubrahim I., Sefiani N., Happonen A.

This study examined the association between digital transformation (DT), supply chain integration (SCI), and overall sustainable supply chain performance (OSSCP). The current literature has preliminarily explored the concepts of DT and SCI and their relationship with sustainable supply chain performance. However, real empirical evidence of the direct impact of DT and SCI on OSSCP has been missing so far. To fill this gap, data were collected from 134 professionals working in international manufacturing companies operating in Morocco through a questionnaire-based survey from August 2022 to November 2022. A conceptual framework was developed based on DT, SCI, and OSSCP and analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS 4.0 software. The findings revealed that DT has a significant positive influence on SCI and OSSCP. Furthermore, SCI directly and positively impacts OSSCP with a partial mediation effect on the relationship between DT and OSSCP. Further, this research provides insights for practitioners into enhancing sustainable supply chain performance by adopting digital technologies and integrating SC functions. In particular, this study revealed that DT adoption drives a higher ethical supply chain level from the perspective of sustainability and efficiency in operations. This study is the first to analyze the influence of digital transformation and supply chain integration on sustainable supply chain performance in a manufacturing context.

Liu X., Wang X., Li J., Chen M.

Incorporating media richness theory, social presence theory, and apparatgeist theory, the authors used multiple linear regression to explore the effect of media richness on the stability of physician-patient relationships and the moderating effect of disease complexity and response timeliness on the relationship between media richness and relationship stability. The results showed that media richness had a positive effect on the stability of physician-patient relationships. Additionally, both disease complexity and response timeliness positively affect the relationship between media richness and the stability of physician-patient relationships. This research contributes to the literature concerning media selection, e-consultation platforms, and physician-patient relationships; and it provides practical guidance for online doctor teams on how to select appropriate media communication forms for patient consultations in different situations.

Ika L.A., Pinto J.K.

• Paper updates, recalibrates and further complexifies project success. • Paper proposes a four-dimensional model of project success. • Paper outlines four multidimensionality sources of project success. • Paper adds green efficacy as a success dimension. • Paper captures the shared feeling of stakeholders. Decades of research demonstrate that practitioners and scholars may have only a vague notion of what project success is and thus settle for conflicting or inaccurate attributions of this still-elusive phenomenon. Stakeholder evaluations may differ as multiple groups and coalitions seldom hold the same viewpoint. A project that meets business expectations may have unintended consequences on society, highlighting the importance of sustainability. Thus, it remains challenging to devise a parsimonious success model that key stakeholders, internal and external, can minimally agree upon. This paper updates, recalibrates and further “complexifies” project success based on four multidimensionality sources: benefits realization, stakeholder perceptions, issues of timing, and sustainability. The paper proposes a four-dimensional model of success to assess project plan success, business case success, and green efficacy, along with the shared feeling of key stakeholders. The paper concludes with an agenda highlighting future research to further our understanding of the project success phenomenon.

Li J., Zhou J., Cheng Y.

Systematically identification and building of digital capability in the Digital Age are of great significance to the obtainment of enterprises’ sustainable competitive advantages. This article first proposes typical application paradigms for the general framework of building digital capability of industrial enterprises in the Digital Age (FBDC) announced as international standard. Then data of over 4100 practical cases of building digital capabilities using FBDC by over 4000 Chinese industrial enterprises are collected. Based on the data, major directions, core implementations of digital capabilities building are systematically demonstrated through statistical analysis. Furthermore, we divide the investigated enterprises into different groups by sector, then organize in-depth research works to illustrate the major directions and typical practices of building digital capabilities in China's raw materials sector, equipment sector, and consumer goods sector. The results show that the major concerns of Chinese industrial enterprises building digital capabilities are centered on six aspects: R&D and innovation, production management and control, supply chain management, financial management and control, business management, and customer service. The results of sector-wise analysis also provide practical reference to industrial enterprises and other stakeholders to identify suitable digital capability based on information and communication technologies application in the Digital Age and efficiently implement the digital capability building process.

Cui L., Wu H., Wu L., Kumar A., Tan K.H.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly augmented the complexity of information, adding to the challenges that firms face in effectively processing and grasping accurate information. As a result, the production uncertainty of firms has been seriously intensified during the pandemic, disrupting the normal operation of firms and their supply chains. Digital technologies serve as salient tools that help firms to process and analyse information, consequently enhancing firm resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions. This study aims to examine how digital technologies affect firm resilience in the context of COVID-19 through the lens of information processing theory and a large-scale survey conducted among Chinese manufacturers. Specifically, our study evaluates the mediating effect of supply chain integration (internal integration, customer integration and supplier integration) and the moderating effect of information complexity. The results show that supply chain integration plays a mediating role in the effect of digital technologies on firm resilience, and the mediation effect is particularly significant for customer integration. Furthermore, digital technologies have a stronger impact on firm resilience when information complexity is high. The findings advance our understanding and recognition of the resilience implications of digital technologies and provide important managerial implications for improving firm resilience in the context of COVID-19.

El Jaouhari A., Alhilali Z., Arif J., Fellaki S., Amejwal M., Azzouz K.

The accuracy of demand forecasting has a significant impact on the supply chain system's performance, which in turn has a major effect on company performance. Accurate forecasting will allow the organization to make the best use of its resources. The synchronization of customer orders to support production is critical for on-time order fulfillment. However, In fact many organizations report that their forecasting method is not working as effectively as they had hoped because orders regularly alter due to client demands. The purpose of this paper is to present an Internet of Things (IoT)-based inventory management system (IMS) that combines a causal method of multiple linear regressions (MLR) with genetic algorithms (GA) to improve the accuracy of demand forecasting in the future period by the customer as closely as feasible and enable smart inventory for Industry 4.0. Based on the data gathered from a semiconductor company that specializes in low-volume, high-mix contract manufacturing equipment and services integration, the suggested IoT-based IMS indicates that inventory productivity and efficiency could be enhanced, and it is resilient to order fluctuation.

Wang X., Gu Y., Ahmad M., Xue C.

Digital capability is an advanced capability that manufacturing companies need for their digital and intelligent development. At present, the influence mechanism behind the impact of digital capability on manufacturing companies’ performance is still unclear and lacks quantitative analysis. Based on the dynamic capability view, we propose a research model to investigate digital capability, digital innovation, value co-creation, and company performance and conduct an empirical study based on questionnaire data from 209 digital manufacturing companies. The empirical results show that digital capability has a significant positive impact on company performance. The results further show that digital innovation mediates the effect of digital capability on performance within a company, while outside the company, value co-creation mediates the impact of digital capability on company performance. This research provides empirical support in favor of companies developing digital capabilities in the context of digital transformation and offers theoretical insight into the contradiction between the potential value of digital capability and companies’ practice.

Rupeika-Apoga R., Petrovska K., Bule L.

Despite the growing importance of digital transformation, empirical research on the drivers of digital transformation is still lacking, creating a knowledge gap. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of digital orientation and digital capability on digital transformation, as well as the mediating effect of digital transformation on revenues and business models of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines a new conceptual framework designed on resource-based theory perspectives by using survey data of 246 SMEs in Latvia. To achieve the research purpose, this study used a mediation analysis to examine the direct effect of digital orientation and digital capability on digital transformation, as well as to explore the mediating effect of digital transformation on SME outcomes. Our results reveal that both digital orientation and digital capability have direct positive effects on digital transformation. We also found that digital transformation has a positive mediating effect from digital orientation on revenue and business model, as well as from digital capability on revenue. These findings could be useful for policymakers, managers and practitioners to clarify how digital orientation and digital capability intermediated through digital transformation affect the outcomes of SMEs.

Raj P.V., Jauhar S.K., Ramkumar M., Pratap S.

• We proposed a smart contract-based conceptual framework. • Framework allows all stakeholders to participate, access information and build trust. • Ensures the protection of payments without administrative costs and the burden. • Provides accurate product tracking to eliminate many complications in supply chain. • Proposed smart contract framework is validated and tested in a variety of scenarios. Timely payment is necessary for the efficient delivery of goods and services to all entities in the supply chain. Traditionally, there has been a lot of manual processes related to payment. Nowadays the technology advancements make the payment process in electronic form. Even the electronic form is not easily accessible to all parties in the supply chain. Each entity of the supply chain maintains separate transaction records that remain difficult, inefficient, and error prone. Often companies face difficulties in monitoring the status of shipments and linking them to payments. In the real world, the suppliers offer buyers three terms of payment of purchase costs. The buyer pays the supplier as advance payment, cash, or credit. This research considers that the supplier ships the goods to the buyer by means of third-party logistics services. The supplier initially pays an advance to the external logistics provider while shipping the product to the buyer. Once the buyer verify that the goods are received in correct quantity, the supplier shall pay the balance amount to the third-party logistics provider. This research proposes a blockchain-based smart contract for supply chain transactions. This paper presents a general platform for stakeholders in the supply chain through an Ethereum based smart contract with comprehensive interaction algorithm that enables decentralized authorization, process automation, and information sharing between the supply chain stakeholders. The proposed smart contract benefits the supplier by lowering the risk of non-payment during the credit period. In addition, the buyer benefits from on-time delivery performance and product tracking. Finally, the 3PL significantly reduces their costs by lowering the overall cost by lowering the cost of paperwork and usage of software for product tracking. Adopting a blockchain-based solution in supply chain transaction considering ACC payment is cost-effective simple, secure, trustworthy, and transparent.

Song S., Kim J., Kim K., Kim J., Lee D.

This study investigates the impact of network capabilities and deep learning techniques on companies' financial performance within buyer-supplier networks. It broadens the scope by incorporating network measures such as closeness and network constraint, whereas previous studies have primarily focused on suitable buyer-supplier relationships. The analysis evaluates the effects of these network measures on companies' financial performance metrics, including asset growth rate, return on assets, and more. In addition, this study explores the impact of extended networks on company performance using deep learning techniques. The results show that companies' network capabilities are positively associated with their financial performance, highlighting the critical role of network positions in driving success. Furthermore, the findings suggest that extending the network through deep learning offers significant benefits for companies.

Tsang Y.P., Tang V., Wu C.H., Li F.

Digital transformation (DT) and automation technologies have significantly impacted logistics and supply chain management (LSCM), enhancing business performance. Efforts to automate processes alongside machine and robotic automation aim to improve reliability, consistency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. While existing research has explored specific aspects of DT and robotic process automation (RPA), the deployment and implementation of RPA as a service (RPAaaS) in LSCM are under-explored. This study focuses on RPA in LSCM and aims to improve organisational processes associated with DT. A systematic review identifies five knowledge clusters regarding RPA deployment for DT in LSCM. Real-life RPA implementation cases in a third-party logistics company highlight challenges and opportunities related to RPA deployment. Insights on the timing and choice of the RPAaaS platform to facilitate DT in enterprises are discussed. This paper provides extensive theoretical insights into RPA for DT in LSCM and offers practical guidance for streamlined implementation.

Cui Y., Tang J., Lu S., Wu J., Xue X., Wu C., Tsai S.

In the new situation of building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, faced with the global multi-agent competition of the system, how new ventures should integrate with the system, isomorphism, and use their own advantages to cultivate new venture resilience has become an important global issue. The purpose of this study is to explore the combined impact of digital transformation, entrepreneurial ecological orientation, and organizational structure on the resilience of new ventures. Based on qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), this study systematically explores the significant key conditions and configuration effects that affect the cultivation of new venture resilience. There are four types of configurations that help new ventures to cultivate resilience, namely: strategic change, flexible response, leadership niche and institutional logic. This study explores how these three dimensions interact to achieve high firm resilience, ultimately contributing to the research of resilience from the perspective of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.