Interorganizational Relationships Climate And Interorganizational Information Systems Success; A Supply Chain Perspective

During the last two decades, an increasing amount of attention has been paid by practitioners as well as academics to Interorganizational Information Systems (IOSs) design, deployment and use within supply chains. However, our understanding of the main factors that affect IOSs use and success is hardly complete. Through brief review of coordination mechanisms theory and its related theory such as transaction cost theory (TCT) and Resource Based View (RBV), the paper generates theoretical propositions and attempt to conceptualize a theoretical model which map the role of Interorganizational relationships (IORs) climate attributes in linking IOSs technology and supply success. The theoretical model encompasses two major causal relations: (1) a direct relation linking IOS use with Supply chain performance (IOS success) and (2) a moderating relation linking IOS success with IORs attributes. Else more, the paper attributes to IORs success climate a set of constructs drawn from the literature review, namely; interorganizational cooperation/ interorganizational coordination, interorganizational trust, interorganizational commitment, and interorganizational dependence

Inter-firm Relationships and Performance Factors in the Australian Beef Supply Chain: Implications for the Stakeholders

Recent study by Meat & Livestock Australia revealed that cost competitiveness and market development issues in supply chain are the major factors for a long term decline of the Australian Beef industry. This study, based on the explanation of transaction cost theory argues that competitive performance of an industry depends on improving cost efficiency across the whole of supply chain, the underlying value chain, and the relationship among the stakeholders in the industry. With a main objective to investigate the underlying factors of developing competent inter-firm relationship that influence the supply chain performance and competitiveness, this study presents details of a survey carried out and tests the hypothesis that inter-organizational relationships in supply chain and its antecedents have impact on the performance of Australian beef industry and thus have impact on the competitiveness of the industry. Data were collected through a telephone survey of 315 firms in the beef industry from the states of Western Australia and Queensland. The sample respondents were categorized as input suppliers, beef-cattle producers, processors, retailers/exporters, and wholesalers. The data were analysed using the partial least square based structural equation modelling. PLS analysis reveals that ‘Transaction Climate’ is the strongest determinants of developing a competent relationship, while negotiation power, presence of industry competitors, and the degree of vertical coordination significantly influence the relationship strength. Findings also demonstrate that relationship strength is the most prevalent source of performance and competitiveness, while SC performance highly positively influences the Competitiveness of beef industry. Thus this study identifies significant antecedents and consequences of Supply Chain Performance in Australian beef industry, which are strategic and extremely important information for beef producers, processors, retailers, and other stakeholders for appropriate planning and benchmarking.Beef Supply Chain, Agribusiness Management, Supply Chain Management, Agribusiness,

Interorganizational Information System Deployment in Supply Chain Triads

Interorganizational information systems (IOIS) are valuable tools providing platforms for information flow enabling more efficient and reliable collaboration in digitalized supply chains. An IOIS is subject to influencing factors originating in the company and environment. Inspired by complex adaptive system theory, an agent-based simulation model is designed, exploring factors affecting the integration and efficiency of IOIS. These factors are derived from resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory. The influence on information system deployment is assessed by merging these factors into exogenous, intercompany climate, and operational dimensions. First, the results indicate that product-specific factors have a greater influence than the environment when deploying an IOIS. Second, deliberate design of IC relationships should be considered during the development of an IOIS. Third, extensive information exchange between supply chain partners might be disadvantageous for IOIS utilization. Fourth, the advantages of IOIS can be lost when completely open systems are used

How managers can build trust in strategic alliances: a meta-analysis on the central trust-building mechanisms

Trust is an important driver of superior alliance performance. Alliance managers are influential in this regard because trust requires active involvement, commitment and the dedicated support of the key actors involved in the strategic alliance. Despite the importance of trust for explaining alliance performance, little effort has been made to systematically investigate the mechanisms that managers can use to purposefully create trust in strategic alliances. We use Parkhe’s (1998b) theoretical framework to derive nine hypotheses that distinguish between process-based, characteristic-based and institutional-based trust-building mechanisms. Our meta-analysis of 64 empirical studies shows that trust is strongly related to alliance performance. Process-based mechanisms are more important for building trust than characteristic- and institutional-based mechanisms. The effects of prior ties and asset specificity are not as strong as expected and the impact of safeguards on trust is not well understood. Overall, theoretical trust research has outpaced empirical research by far and promising opportunities for future empirical research exist

DRIVERS AND RATIONALES IN RFID ADOPTION AND POST ADOPTION INTEGRATION: AN INTEGRATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON IOS ADOPTION

This study addresses a gap in IOS (interorganizational system) adoption literature by proposing an integrative model of RFID (radio frequency identification) adoption and early integration, that combines multiple theoretical perspectives suggesting different rationales for adoption. The study suggests possible roles for technological, interorganizational pressure, organizational readiness and external environmental factors in the adoption of RFID and proposes the perceived radicalness of technology as a moderator of relationships in the model. Using multiple lenses of strategic choice theories (diffusion of innovation, organizational innovativeness) and institutional theory as the basis and reflecting data from semi- tructured interviews and news reports, the study develops an integrative conceptual RFID adoption model and presents testable hypotheses at the construct and rationale levels. The model incorporates different rationales for adoption and integration of interorganizational systems(IOS) namely the strategic choice perspective where adoption is voluntary with a view to improve organizational efficiency and performance and the institutional perspective where adoption is more a result of conforming to pressures from organizations within an organization’s field of operation. Two technological factors (perceived benefit and perceived costs), three organizational readiness factors (top management support, financial readiness, IS infrastructure and capabilities) and three external environmental factors (perceived standards convergence, perceived consumer privacy and perceived stakeholder privacy) have been suggested as adoption and integration drivers from a strategic choice perspective while the three Inter-organizational pressure factors (coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) have been proposed as predictors of adoption intent and expected integration from the institutional perspective. The study allows for a comparison of the relative influence of each rationale on the adoption and post adoption integration decisions by a firm. Perceived radicalness of the technology has been operationalized as a continuous construct and suggested as a moderator of relationships between the drivers and adoption/integration of RFID. Analysis of data collected from the interviews and news reports lends support to the model and provides insight into relative importance of the constructs

Understanding Online Reverse Auction Determinants of Use: A Multi-Stakeholder Case Study

Various interorganizational systems (IOS) such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Supply Chain Management Systems (SCMS) have attracted significant attention among information system (IS) researchers. However, IS scholars have taken less interest in Online Reverse Auctions (ORAs), a widely used IOS in online business-to-business transactions. This study examines the factors that enable and/or inhibit ORA use from the perspective of buyers and suppliers, as well as the potential role of the institutional context based on a case study of a French retailer. Building on 122 semi-structured interviews collected in two stages with various stakeholders from the interorganizational community (buyers, suppliers and technology initiators), we demonstrate the extent to which the determinants of ORA use differ between buyers and suppliers (e.g. perceived outcomes, capabilities required to use ORAs). We then show how a change in the institutional context not only failed to redress distrust between buyers and suppliers, but also created new barriers to ORA use by introducing controls and sanctions that outweighed the economic benefits of ORA use among buyers. We contribute to the IS literature by demonstrating the role of strategic capabilities in shaping use. While the IS literature acknowledges the institutional context as a determinant of use, little is known about the extent to which a change in the institutional context may affect ORA use. Our research shows the extent to which legislation can trigger IT discontinuance because of the perceived risk introduced

A Multi-Case Study Approach of Interorganizational Information Systems Advantages in the Tunisian Automotive Components Supply Chain

A great deal of controversy exists about the impact of Information technology on the global performance within the supply chain. Many theoretical explanations could be advanced to cover this issue. The present paper discusses this problematic and proposes that the climate of the interorganizational relationships could moderate the advantages of Interorganizational Information systems within the Supply Chain. The propositions of the study are tested in the automotive components supply chain in the Tunisian context. The methodology adopted is the multi-case study approach within four companies. Results confirm the moderation effect of the climate of IORs on the success of IOS. More precisely, the attributes; interorganizational dependence and interorganizational commitment presented remarkable effects on the performance of the automotive components supply chain. Moreover, the findings generated four configurations based on the dimensions of IOS impact and IORs climate.Key words: IOS advantages; IORs climate; Supply chain performance; Case studies; Configuration

Power Struggle in the Food Chain? Lessons from Empirical Studies on Power Influences in Chains and Marketing Channels

Power plays a key role in any chain relationship. In the past large manufacturers such as Unilever and Nestle were the most dominant players in the chain. However, as a result of consolidation among retailers, power has shifted towards retailers. Nowadays such retailers as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, and Tesco are seen as powerful gatekeepers controlling the access to the end consumer. Moreover, branded manufacturers and large multinational retailers become increasingly dependent on fewer and larger suppliers who can deliver high quality products at competitive prices. Since many decades there is discussion going on about the role of power in chains and marketing channels. In order to understand how power and its interactions with other constructs in the chain can be used beneficially for management of the whole chain, it is of great importance to investigate the influences and effects of power. Some of the phenomena which are said to be influenced by power include performance, satisfaction, commitment, relationship quality, conflict, compliance, problem solving, chain integration and collaboration. In this context, the aim of our work is to analyze and systemize existing empirical studies, which measure the influences of power on other phenomena, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of existing conceptualizations of power, in order to add clarity to the existing turmoil in the literature and contribute to the understanding of the role of power in chains and marketing channels for managerial purposes.Power, Power Conceptualization, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Network, Marketing,

Toward a Process View in Adoption of Interorganizational Information Systems: A Literature Review

A better understanding of how interorganizational information systems (IOIS) are adopted is important since a successful implementation of information systems (IS) can be expected to raise long-term organizational efficiency. However, organizations often find IOIS adoption to be a bumpy ride, and despite the apparent reason to come to terms with IOIS, the utilization rate is still low. IOIS adoption is an interesting process to study, because of the high complexity in successful adoption of IOIS created by the increased number of organizations involved in the adoption process. This literature review found four different streams of research: 1) studies explaining why organizations adopt or reject IOIS by investigating factors determining adoption of or barriers to IOIS adoption; 2) studies explaining how to create the desired organizational effects from IOIS; 3) studies explaining how IOIS are affecting the buyer-supplier relationship they are introduced into; and 4) studies categorizing the structure of IOIS adopters in different configurations. Seemingly only limited effort has been made to study the actual adoption process. This apparent lack of studies of the adoption process calls for research opening the black box of IOIS adoption

SEM Leadership Impact on Psychological Empowerment, Interorganizational Trust, and the Value Co-creation Environment

An unabating drive for continuous innovation in B2B manufacturing occurs due to global competitive pressures and shareholders demanding firm growth. Companies may emphasize partnerships and strategic alliances in this competitive environment to build value and create competitive advantage through innovation and worker ingenuity. This study investigates whether and how a combination of servant, empowering, and mindful leadership styles (SEM Leadership) influences the group culture by increasing the presence of psychological empowerment (PE), interorganizational trust (IOT), and cultivating a value co-creation context (VCC). The value co-creation process between supplier and customer is within management influence and represents a vital management lever to facilitate this required growth. The fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis used in this investigation focuses on the conditions and outcomes in the boundary space between supplier and customer, assessing the necessity or sufficiency of SEM Leadership styles to foster an innovative culture. The research subjects are sales and procurement employees in the US steel-producing and consuming industry. The study discusses SEM leadership’s ability to psychologically empower boundary spanners who effectively cultivate and build interorganizational trust that, over time, becomes institutionalized. The main finding upholds the necessity and sufficiency of SEM Leadership for a value co-creation environment. Additionally, the research demonstrates some level of interchangeability between servant, empowering, and mindful leadership in achieving organizational results. This research suggests combining leadership styles might be better than adopting a singular style