To imitate or not to imitate? A note on control misalignment in supply chains

For supply chain partners to realize existing potentials, effective controls are necessary to serve as the underlying basis of relationship management. The design and use of controls are ideally based on the principle of matching, in line with the transaction context. Yet, misaligned control structures commonly exist in practice – and this is often associated with negative performance implications. Based on prior research findings, this article points to imitating behavior as a potential source of control misalignment in supply chains. To imitate appropriately and, hence, avoid situations of misalignment, firms should consider tailoring and adapting the control structure to meet specific relationship needs

Trust transfer and partner selection in interfirm relationships

Despite third parties being important conduits of trust, little is known about the mechanisms and conditions relevant to their influence on trust formation and partner selection in interfirm relationships. In this study, we experimentally examine how varying levels of third-party information shape the trust that buyer managers have in a potential supplier firm, and how this trust affects subsequent selection decisions. In addition, we investigate when this information is most influential, by accounting for the moderating impact of the focal firm’s own prior experience. As expected, both neutral and favorable third-party information are able to elicit trust, yet with different effects on competence and goodwill trusting beliefs. These trusting beliefs, in turn, are positively associated with the likelihood of the supplier to be selected. Notably, we find third-party effects over and above the effects resulting from own prior experience. Overall, by investigating differences with regard to the origin and content of information and the specific type of trust, this study advances a more nuanced understanding of the partner selection process

Imitation of management practices in supply networks : relational and environmental effects

This study investigates the imitative use of management practices across a multitier supply network. Although imitation may take the form of any management practice, operationally, we focus on whether the buyer's control practices used with first-tier suppliers results in similar control practices being used by these first-tier suppliers with the second-tier suppliers. Drawing on institutional theory, we identify relational context (i.e., affective commitment) and environmental context (i.e., environmental uncertainty) as two important factors influencing the extent to which such imitation takes place. Using unique survey data of vertically linked supply chain triads, we generally find support for the occurrence of imitation and more so in cases of high affective commitment. The results regarding environmental uncertainty further reveal selectivity in imitative behavior, calling attention to the level of deliberateness in imitation decisions in supply networks. Besides contributing to theory on imitative behaviors in the supply chain, this study also generates practical implications on the spread of management practices across multiple tiers

Imitation of Management Practices in Supply Networks: Relational and Environmental Effects

This study investigates the imitative use of management practices across a multitier supply network. Although imitation may take the form of any management practice, operationally, we focus on whether the buyer’s control practices used with first-tier suppliers results in similar control practices being used by these first-tier suppliers with the second-tier suppliers. Drawing on institutional theory, we identify relational context (i.e., affective commitment) and environmental context (i.e., environmental uncertainty) as two important factors influencing the extent to which such imitation takes place. Using unique survey data of vertically linked supply chain triads, we generally find support for the occurrence of imitation and more so in cases of high affective commitment. The results regarding environmental uncertainty further reveal selectivity in imitative behavior, calling attention to the level of deliberateness in imitation decisions in supply networks. Besides contributing to theory on imitative behaviors in the supply chain, this study also generates practical implications on the spread of management practices across multiple tiers

To imitate or not to imitate? A note on control misalignment in supply chains

For supply chain partners to realize existing potentials, effective controls are necessary to serve as the underlying basis of relationship management. The design and use of controls are ideally based on the principle of matching, in line with the transaction context. Yet, misaligned control structures commonly exist in practice – and this is often associated with negative performance implications. Based on prior research findings, this article points to imitating behavior as a potential source of control misalignment in supply chains. To imitate appropriately and, hence, avoid situations of misalignment, firms should consider tailoring and adapting the control structure to meet specific relationship needs

Management control in interfirm relationships: the role of imitation.

Over the past several decades, companies have become increasingly engaged in interfirm relationships. In this dissertation, we investigate the role of imitation in explaining management control in interfirm relationships. More specifically, we examine the occurrence of management control system imitation in supply chains, as well as the consequences of such imitation for performance. In addition, we examine the impact of imitation on trust formation and partner selection when entering into new collaborative relationships. The findings of this dissertation have important implications for both research and practice.nrpages: 146status: publishe

Misaligned control: the role of management control system imitation in supply chains

This study investigates how interorganizational imitation influences management control decisions in a supply chain setting. Control design in interfirm exchanges is traditionally thought to be based on the principle of matching, where organizations install MCS that align with the transaction context. However, despite these theorized interrelationships, misaligned transactions commonly exist in practice. In this study, we propose a framework on the potential sources of such misalignment. We argue that control misalignment can be attributed to imitating behavior, by which organizations adopt MCS following the example of other organizations. Based on survey data collected from firms involved in a supply chain triad, we demonstrate that buyers control their upstream suppliers partially by imitating how their downstream customer controls them. Notably, buyers appear to imitate despite variations in transaction context, creating a basis for misalignment in line with our predictions