The assurance of food safety in supply chains via relational networking: A social network perspective
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 7 December 2015
Abstract
Purpose
Taking a social network perspective, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assurance of food safety via relational networking.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors consider both informal and formal relational networking, and explore a firm’s learning orientation, risk aversion and consumer pressure as potential precursors to such relational networking. It is further hypothesized that relational networking generates both industry and supply chain knowledge, which is suggested to be beneficial for contamination detection. The model is tested with survey data collected among food-producing firms in India, the world’s second largest food producer.
Findings
The authors find a positive influence of consumer pressure on both a firm’s learning orientation and risk aversion, which in turn affect both informal and formal relational networking. Informal networking further generated industry knowledge and was beneficial for contamination detection. Formal relational networking influenced supply chain knowledge, which in turn enabled contamination detection.
Originality/value
Recent food product-related safety breaches, which have, in the worst case, led to fatalities, illustrate the importance of food safety in supply chains. This study represents the first systematic investigation of relational networking in the context of food safety from the perspective of social network theory.
Keywords
Citation
Schoenherr, T., Narasimhan, R. and Bandyopadhyay, P.(P). (2015), "The assurance of food safety in supply chains via relational networking: A social network perspective", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 35 No. 12, pp. 1662-1687. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-02-2014-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited