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In this study, we examine the implementation of purchase order finance (POF) which is an innovative supply chain finance (SCF) solution by an innovative SCF lender (i.e. supply chain service provider (SCSP)). The effect of information integration between the SCSP (lender) and product designers (borrowers) on the lender's POF decisions and the borrowers' new product launch is investigated.

We conduct a case study in the Chinese smartphone industry. A mixed methods design is used, and data are collected from both the supply chain service provider (SCSP) and product designers. We first conduct a qualitative study. Hypotheses are developed concerning the relationships between information integration, in terms of social interaction and information system integration, POF and new product launch. We then conduct a quantitative study. The multilevel structural equation modelling method is used to test the hypotheses.

We find that information system integration is positively associated with POF but has no significant effect on new product launch. Social interaction is negatively associated with POF but positively associated with new product launch. POF is positively associated with new product launch.

This study contributes to the literature by empirically examining the implementation of POF from both the lender's and borrower's perspectives. We find that information system integration and social interaction have different effects on POF and new product launch. The results thus provide insights into how a lender makes POF decisions and reveal the benefits of POF for borrowers.

This exploratory study aims to explore the operational and financial constraints faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper highlights the role of supply chain finance (SCF) in the uncertain business environment caused by the pandemic.

The study adopts an inductive approach and conducts convergent interviews with 32 SME owners and bank officials who are associated with SME-related financial transactions. The analysis of the interview data has been done through a grounded theory approach.

The findings portray four key themes representing the operational and financial constraints faced by SMEs during the pandemic. Further, the study identifies four drivers of SCF adoption among SMEs, including capital constraints, high inventory turnover cycle time, high order fulfilment cycle time and long debtors’ collection period.

The study provides various insights to the managers and owners of SMEs to deal with the economic crisis and eliminate the financial pressure created by the pandemic. The study enlightens the policymakers about the struggles of the SMEs during the economic turmoil created by the pandemic and guides them to introduce the relevant policies to resolve their problems.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify the factors driving the SMEs to adopt SCF due to the economic chaos created by the pandemic. Also, the study theoretically contributes to the literature by developing a theoretical framework for SCF adoption based on grounded theory.

The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how blockchain technology – which permits the Internet-based exchange of value (digital assets) – enables supply chain finance banks to overcome the challenges they face when attempting to create win–win transactions for supply chain participants. Traditionally, buyers and suppliers linked together in a supply chain have conflicting objectives as manifested by a zero-sum payoff structure. Suppliers want their invoices to be paid quickly in order to reduce their need for working capital. In contrast, buyers want to delay payment of invoices as long as possible in order to reduce their need for working capital. In other words, suppliers want a short cash conversion cycle; buyers want a long cash conversion cycle. This conflict is eliminated by the insertion of a financial intermediary (supply chain finance bank) between the buyer and the supplier. The bank eliminates the conflict by: (1) using its balance sheet to decouple the cash conversion cycles of the buyer and supplier; and (2) providing cheaper financing to impatient suppliers and reluctant buyers (since the bank has a higher credit rating than both the supplier and the buyer).

The financial supply chain, running parallel to the flow of goods and information, is common to all economic supply networks, and its integration with the physical supply chain is therefore a critical and ubiquitous aspect of supply chain integration (SCI) largely ignored in the literature. This paper aims to develop a model of physical and financial SCI, which is based on a process view from both buyers' and suppliers' perspectives, and explores the role of banks in enabling SCI.

The paper reports an exploratory study of the role of banks in improving SCI, by presenting a case study analysis of two international banks.

The findings show that banks can support buyers and suppliers by contributing to the enablers of SCI, namely coordination, collaboration, information sharing and information visibility.

The research is limited in that it is explorative; further studies are required in order to quantify the impact of banks' interventions on SCI.

Improved SCI requires an understanding of the flow of physical and financial resources across supply networks. Banks can help buyers and suppliers develop a more holistic understanding of the supply chain, thus improving integration and optimising working capital.

The paper presents a process model of physical/financial SCI which uniquely recognises the role of banks in enabling buyers and suppliers to improve SCI, synchronisation and performance.

In China, supply chain finance (SCF) has gradually emerged as a new service for the retail industry. This case systematically discusses how JD conducts product design and risk control of supply chain finance and related financial services, and analyze the impact of supply chain finance on JD's retail operations. The case also analyzes the relationship between JD supply chain finance and traditional financial institutions, and explore the future development of retail supply chain finance.

This study employed psychological variables such as consumer sentiment and attitude to debt as complementary measures to traditionally used consumer demographic or economic variables in predicting housing purchase intention with a consumer sample in China. The result indicates that psychological factors add incremental explanatory and predictive power to traditionally used demographic variables. Results from discriminant analysis showed that, except for household income level, psychological factors were better than demographic variables in differentiating intenders from non‐intenders in China’s emerging property market. Conceptual contributions and managerial implications of the study are discussed.

This study examines the cognitive factors of adopting blockchain technology in various supply chain scenarios and its role in reframing the distinctive values of supply chain financing. Based on expectancy theory, this study explores the different profiles underlying the components of expectancy, valence and instrumentality.

This is a multiple-case study of four Fintech companies using blockchain technology to promote the performance of supply chain operations and financing.

The results show that blockchain-enabled supply chain finance (BSCF) can be classified into four scenarios based on the scope and purpose of blockchain technology applications. The success of BSCF depends on the profiles of BSCF expectancy (the recognized purpose and scope of BSCF), instrumentality (identified blockchain attributes and other technology combinations) and valence (the perceived distinctive value of BSCF). Blockchain attributes help solve information asymmetry problems and enhance financing performance in two ways: one is supporting transparency, traceability and verification of transmissions and the other entails facilitating a transformation to new business models.

This research applies a new perspective based on expectancy theory to study how cognitive factors affect Fintech companies' blockchain solutions under a given supply chain operation or financing activity. It explains the behavioral antecedents for applying blockchain technology, the situations appropriate for the different roles of blockchain technology and the profiles for realizing the value of blockchain technology.

Sustainable supply chain finance (SSCF) is a fascinated consideration for both academics and practitioners because the indicators are still underdeveloped in achieving SSCF. This study proposes a bibliometric data-driven analysis from the literature to illustrate a clear overall concept of SSCF that reveals hidden indicators for further improvement.

A hybrid quantitative and qualitative approach combining data-driven analysis, fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), entropy weight method (EWM) and fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (FDEMATEL) is employed to address the uncertainty in the context.

The results show that blockchain, cash flow shortage, reverse factoring, risk assessment and triple bottom line (TBL) play significant roles in SSCF. A comparison of the challenges and gaps among different geographic regions is provided in both advanced local perspective and a global state-of-the-art assessment. There are 35 countries/territories being categorized into five geographic regions. Of the five regions, two, Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, show the needs for more improvement, exclusively in collaboration strategies and financial crisis. Exogenous impacts of wars, natural disasters and disease epidemics are implied as inevitable attributes for enhancing the sustainability.

This study contributes to (1) boundary SSCF foundations by data driven, (2) identifying the critical SSCF indicators and providing the knowledge gaps and directions as references for further examination and (3) addressing the gaps and challenges in different geographic regions to provide advanced assessment from local viewpoint and to diagnose the comprehensive global state of the art of SSCF.

While supply chain scholars concur on the need to integrate supply chain finance (SCF) processes to meet ever-changing customer demands, it is unclear how SCF influences business performance in the presence of perceived opportunistic behavior. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the moderating role of perceived partner opportunism in the supply chain.

Drawing on the dynamic capability theory (DCT), this study investigates how perceived supply chain partner opportunism moderates the mediating role of supply- and demand-oriented performances on the link between SCF and business performance, from the retail industry perspective. Data was collected from Australian retailing firms. In all, 293 completed surveys were received. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted.

The results of this study indicate that supply- and demand-oriented performances serially mediate the relationship between SCF and business performance. The study also found that the effect of SCF on performance was higher when perceived partner opportunism was lower.

To respond to changes in consumer preferences and demand effectively, supply chain and marketing managers need to understand the complex interaction between supply- and demand-oriented performances and the key role of SCF in developing such capabilities.

The current study theorizes and demonstrates the effects of supply- and demand-oriented performances that can facilitate the effects of SCF on business performance. Also, the study reveals the effect of each dimension of SCF (accounts payable, accounts receivable and inventory finance) on supply- and demand-oriented performances. Additionally, the study shows the key role of perceived partner opportunism in supply chain management.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the different challenges that confront supply chain finance (SCF) and to develop a hierarchical model that analyzes the complex relationship dynamics among them.

An extensive survey is carried out amongst Indian firms to ascertain the perceptions and experiences related to different SCF challenges. After obtaining an overview of the different SCF challenges, an Indian company with global operations was approached and after establishing relationships among the challenges, a hierarchical relationship structure was developed and MIMBI analysis (where MI=measure of influencing; MBI=measure of being influenced) was carried out that helped understand the relationship dynamics of SCF challenges and identify actions at both strategic and tactical levels.

The study reveals that lack of common vision among the supply chain (SC) partners is the most critical challenge confronting SCF. Unpredictable cash‐flows resulting from delays in financial transactions, due to lack of automation in the payment processes, along with lack of knowledge and training on SCF tools, also play significant roles. As organizations are tightly integrated through their SC, they should initiate collaborative approaches across the SC to reduce the total procure to payment cycle time and, in the process, improve overall financial stability of the SC.

This study is based on the findings from the Indian industry; future research may include a large‐scale survey and case studies across organizations located in different countries and operating under different environments.

Based on the study, firms can evaluate the dynamics of SCF challenges and redefine SC relationships and strategies to achieve desired cash flow in the SC.

The academic literature on financial supply chains is very limited. This paper appears to be the first formal attempt at analyzing the various challenges confronting SCF.