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This study aims to test how three types of institutional pressure (normative, coercive, and mimetic) influence supply chain digital embeddedness (SCDE) and how SCDE benefits supply chain (SC) competences.

The authors develop and test hypotheses through structural equation modeling (SEM) based on data from 201 European firms. Institutional theory is applied to determine the reasons that lead SCs to embed digitally. SCDE is assessed through three dimensions: technology, infrastructure and culture. The data were analyzed using SEM-partial least squares (PLS-SEM) modeling with SmartPLS software.

The findings show a positive relationship of normative and coercive pressures to SCDE but no relationship between mimetic pressures and SCDE. Additionally, results confirm a positive relationship between SCDE and SC competences that contribute to SC competitive advantage obtaining.

The results underscore the importance of analyzing the environment when undertaking digital projects. Key issues include SC culture and infrastructure in these projects and the advisability of anticipating potential influence of digitalization projects on SC competences that support the chain’s competitive advantage.

This study contributes to institutional theory by providing empirical evidence of the individual effect of the three types of institutional pressure, with noteworthy lack of influence from mimetic pressures. The paper also contributes a conceptualization of SCDE composed of three dimensions: digital technologies, digital infrastructure and digital culture. Finally, the study advances the literature on SC competences.

Product counterfeiting has been ubiquitously observed in various segments of the supply chain. The intrinsic values of brands create more opportunities for counterfeiting. The damaging reputation of such brands leaves them to deal with the fallouts of counterfeits. Hence, such companies address them mainly through legal action, price and quality strategy. However, consumer characteristics and the random distribution of counterfeit products to the consumer types affect the effectiveness of a counter strategy. This paper aims to generate insights on how to leverage digital technology to curb counterfeit entities with consideration of consumer characteristics and the random distribution of counterfeits to them.

The authors used game theory and vertical differentiation model to understand and encounter deceptive counterfeiting of brand products. The study understands the economic relationship between a brand product manufacturer and consumer types based on their awareness. Further, the authors have considered different cases in the model to gain useful insights.

The results reveal that when the consumers are proactive, informed and value-conscious brand product manufacturers take digital technology counterstrategy to earn the maximum revenue. Hence, this analysis highlights that the effectiveness of a counterstrategy critically depends on the consumer characteristics, whether they are proactive, informed or unaware.

The study outlines that brand product manufacturers must emphasize on the digital supply chain, product redesign and product tracking facility to empower informed and value-conscious and proactive consumers. Moreover, the government should take steps to create awareness among uninformed consumers via information campaigns.

This paper incorporates the role of consumers and brand product manufacturers to understand and address the deceptive counterfeiting issue.

The purpose of this paper is to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets with an updated Purchasing Portfolio Matrix (PPM) specifically for international sourcing. This data-driven PPM matrix is designed to provide a dynamic and process perspective that can help SMEs survive the disruptions caused by emergency situations such as the global COVID-19 pandemic.

This research reports on qualitative interviews with experienced informants from 15 SMEs in the manufacturing industry. The authors follow process-based research using a combination of retrospective and real-time case study approaches to gradually unveil the dynamics in segmentation and sourcing strategies in the international sourcing context during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings reveal the dynamics of segmentation and international sourcing strategies during global disruptions and unpack the underlying logic behind the dynamics that is specific to SMEs in emerging economies.

Existing literature on PPM predominantly focuses on static and normal sourcing circumstances. This paper addresses this gap by adopting a dynamic approach to study how sourcing strategies of SMEs from emerging economies evolve in a highly volatile environment from an international sourcing perspective.

This study aims to explore how inter-organizational systems (IOSs) drive tourism businesses to a new normal based on the resource-based view through the supply chain of tourism and information and computer technology used in IOSs.

Data were collected from the management of tourism businesses, and stratified sampling was used in the study. The authors selected 1,000 travel agencies as the study sample, mailed the research questionnaire to their managers and received 252 completed questionnaires. The authors analyzed the data using the partial least squares approach.

IOS is seen as a transformational service mechanism that provides a dynamic support weapon for members of the tourism supply chain. Tourism businesses should look for suppliers providing comprehensive services through IOS, excellent quality tourism products and customized tourism products to enhance the competitiveness of tourism businesses in the new normal.

This study provides an industrial marketing research perspective on tourism businesses facing the challenges of the new normal. For tourism businesses, technological innovation allows for changes in the strategies and procedures for their transformation and improves the business model of tourism businesses in the new normal.

Using social network theory (SNT), this study empirically examines the impact of digital supply chain announcements disclosing corporate social responsibility (CSR) information on stock market value.

Based on 172 digital supply chain announcements disclosing CSR information from Chinese A-share listed companies, this study uses event study method to test the hypotheses.

First, digital supply chain announcements disclosing CSR information generate positive and significant market reactions, which is timely. Second, strategic CSR and value-based CSR disclosed in digital supply chain announcements have a more positive impact on stock market, however there is no significant difference when the CSR orientation is either towards internal or external stakeholders. Third, in terms of digital supply chain network characteristics, announcements reflecting higher relationship embeddedness and higher digital breadth and depth lead to more positive increases of stock value.

First, the authors consider the value of CSR information in digital supply chain announcements, using an event study approach to fill the gap in the related area. This study is the first examination of the joint impact of digital supply chain and CSR on market reactions. Second, compared to the previous studies on the single dimension of digital supply chain technology application, the authors innovatively consider supply chain network relationship and network structure based on social network theory and integrate several factors that may affect the market reaction. This study improves the understanding of the mechanism between digital supply chain announcements disclosing CSR information and stock market, and informs future research.

An emerging body of literature has pinpointed the role of supply chain structure in influencing the extent to which supply chain members disclose information about their internal practices and performance. Nevertheless, empirical research investigating the effects of firm-level relational embeddedness on network-level transparency still lags. Drawing on social network analysis, this research examines the effect of relational embeddedness on supply chain transparency and the contingent role of digitalization in the context of environmental, social and governance (ESG) information disclosure.

In their empirical analysis, the authors collected secondary data from the Bloomberg database about 2,229 firms and 14,007 ties organized in 107 extended supply chains. The authors employed supplier and customer concentration metrics to measure relational embeddedness and performed multiple econometric models to test the hypothesis.

The authors found a positive effect of supplier concentration on supply chain transparency, but the effect of customer concentration was not significant. Additionally, the digitalization of focal firms reinforced the impact of supplier concentration on supply chain transparency.

The study findings contribute by underscoring the critical effect of relational embeddedness on supply chain transparency, extending prior literature on social network analysis, providing compelling evidence for the intersection of digitalization and supply chain management, and drawing important implications for practices.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

To explore the mechanism that shapes firms' supply chain learning (SCL) practices, this study examines the relationship between firms' knowledge network embeddedness and their SCL practice in a supply chain network, as well as the moderating role of supply chain network cohesion in this relationship.

Using patent application data and supply chain partner information from 869 listed firms between 2011 and 2020 in China, this study uses fixed-effect regression models to reduce endogeneity problems by controlling for individual heterogeneity effects that cannot be observed over time.

Firms' knowledge network embeddedness has an inverted U-shaped effect on their SCL, and this non-linear relationship is conditional on supply chain network cohesion, which strengthens (weakens) the positive (negative) effect of knowledge network embeddedness on SCL.

The findings show that managers can reconcile the downsides of knowledge network embeddedness on SCL by fostering greater supply chain network cohesion.

Drawing from the network pluralism perspective, this study contributes to supply chain literature by extending the research context of the antecedents of SCL from a single-network setting to a dual-network setting. It extends the network pluralism perspective by showing that not only positive effects but also negative effects of network embeddedness can transfer from one network to another.

The application of digital twins to optimise operations and supply chain management functions is a bourgeoning practice. Scholars have attempted to keep pace with this development initiating a fast-evolving research agenda. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the emerging research stream identifying trends and capture the value potential of digital twins to the field of operations and supply chain management.

In this work we employ a bibliometric literature review supported by bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence network analysis to examine current trends in the research field regarding the value-added potential of digital twin in operations and supply chain management.

The main findings of this work are the identification of four value clusters and one enabler cluster. Value clusters are comprised of articles that describe how the application of digital twin can enhance supply chain activities at the level of business processes as well as the level of supply chain capabilities. Value clusters of production flow management and product development operate at the business processes level and are maturing communities. The supply chain resilience and risk management value cluster operates at the capability level, it is just emerging, and is positioned at the periphery of the main network.

This is the first study that attempts to conceptualise digital twin as a dynamic capability and employs bibliometric and network analysis on the research stream of digital twin in operations and supply chain management to capture evolutionary trends, literature communities and value-creation dynamics in a digital-twin-enabled supply chain.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of FinTech companies in SCF. The application of digital technology in supply chain activities has facilitated the evolution of supply chain finance (SCF) to a new level. However, how financial technology (FinTech) companies promote this evolution has not been thoroughly examined.

This research used the multiple-case study approach and social network analysis method to explore how FinTech companies influence SCF networks.

The results reveal that FinTech companies play the crucial role of a signaling intermediary by facilitating interactions among relevant parties, accelerating the flow of information and reducing information asymmetry arising from data smog. Moreover, FinTech companies make SCF information networks more equitable and promote the performance of SCF.

This study deepens the conversation at the nexus of signal theory and SCF and provides managerial implications for alleviating information asymmetry between borrowers and lenders to solve the difficulty and high-cost problems of obtaining financing of small- and medium-sized enterprises.