Search results

The purpose of this paper is to employ a newly developed framework to examine the complex relationship between different components of supply chain practices, supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP) in the Malaysian electronics sector.

This study utilizes survey data of 156 electronics firms in Malaysia and tested the research framework and hypotheses. In addition to the traditional approach of Barron and Kenny (1986), the Sobel test as well as a bootstrapping approach, which is deemed for small sample size, is used to formally test the indirect effects of SCI in the model.

SCI has fully and partially mediated the relationship between supply chain management practices (SCMPs) and SCP. SCI fully mediates the relationship between SCP and three of the SCMPs, namely, information quality, agreed vision and goals and postponement strategies. The relationship of supply strategic partnership, customer relation management, information sharing with SCP were partially mediated by SCI. Risk and reward sharing is found to be non-significant. These insights allow managers to effectively utilize the different components of SCMPs for SCI and performance.

For supply chain practitioners, the results of the study can be useful in integrating SCMPs and SCI on improving SCP. Practitioners should take into account the mediating effect of SCI in designing their supply chain management approach to production.

To the authors’ best knowledge, this paper is one of the first to address the mediating effect of SCI between SCMPs and overall performance of the supply chain.

This study aims to examine the influence of relational capital quality on client loyalty, comprising both behavioral and attitudinal, in the pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan.

The partial least squares technique is used to test the relationship using a sample of 111 pharmaceutical firms. We applied a non-parametric procedure, the bootstrapping method, to estimate the coefficient path of the relationships. Appropriate construct measures were used based on past studies to measure the dimensions of relational capital quality and client loyalty.

The findings suggest that relational capital quality significantly affects client loyalty. All three dimensions of relational capital quality, commitment, satisfaction and trust, have a significant and positive influence on both attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. However, client satisfaction is found to exert the strongest impact on behavioral and attitudinal loyalty.

It is important for the pharmaceutical firms in Pakistan to improve client satisfaction to establish behavioral loyalty and sustain their clientele base. Trust and commitment should be managed independently, depending on the focus of firms, either attitudinal loyalty or behavioral loyalty.

This study is among the few that was able to empirically examine the role of various dimensions of relational capital quality in influencing clients’ attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. In addition, the study uses a new firm-level data set, compiled from a survey of the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, which is currently facing challenges in terms of customer–supplier sensitivity.

The purpose of this paper is to measure and track the evolution of market concentration and competition in the microfinance industry in Bangladesh by employing both the structural and non-structural measurement techniques.

By using a unique panel data set generated from the microcredit regulatory authority (MRA) annual reports, the sample includes 169 microfinance institutions (MFIs) and covers the period 2009-2014. The authors employed the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) and concentration ratio (CR) (largest 3, 8 and 20 MFIs) as structural measurement techniques and the Lerner index as a non-structural measurement technique. In addition, four different market indicators are used as representatives of deposit and credit markets to better explain the evolution of market concentration.

The results of HHI indicate that the sector is moderately concentrated and currently transitioning to an unconcentrated market. However, based on CR, the industry is still dominated by a few large MFIs. The Lerner index (non-structural approach) also confirmed that the level of competition is relatively high and likely to follow an inverted U-shape during the study period.

The findings of this study will enhance our understanding of the market structure in the Bangladesh’s microfinance industry so as to inform important policy prescriptions. The results also provide impetus to the relatively young MRA to nurture competition in the market; simultaneously, the findings prompt management of the MFIs to cope with a competitive market environment.

This study is one of the first of its kind that includes a large data sample of microfinance market for a single country by employing both structural and non-structural measurement approaches.