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This study aims to explore how different patterns of IT use influence different types of green supply chain management (GSCM) with customers, and in turn, environmental and economic performance.

Based on data collected from 206 manufacturing companies in China, the authors used structural equation modeling (SEM) with the maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) method to test the conceptual model and the related hypotheses.

The results show that both IT use for exploitation and IT use for exploration are positively related to green strategy alignment and green process coordination, whereas the relationship between IT use for exploration and green strategy alignment is weaker. This study also finds that green strategy alignment has a marginal positive effect on economic performance, whereas its effect on environmental performance is not significant. Green process coordination has a positive effect on environmental performance, whereas its effect on economic performance is not significant.

This study extends the value of IT use in the GSCM field, enriching both literature on IT and GSCM. The findings provide significant managerial implications for managers to leverage IT resources to enhance GSCM and the corresponding performance.

While researchers recognize the significance of philanthropic donations in disaster relief and recovery, the benefits that firms derive from such donations remain unclear, particularly when firms are adversely impacted by the disaster. To address this gap, this study seeks to elucidate the impact of various donation strategies on firm resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the hand-collected data on donations, the authors employ ordinary least squares regressions to investigate the effectiveness of various donation strategies – including type, timing and location – in enhancing firm resilience in terms of the severity of stock price losses during the pandemic. To address potential endogeneity concerns, the authors use a two-stage least squares regression with instrumental variables.

This study finds robust evidence that certain donation strategies are more effective at mitigating stock price losses during the pandemic. Specifically, the authors find that in-kind donations (compared to monetary ones), earlier donations (compared to later ones) and donations targeting severely impacted areas (Hubei province vs. other places) are more effective methods to reduce the severity of stock price losses.

This study points out an alternative mechanism through which donations influence firm resilience during a crisis context and provides important managerial implications for firms to better engage in disaster donations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between relationship commitment, cooperative behavior and alliance performance in agricultural supply chains. By investigating dyadic relationships between companies and their contract farmers (hereafter denoted by C+F), this study aims to investigate how relationship commitment influences cooperative behavior and how such behavior further influences alliance performance in C+F agricultural supply chains in China.

Based on data collected from 202 companies and 462 farmers in China, this study uses the structural equation modeling approach to test the conceptual model and related hypotheses.

For both companies and contract farmers, normative relationship commitment is a necessity for economically and socially cooperative behavior (i.e. specific investment and communication, respectively), while instrumental relationship commitment has no relationship with specific investment. Only socially cooperative behavior (communication) can improve alliance performance, while economically cooperative behavior (specific investment) has no relationship with alliance performance. For companies, instrumental relationship commitment reduces communication, but specific investment increases communication. For farmers, both instrumental relationship commitment and specific investment have no relationship with communication.

This study contributes to the literature on supply chain management by adopting a bilateral perspective and examining relationships among relationship commitment, cooperative behavior and alliance performance in the C+F context. It provides agricultural companies and contract farmers with valuable guidance to use relationship commitment and cooperative behavior to improve alliance performance in agricultural supply chains in China.

This study addresses an important research question regarding how supplier-base concentration affects buyer efficiency. Drawing on the contradicting views of transaction cost theory (TCT) and resource dependence theory (RDT), the authors explore the main effect of supplier-base concentration on buyer efficiency and how this effect is contingent on buyers' characteristics (i.e. research and development (R&D) expenditure and market share).

Based on data collected from the Chinese manufacturing firms listed on National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ) between 2015 and 2019, the authors use a fixed-effect model as well as a two-stage least squares model to test the predictions.

The authors find that supplier-base concentration has a positive effect on buyer efficiency. In addition, when a buyer has higher levels of R&D expenditure and market share, the positive relationship between supplier-base concentration and buyer efficiency is strengthened.

This study contributes to a better understanding of the effect of supplier-base concentration. First, the authors provide theoretical and empirical evidence of the positive effect of supplier-base concentration on buyer efficiency. Second, the authors reveal the underlying mechanism of how to counter the potential drawbacks and benefit more from supply base reduction by introducing R&D expenditure and market share as contingencies.

Digitalization encourages the manufacturer to engage in inter-organizational technological activities (i.e. supplier IT integration and supply visibility) with its major supplier, which influences supply chain (SC) governance. This study tests a moderated mediation model that considers supplier IT integration and supply visibility as mediators between supply-side digitalization and supplier opportunism, and relational ties as a moderator in the relationship between inter-organizational technological activities and supplier opportunism.

Ordinary least square (OLS) regression is used to examine data from 200 firms in China describing their supply chain management (SCM) practices and perceived relationships with their major suppliers.

Supply-side digitalization is positively related to supplier IT integration and supply visibility. Supply-side digitalization has a positive indirect effect on supplier opportunism through supplier IT integration but a negative indirect effect through supply visibility. Relational ties weaken the positive effect of supplier IT integration and the positive indirect effect of supply-side digitalization on supplier opportunism. Relational ties also weaken the negative effect of supply visibility and the negative indirect effect of supply-side digitalization on supplier opportunism.

This study enriches understanding of SC governance in the digital age by empirically confirming that digital transformation brings both challenges and opportunities to SC governance and by clarifying the interplay of relational governance and technological activities. In addition, this study contributes to the SC digitalization literature by empirically validating the role of digitalization in promoting inter-organizational technological activities, as well as by revealing its potential dark side.

Facilitating supply chain visibility and traceability through effective information sharing is vital to improve the quality and safety of food products. However, we know little about the enablers of information sharing in food supply chains. Drawing upon resource dependence theory and social exchange theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore how farmers’ dependence on companies influences their trust in and relationship commitment to those companies, and in turn facilitates effective information sharing with them.

Data collected from 462 farmers in China were used to test the conceptual model and related hypotheses.

The results show that dependence has a significant positive effect on trust and relationship commitment, but it has no direct significant effect on information sharing. In addition, trust has a significantly positive influence on relationship commitment, and both trust and relationship commitment have significantly positive effects on information sharing. These findings show that strengthening farmers’ dependence on companies can cultivate farmers’ trust and relationship commitment, thereby encouraging them to share information with the companies.

Theoretically, this study contributes to the supply chain information sharing and relationship management literature. Practically, it shows how companies can effectively monitor production processes and improve food quality and safety through information sharing and relationship management.

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of supply chain information integration (SCII) and their consequences on company performance from the perspective of resource-based view (RBV).

Based on empirical survey data collected from 202 Australian manufacturers, this study examines the effects of strategic supply chain relationship (SCR) and supply chain technology (SCT) internalization on external and internal information integration (II) and the effects of external and internal II on operational (operational efficiency and service quality) and financial performance. Structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation methods are used to test the proposed relationships.

The results indicate that both strategic SCR and SCT internalization are positively related to external and internal II. Moreover, strategic SCR has a stronger positive relationship with external II than with internal II, and SCT internalization has a stronger positive relationship with internal II than with external II. Internal II is positively related only to service quality, and external II is positively related only to operational efficiency. Both operational efficiency and service quality are positively related to financial performance.

This study contributes to the SCII literature and provides significant managerial implications for manufacturers to leverage their supply chain resources and capabilities by establishing a resources-capabilities-performance framework for the antecedents and consequences of SCII.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of green supply chain integration (GSCI) on sustainable performance which includes environmental, social and economic performance.

Based on data collected from 206 Chinese manufacturers, this study uses structural equation modeling with the maximum-likelihood estimation method to test the theoretical model.

The results show that different dimensions of GSCI have different outcomes. Green internal integration lays the foundation for green supplier integration (GSI) and green customer integration (GCI), and is related to both environmental and social performance. GSI is positively related to economic performance, whereas GCI is positively related to social performance.

Believing that “how to be green” matters, this study focuses on an integrative approach to green supply chain management (GSCM), shedding new light on how GSCI influences performance and providing practical guidelines for different stakeholders.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of backward supply chain information sharing (SCIS) on the performance of different parties along supply chains.

Using data collected from 617 Chinese manufacturers, this study examines the effect of information sharing from manufacturers to suppliers (ISMS) on supplier and manufacturer responsiveness in both two- and three-tier supply chains and the transferrable effect of information sharing from customers to manufacturers (ISCM) on supplier responsiveness. The authors use structural equation modeling and regression analysis to estimate the proposed relationships.

ISMS is positively related to supplier responsiveness in both two- and three-tier SCIS, whereas its effect on manufacturer responsiveness is conditional, indicating that upstream receiving parties benefit more from backward SCIS. ISCM is positively related to supplier responsiveness, demonstrating the transferable effect of backward SCIS.

When designing SCIS strategies, managers should take into account the unequal distribution of benefits from SCIS and the transferable effect of backward SCIS. Specifically, companies should always motivate their downstream partners to engage in SCIS, while they themselves need to be cautious with information sharing. They should also be aware that their information sharing behavior may benefit a third upstream party.

This study provides deep insights into the distribution of the benefits from SCIS among supply chain partners and suggests that the direction and the role supply chain partners play (as receiving or disclosing parties) in SCIS matter.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the purpose of this paper is to combine concepts from human resource management (HRM) and supply chain management (SCM) fields and explore the effects of high-involvement HRM practices on supply chain integration (SCI).

Using empirical survey data collected from ten countries, the authors examine the specific effects of three dimensions of high-involvement HRM practices – employee skills, incentives and participation – on three types of SCI – internal integration, supplier and customer integration. The authors use structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation method to test the proposed relationships.

The results confirm the overall relevancy of HRM to SCI. However, several proposed links are not supported by the data collected.

This study makes both theoretical and managerial contributions by empirically examining the interface between HRM and SCI. More specifically, it examines the effects of different high-involvement HRM practices on different types of SCI. The findings will not only help researchers to better understand the interface, but will also guide managers in adjusting HRM practices to achieve desired operational goals.