Supply Chain Capital: The Impact of Structural and Relational Linkages on Firm Execution and Innovation

Abstract

Firms invest millions of dollars annually in developing their supply chains, with the broad goal of increasing their own performance. However, despite the significant resources deployed for supply chain development, the extent to which initiating, maintaining, and managing supply chain relationships contributes to firm success remains unclear. The current article provides conceptual development supporting the valuation of firm‐to‐firm supply chain connections from the perspective of the focal firm. Based on the social network and economics literatures, the article introduces the concept of supply chain capital, which comprises the value of both the structural configuration and relationship content of the firm's supply chain network. Following theoretical development, a non‐exhaustive set of propositions are constructed illustrating multiple ways that supply chain capital can be accrued and exploited for firm‐level benefit. Managerial recommendations for investment in supply chain capital are included, as are future directions for research in the area of supply chain networks.

The moderating effect of supply chain role on the relationship between social capital and performance

“…Our research model examines the relationship between the supply chain social capital and firm performance. Previous studies examining this relationship have suggested that the social capital between organisational members within the firm is related with firm performance (Zaheer et al, 1998;Uzzi and Gillespie, 2002;Moran, 2005;Autry and Griffis, 2008;Min et al, 2008;Bernardes, 2010).…”

“…The social capital concept in supply chain management field has been used from the end of the 2000s (Autry and Griffis, 2008;Min et al, 2008;McGrath and Sparks, 2005).…”

“…During the past few years, there have been tremendous efforts on relationship between social capital and form performance. Autry and Griffis (2008) and Min et al (2008) examined direct and indirect impact of social capital dimensions on supply chain performance. Sinéad et al (2011) examined the relationships among structural, cognitive and relational capital, and between these dimensions and the cost and innovation performance of the firm.…”

An Integrated-Empirical Logistics Perspective on Supply Chain Innovation and Firm Performance

“…Gellman (1986) examined innovative performance of railroads under deregulation and found regulation, labor influence and lack of channel member innovation as barriers to innovation in the allied industry. Autry and Griffis (2008) using social network theory propounded structural capital, relational capital and supply chain knowledge development to be positively associated with innovationoriented performance. Wagner (2008) proposed a model of logistics innovation consisting of several related activities like internal search and deve lopment, external search and development, investment in infrastructure and capital goods, acquisition of knowledge and training and education etc.…”

Construction and Operation of Regional Logistics Public Information Platform Based on Cloud Computing

“…In the cloud computing environment, according to the different mode of construction and service, regional logistics information platform can be realized by following the 3 modes [12,13], i.e. logistics operation mode based on public cloud, logistics operation mode based on the private cloud and logistics operation mode based on hybrid cloud.…”