Supply chain drivers, partnerships and performance of high-tech SMEs

Supply chain drivers, partnerships and performance of high-tech SMEs: An empirical study using SEM

Rezaei, J. (TU Delft Transport and Logistics)
Ortt, J.R. (TU Delft Economics of Technology and Innovation)
Trott, Paul (University of Portsmouth)

2018

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine high-tech small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supply chain partnerships. Partnerships are considered at the level of business function rather than the entire organisation. Second, the drivers of SMEs to engage in partnerships are assessed to see whether functions engage in partnerships for different reasons. Third, performance per function is assessed to see the differential effect of partnerships on the function’s performance. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the relationship between the drivers of SMEs to engage in partnerships, four types of partnerships (marketing and sales, research and development (R&D), purchasing and logistics, and production) and four types of functional performances of firms (marketing and sales, R&D, purchasing and logistics, and production) are examined. The data have been collected from 279 SMEs. The proposed hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling. Findings: The results indicate that there are considerable differences between business functions in terms of the degree of involvement in partnerships and the effect of partnerships on the performance of these functions. This paper contributes to research by explaining the contradictory results of partnerships on SMEs performance. Practical implications: This study helps firms understand which type of partnership should be established based on the firm’s drivers to engage in supply chain partnership; and which partnership has a significant effect on which type of business performance of the firm. Originality/value: The originality of this study is to investigate the relationship between different drivers to engage in supply chain partnership and different types of partnerships and different functional performance of firm in a single model.

Drivers
High-tech
Partnership
Performance
SEM
SME
Supply chain management

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e0fe7dd7-e7a9-4048-af2e-2e15cee2fdfc

https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2017-0017

1741-0401

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 67 (4), 629-653

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2018 J. Rezaei, J.R. Ortt, Paul Trott