Earticle

This study aims to explore two key research questions within supply chain relationships. First, it examines the direct effect of "supplier goodwill" on supplier transparency. Second, it investigates the moderating role played by buyer dependence on the supplier in this relationship. To address these questions, this study draws on a dataset of 225 responses. These responses were collected from procurement and supply chain management professionals working in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. This study employs hierarchical regression analysis to test the proposed research hypotheses. The empirical results indicate that supplier goodwill positively influences supplier transparency. Furthermore, buyer dependence positively moderates this relationship, suggesting that the effect of goodwill on transparency is not uniform across different levels of dependence. However, some of the findings are only marginally significant, and therefore they should be interpreted as exploratory evidence rather than confirmatory conclusions. More specifically, the higher the degree of buyer dependence on the supplier, the more pronounced the positive effect of supplier goodwill becomes in promoting transparency. This implies that a high-dependence context may amplify the positive effect of goodwill. In contrast to existing literature, which primarily analyzes how to achieve transparency from the perspectives of technological capabilities—such as blockchain and digital tracking—or from the perspective of buyer power, this paper takes a different approach. This alternative perspective highlights the often-overlooked role of supplier-initiated cooperation. Such cooperation is driven by relational norms rather than contractual obligations. It starts from the supplier's self-willingness, subtly and naturally illustrating that this autonomous and endogenous goodwill is more likely to truly open the door to transparency and collaboration. This leads to several important managerial implications. Compared with mandatory information disclosure requirements and rigid contractual constraints, proactively cultivating and properly maintaining a goodwill-based relationship with suppliers is a more effective pathway. This pathway helps transform potential dependency risks into in-depth information cooperation and synergistic development advantages. Therefore, this study offers direct and clear practical significance for building resilient supply chain systems.

Firms have reexamined and restructured their supply chain based on a long-term and partnership perspective as a firm's competitive advantage increasingly relies on its supply chain capability. A number of scholar works has provided evidence to support the positive effects of supply chain collaboration; however, the relationship between collaboration and performance is still inconclusive. This study refuses to have blinded faith on supply chain collaboration, but rather this paper suggests that the contribution of collaboration to supply chain performance improvement can be limited and vary along the contextual characteristics of a buyer-supplier relationship. Moreover, we argue that the relationship between supply chain collaboration and performance can be curvilinear. This paper provides and test hypotheses regarding the relationship between supply chain collaboration and performance. By using data of the Manufacturing Panel Survey (MPS), this study empirically validates the hypotheses. Overall, the results of the study support our hypotheses about a limited contribution of supply chain collaboration to manufacturing performance, which is opposite to a conventional expectation. Particularly, the effects of supply chain collaboration differ depending on the dimensions of performance such as customer satisfaction, quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility as well as the dependency in the buyer-supplier relationship. Moreover, the results of the study indicate that supply chain collaboration and performance may have curvilinear relationships in a certain context. Through a comprehensive model and empirical evidence, this study presents a better understanding of supply chain collaboration and provokes an open discussion about the effects of collaboration. This study also provides insightful implications for managers of buyers as well as suppliers who wish to foster stronger supply chain performance via a deep buyer-supplier relationship and collaboration.

최근 들어 공급사슬 간의 경쟁이 중요해지면서 공급사슬협력은 개별 기업이 지속가능하기 위한 전략적 이슈가 되었다. 그러나 선행연구들은 공급사슬협력과 기업의 성과 간 관계에 있어 상황변수를 고려하는데 미흡하였다. 따라서 본 연구는 거래 의존성에 따라 공급사슬협력이 기업의 재무성과에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 연구방법으로는 공급사슬협력 관련된 서베이 자료와 재무제표를 이용하여 회귀분석을 하였다. 그 결과, 모든 유형에서 공급사슬협력은 수익성을 향상시키지만, 효율성은 증가시키지 못하였다. 또한 상호독립을 제외한 유형들에서 공급사슬협력은 안정성에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 이 연구의 시사점으로는 첫째, 공급사슬협력의 효과를 측정하기 위해서 거래 의존성을 고려할 필요가 있음을 제시하였다. 둘째, 공급사슬협력의 효과를 긍정적으로만 여긴 선행연구들의 한계를 극복하였다. 셋째, 실무적으로 효과적인 공급사슬 전략을 제공하였다.

In recent years, supply chain collaboration has become a strategic issue for individual companies to sustain because competition between supply chains becomes more important. However, previous studies are insufficient to consider the situation variables in the relationship between supply chain collaboration and firm performance. Therefore, this study analyzed the effect of supply chain collaboration on firm’s financial performance according to supplier-buyer dependence. As a research method, regression analysis was performed using survey data related to supply chain collaboration and financial statements. As a result, supply chain collaboration improves profitability, but does not increase efficiency in all types. In addition, supply chain collaboration has a positive impact on stability in types except mutual independence. This study has several implications. First, it is suggested that supplier-buyer dependence should be considered to measure the effect of supply chain collaboration. Second, this research overcomes the limitations of previous studies that only considered the positive effect of supply chain collaboration. Third, it provides the practical supply chain strategy.

연구목적: 중소 공급자가 대규모 구매기업과의 거래 관계에서 구매기업의 거래유지의지를 높이기 위해서는 어떤 역량을 개발해야 하며 이러한 역량은 구매기업의 거래유지의지에 어떻게 영향을 주는가? 이 연구는 이러한 질문에 논리적으로 답할 수 있도록 개념적 모형을 도출하고 실증조사를 통하여 검증하고자 한다. 보다 구체적으로 공급자의 주요 가치창출 활동(기본적 지원역량, 고객운영 지원역량)과 인적 네트워크 및 거래특유투자를 선행요인으로 하고, 구매기업의 의존(혜택기반 의존, 비용기반 의존)을 매개변수로 하여 구매기업의 관계유지의지에 미치는 영향을 분석한다. 연구 설계 및 방법론: 이 연구는 연구 목적을 달성하기 위해 131개 중소 공급자에 대한 서베이를 실시하였다. 2010년 말 현재 국내 3개 대기업 중 하나에 납품하고 있는 중소 공급업체의 최고경영자 또는 고위급 관리자가 서베이에 참여하였다. 가설 검증을 위하여 구조방정식이 사용되었다. 분석 및 연구 결과: 가설 검증 결과 총 8개 가설 중 6개가 지지되고 나머지 2개는 지지되지 않았다. 가설1을 보면, 공급자의 기본적 지원역량은 구매자의 혜택기반 의존에 유의적 영향을 주지만(가설 1A), 비용기반 의존에는 영향을 주지 않는 것으로 나타났다(가설 1B). 공급자의 고객운영 지원역량은 구매자의 혜택기반 의존(가설 2A)과 비용기반 의존(가설 2B)에 유의적 영향을 주는 것으로 나타나 모두 지지되었다. 이 연구의 종국적 종속변수인 구매자의 관계유지의지에 미치는 영향을 보면 혜택기반 의존은 유의적 효과를 미치지만(가설 3) 비용기반 의존은 유의적 효과를 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다(가설 4). 공급자의 인적 네트워크(가설 5)와 거래특유투자는 모두 구매자의 관계유지의지에 유의적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다(가설 6). 시사점 및 연구의 한계점: 중소 공급자는 대기업인 구매기업의 의존을 유발할 수 있고 종국적으로 구매기업 충성도로 이어질 수 있는 역량 개발에 노력해야 한다. 이 연구는 우리나라 3개 대기업과 거래관계를 가지고 있는 납품업체를 조사대상으로 하였다는 한계점이 있다. 향후 연구방향: 향후 연구는 신뢰와 규범, 기회주의 등 다양한 개념들을 포괄하는 연구모형을 개발하여 설명력을 비교하고, 각 납품업체의 복수 응답자의 의견을 수집할 필요가 있다. 공헌점: 이 연구는 과거의 다수 연구와 다르게 중소 공급자의 관점에서 공급자-구매자 간 협력관계를 분석하였다.

Purpose: Which capabilities should SMEs develop and how do the capabilities affect a buyer’s relationship commitment? This research analyzes the effects of an SME’s value creation activities (core offering capabilities, customeroperations capabilities), personal networking capabilities, and transaction-specific investments, as antecedent factors, on a buyer’s relationship commitment. The research also examines the effects of a buyer’s dependence (benefit-based dependence, cost-based dependence), as intervening factors, on a buyer’s relationship commitment. Design/methodology/approach: This study surveys 131 small ?and ?medium -sized suppliers in order to accomplish the research objectives. The respondents of this study were CEOs or high -level managers of the suppliers, who have had business relationships with one of the three large Korean firms. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. Results/findings: Six of eight hypotheses were supported, whereas two were not. Core offering capabilities had a significant effect on benefit-based dependence (H1A), but not on cost-based dependence (H1B). Customer-operations capabilities had a significant effect on both benefit-based dependence (H2A) and cost-based dependence (H2B). Further, the buyer’s relationship commitment, an outcome variable in this study, was influenced by benefit-based dependence (H3), but not by cost-based dependence (H4). Both the supplier’s personal networking capabilities (H5) and transaction-specific investments (H6) significantly influenced the buyer’s relationship commitment. Research implications/limitations: Overall, small and medium-sized suppliers have to develop the capabilities that can increase buyer dependence as well as lead to buyer loyalty. We can indicate that this study examined only those suppliers which have had business relationships with three large buyers in Korea. Future work/research: Future research is expected to develop and examine the explanatory power of multiple models employing diverse concepts, such as trust, norms, and opportunism. It also needs to collect opinions from multiple informants of each supplier. Originality/value: Unlike most extant studies, the research analyzes the supplier-buyer cooperative relationships from the perspective of small ?and ?medium -sized suppliers.