Interorganizational cooperation and supplier performance in high-technology supply chains

Area of Science:

• Supply Chain Management
• International Business
• Information Systems

Background:

• Global high-tech electronics supply chains are increasingly complex and heavily reliant on China.
• Understanding the dynamics of interorganizational (IO) cooperation is crucial for Chinese suppliers operating in business-to-business (B2B) markets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of IO cooperation on the performance of Chinese high-tech electronic component suppliers.
• To examine the mediating roles of relationship learning and information technology (IT) integration in the value-creation process.

Main Methods:

• Data collected via face-to-face interviews with 1,004 supply chain managers and executives from Chinese high-tech electronic component suppliers.
• Quantitative analysis to assess the relationships between IO cooperation, relationship learning, IT integration, and supplier performance.
• Focus on a large, specific sample of Chinese suppliers across 13 product groups.

Main Results:

• IO cooperation positively impacts supplier performance with major customers and in the overall marketplace.
• Relationship learning and IT integration act as significant mediating variables in enhancing performance.
• IO cooperation demonstrates the strongest influence on relationship learning.

Conclusions:

• Strengthening interorganizational cooperation is vital for enhancing the performance of Chinese high-tech suppliers.
• Investing in relationship learning and IT integration can amplify the benefits of cooperation.
• The findings offer generalizable insights into the Chinese high-tech electronics B2B supply chain context.