Your search
Results 3 resources
-
Top management support is a crucial investment at any manufacturing firm striving to integrate supply chain partners with the manufacturing processes so as to achieve a competitive advantage. Though the effectiveness of different leadership behaviors exhibited in top-level management has been documented in the leadership literature, the influence of such behaviors on developing linkages with supply chain partners has not been extensively examined. In order to bridge this research gap, this study examines the interlinkages between strategic leadership theory and supply chain integration theory. In addition, it also investigates the interrelationships between these two theories in the context of implementation of advanced manufacturing technology. Data has been collected from 107 small manufacturing companies and was analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results show that transactional leadership exhibited in top-level management is positively related to internal integration within the manufacturing companies. Transformational leadership behavior exhibited in top-level management and advanced manufacturing technology implemented in the shop floor of these companies are positively related to the integration of external supply chain partners. In addition, we also found that in those instances where small manufacturing companies place a high emphasis on the implementation of advanced manufacturing technology, they are guided by transformational leaders who strongly integrate their companies with customers.
-
This study is aimed at improving the purchasing cycle time in a buyer–supplier relationship by integrating the facets of strategic leadership, social exchange, and social capital theories. We developed and tested a conceptual model that postulated relationships among strategic leadership behavior, relational trust and commitment, structural capital, and purchasing cycle time. Data were collected from purchase managers and their employees working in 105 manufacturing companies and analyzed using structural equation modeling technique. Our findings indicated that strategic leadership behaviors are positively related to trust in the buyer–supplier relationship. In addition, trust enhances relational commitment between buyer and supplier, which in turn positively relates to information sharing and supplier development. Further, increased information sharing in the relationship results in reduced purchasing cycle time. Implications for both theory and practice are discussed in depth, and directions for future research are suggested.
-
This study focuses on integrating the premises of social capital theory and the theory of organizational learning to improve the operational performance of firms nurturing the buyer–supplier relationship. Social capital theory highlights the importance of developing social relationships between firms to create valuable resources and collectively access critical resources. Organizational learning theory highlights that the learning capacity of an organization strongly depends on top-level leaders’ behaviors, organizational structure, culture, and flexibility, and uncertainties in the environment in which the organization functions. Though many studies have focused on the impact of social capital on performance improvements in the buyer–supplier relationship, the interlinkages between social capital and organizational learning have not been given much attention. Based upon these theories, a system-focused perspective, which showcases the antecedents and outcome of the relationship between collaborative communication and learning, has been proposed in this study. A literature review has been carried out to support the linkages in the proposed conceptual model. Findings suggest that transformational buyers support creating cognitive capital with suppliers. This cognitive capital influences the structural capital, which supports improving the understanding of each party’s processes in the buyer–supplier relationship when parties have high long-term orientation. Improved learning capability reshapes organizations into flexible systems capable of responding quickly to customer requirements, and consequently, they realize a higher performance level.