Improving supply chain performance through industry standards use and community socialization

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how use of industry standards and community socialization contribute to the operational, strategic and environmental performances of supply chain partners. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 216 firms in China that have implemented RosettaNet standards. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses forming the research model. Findings The empirical analysis suggests that use of industry standards and community socialization is central to achieving greater supply chain performances. The results show that the use of industry standards and community socialization enhance inter-organizational knowledge sharing and trust, which eventually improve performances of supply chain partners. Originality/value The study makes several contributions to the literature. First, it highlights the importance of standards consortia, which not only develop and promote industry standards, but also improve community socialization. Second, the research examines how use of industry standards could influence the operational, strategic and environmental performances of supply chains, and thus fills the research gap in related literature. Third, this paper explores how industry standards can be used as boundary objects to span organizational boundaries and enable greater supply chain partnerships.