Inter-organizational relationships and information sharing in supply chains

This paper presents a research model to examine factors influencing information sharing and implementation in inter-organizational relationships. The model comprises seven research hypotheses with six constructs, including relational benefits, relational proclivity, connectedness, power symmetry, dysfunctional conflict and information sharing. The constructs are measured by well-supported measures in the literature. The hypotheses are tested via an empirical study of supply chains. Data are collected from 589 manufacturing firms that are among the top 1000 Taiwanese manufacturing firms of 2009 listed by Business Weekly. The results of the empirical study suggest that the role played by relational benefits is critical in ensuring the information sharing as it reinforces the connectedness between supply chain members and mitigates the dysfunctional conflicts in the process. The findings of the study provide useful insights into how supply chain members should reinforce their collaborative behaviors and activities so as to improve their relational benefits and connectedness and in turn enhance information sharing for the supply chain as a whole.