Knowledge generation and market orientation during global crises in supply chains
ISSN: 0955-534X
Article publication date: 30 March 2022
Issue publication date: 1 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Supply chains (SCs) depend on interorganizational relationships (IORs) to function optimally, yet crises may lessen the knowledge flows therein. This paper aims to address this issue by proposing a mediation effect between knowledge generation and market orientation by crisis perception in SC.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Data collection comprised 279 full answers of business-to-business organizations in global SCs.
Findings
The data provide evidence that, contrary to the extant literature, knowledge generation during a crisis in a SC does not mitigate crisis perception. In addition, findings suggest there are no significant differences between manufacturing and service SCs in sensemaking during crises and that during crises, SC links diminish cooperation in terms of knowledge generation and sharing and focus on individual performance.
Originality/value
The authors have found a conflicting theoretical issue – while extant literature posits setting IORs lead to high sunk cost, making IOR channels costly and reliable for information flows during crises, the behavioral perspective posits that when crises hit, exogenous shocks induce inwards focus diminishing information flows. The results provide insights on this seemingly inconsistent scenario and point to future avenues of research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Brazilian scientific funding agency (CAPES) for support during the study, the anonymous reviewers for their careful consideration, and the editorial team for their patience and care thoughout these troubled times.
Funding: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES/PROSUP grant for doctoral studies.
Citation
Martins, F.S., Vils, L., Serra, F.A.R., da Silva Junior, W. and Napolitano, D.M.M.R. (2022), "Knowledge generation and market orientation during global crises in supply chains", European Business Review, Vol. 34 No. 4, pp. 453-470. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-08-2021-0175
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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