Share:


Supply network position and firm performance: evidence from Chinese listed manufacturing companies

    Jinyan Shi Affiliation
    ; Jiangheng Yang Affiliation
    ; Yanxi Li Affiliation

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between supply network position and firm performance. A-share manufacturing companies listed from 2013 to 2015 are chosen as the initial samples, and large sample supply networks are constructed with relational embeddedness and structural embeddedness. The location of supply network is depicted by network centrality and structural hole with social network analysis, and the influence of supply network position on the corporate performance is examined with multiple OLS regression analysis. This paper observes that a firms’ supply network position is an important factor affecting its performance. The higher the network centrality is, the richer the structural holes are, and the worse the company’s performance is. The results suggest that firms that have a high level of centrality or rich structural holes in their supply networks will gain limited information, resource and control benefits and face great business risks that may negatively influence their performance.

Keyword : firm performance, supply network position, network centrality, structural holes, relational embeddedness, structural embeddedness

How to Cite
Shi, J., Yang, J., & Li, Y. (2019). Supply network position and firm performance: evidence from Chinese listed manufacturing companies. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 20(6), 1258-1277. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2019.10743
Published in Issue
Oct 17, 2019
Abstract Views
2316
PDF Downloads
1340
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Ahern, K. R., & Harford, J. (2014). The importance of industry links in merger waves. The Journal of Finance, 69(2), 527-576. https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.12122

Akdogan, Y. E., & Boyacioglu, M. A. (2014). The effect of corporate governance on firm performance: a case of Turkey. International Journal of Critical Accounting, 6(2), 187-210. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJCA.2014.063365

Anderson, E., & Jap, S. D. (2005). The dark side of close relationships. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46(3), 75. Retrieved from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/

Autry, C. & Griffis, S. (2008). Supply chain capital: The impact of structural and relational linkages on firm execution and innovation. Journal of Business Logistics, 29(1), 157-173. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2158-1592.2008.tb00073.x

Bagul, A., & Mukherjee, I. (2018). An insight into centralised sourcing strategy for enhancing performance and sustainability of multi-tier supply network. International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise, 5(1-2), 18-49. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJIE.2018.091183

Basole, R., & Bellamy, M. (2014). Visual analysis of supply network risks: Insights from the electronics industry. Decision Support Systems, 67, 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.08.008

Baum, J. A., Calabrese, T., & Silverman, B. S. (2015). Don’t go it alone: Alliance network composition and startups’ performance in Canadian biotechnology. Strategic Management Journal, 21(3), 267-294. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(200003)21:3<267::AID-SMJ89>3.0.CO;2-8

Bell, G. G. (2005). Clusters, networks, and firm innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, 26, 287-295. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.448

Bellamy, M. A., Ghosh, S., & Hora, M. (2014). The influence of supply network structure on firm innovation. Journal of Operations Management, 32(6), 357-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2014.06.004

Booth, L., Aivazian, V., Demirguc‐Kunt, A., & Maksimovic, V. (2001). Capital structures in developing countries. The Journal of Finance, 56(1), 87-130. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-1082.00320

Borgatti, S., Mehra, A., & Labianca, G. J. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323(5916), 892-895. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1165821

Burt, R. S. (1992). Structural holes: The social structure of competition. Harvard university press.Carnovale, S., Rogers, D. S., & Yeniyurt, S. (2019). Broadening the perspective of supply chain finance: The performance impacts of network power and cohesion. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 25(2), 134-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pursup.2018.07.007

Chen, Y., Wang, Y., & Lin, L. (2014). Independent directors’ board networks and controlling shareholders’ tunneling behavior. China Journal of Accounting Research, 7(2), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjar.2013.09.002

Choi, T. Y., & Krause, D. R. (2006). The supply base and its complexity: Implications for transaction costs, risks, responsiveness, and innovation. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5), 637-652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2005.07.002

Choi, T. Y., & Hong, Y. (2002). Unveiling the structure of supply networks: case studies in Honda, Acura, and DaimlerChrysler. Journal of Operations Management, 20(5), 469-493. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(02)00025-6

Chuluun, T., Prevost, A., & Puthenpurackal, J. (2014). Board ties and the cost of corporate debt. Financial Management, 43(3), 533-568. https://doi.org/10.1111/fima.12047

Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95-S120. https://doi.org/10.1086/228943

De Prato, G., & Nepelski, D. (2014). Global technological collaboration network: network analysis of international co-inventions. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 39(3), 358-375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-012-9285-4

Detthamrong, U., Chancharat, N., & Vithessonthi, C. (2017). Corporate governance, capital structure and firm performance: evidence from Thailand. Research in International Business and Finance, 42, 689-709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2017.07.011

Dhaliwal, D., Judd, J. S., Serfling, M., & Shaikh, S. (2016). Customer concentration risk and the cost of equity capital. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 61(1), 23-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2015.03.005

Dong, M. C., Liu, Z., Yu, Y., & Zheng, J. H. (2015). Opportunism in distribution networks: The role of network embeddedness and dependence. Production and Operations Management, 24(10), 1657-1670. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12247

El-Khatib, R., Fogel, K., & Jandik, T. (2015). CEO network centrality and merger performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 116(2), 349-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2015.01.001

Engelberg, J., Gao, P., & Parsons, C. A. (2012). Friends with money. Journal of Financial Economics, 103(1), 169-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2011.08.003

Faruq, H. A., & Weidner, M. L. (2018). Culture, institutions, and firm performance. Eastern Economic Journal, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-016-0087-5

Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: the problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3), 481-510. https://doi.org/10.1086/228311

Gulati, R. (1998). Alliances and networks. Strategic Management Journal, 19(4), 293-317. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199804)19:4<293::AID-SMJ982>3.0.CO;2-M

Hochberg, Y. V., Ljungqvist, A., & Lu, Y. (2007). Whom you know matters: Venture capital networks and investment performance. The Journal of Finance, 62(1), 251-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2007.01207.x

Hoskisson, R. E., Hitt, M. A., & Hill, C. W. (1993). Managerial incentives and investment in R&D in large multiproduct firms. Organization Science, 4(2), 325-341. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.4.2.325

Irvine, P. J., Park, S. S., & Yıldızhan, Ç. (2015). Customer-base concentration, profitability, and the relationship life cycle. The Accounting Review, 91(3), 883-906. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-51246

Kao, T. W. D., Simpson, N. C., Shao, B. B., & Lin, W. T. (2017). Relating supply network structure to productive efficiency: A multi-stage empirical investigation. European Journal of Operational Research, 259(2), 469-485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2016.11.008

Kao, T. W. D., Su, H. C., & Chen, Y. S. (2019). The curvilinear relationships between structural embeddedness and productive efficiency: An exploratory study. International Journal of Production Economics, 212, 176-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.02.020

Kim, Y., Choi, T. Y., Yan, T., & Dooley, K. (2011). Structural investigation of supply networks: A social network analysis approach. Journal of Operations Management, 29(3), 194-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2010.11.001

Kim, Y., Chen, Y. S., & Linderman, K. (2015). Supply network disruption and resilience: A network structural perspective. Journal of operations Management, 33, 43-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2014.10.006

Kim, Y. H. (2017). The effects of major customer networks on supplier profitability. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 53(1), 26-40. https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12118

Lanier Jr, D., Wempe, W. F., & Zacharia, Z. G. (2010). Concentrated supply chain membership and financial performance: Chain-and firm-level perspectives. Journal of Operations Management, 28(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2009.06.002

Larcker, D. F., So, E. C., & Wang, C. C. (2013). Boardroom centrality and firm performance. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 55(2-3), 225-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2013.01.006

Marsden, P. V. (2002). Egocentric and sociocentric measures of network centrality. Social Networks, 24(4), 407-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8733(02)00016-3

Nee, V., Liu, L., & DellaPosta, D. (2017). The entrepreneur’s network and firm performance. Sociological Science, 4, 552-579. https://doi.org/10.15195/v4.a23

Park, S. H., Li, S., & David, K. T. (2006). Market liberalization and firm performance during China’s economic transition. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(1), 127-147. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400178

Patatoukas, P. N. (2011). Customer-base concentration: Implications for firm performance and capital markets: 2011 American accounting association competitive manuscript award winner. The Accounting Review, 87(2), 363-392. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10198

Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. The Free Press.

Rezapour, S., Srinivasan, R., Tew, J., Allen, J. K., & Mistree, F. (2018). Correlation between strategic and operational risk mitigation strategies in supply networks. International Journal of Production Economics, 201, 225-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2018.04.014

Rothaermel, F. T. (2001). Incumbent’s advantage through exploiting complementary assets via interfirm cooperation. Strategic Management Journal, 22(6‐7), 687-699. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.180

Sharma, A., Kumar, V., Yan, J., Borah, S. B., & Adhikary, A. (2019). Understanding the structural characteristics of a firm’s whole buyer–supplier network and its impact on international business performance. Journal of International Business Studies, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00215-x

Sun, Q., & Tong, W. H. (2003). China share issue privatization: the extent of its success. Journal of Financial Economics, 70(2), 183-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-405X(03)00145-4

Uzzi, B. (1997). Social structure and competition in interfirm networks: The paradox of embeddedness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35-67. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393808

Vissa, B., & Chacar, A. S. (2009). Leveraging ties: the contingent value of entrepreneurial teams’ external advice networks on Indian software venture performance. Strategic Management Journal, 30(11), 1179-1191. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.785

Weisbuch, G., & Battiston, S. (2007). From production networks to geographical economics. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 64(3-4), 448-469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2006.06.018

Withers, M. C., & Fitza, M. A. (2017). Do board chairs matter? The influence of board chairs on firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 38(6), 1343-1355. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2587

Whittington, K. B., OwenSmith, J., & Powell, W. W. (2009). Networks, propinquity, and innovation in knowledge-intensive industries. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54(1), 90-122. https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.2009.54.1.90

Xiao, Z., & Tsui, A. S. (2007). When brokers may not work: The cultural contingency of social capital in Chinese high-tech firms. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.52.1.1

Yan, T., Choi, T. Y., Kim, Y., & Yang, Y. (2015). A theory of the nexus supplier: A critical supplier from a network perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 51(1), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12070

Yang, H., Lin, Z., & Lin, Y. (2010). A multilevel framework of firm boundaries: firm characteristics, dyadic differences, and network attributes. Strategic Management Journal, 31(3), 237-261. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.815

Zaheer, A., & Bell, G. G. (2005). Benefiting from network position: firm capabilities, structural holes, and performance. Strategic Management Journal, 26(9), 809-825. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.482