Factors that Influence Interorganizational Use of Information and Communications Technology in Relationship-Based Supply Chains: Evidence from the Macedonian and American Wine Industries

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to better understand how interorganizational relationships influence information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled supply chain (SC) interactions of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in developed versus developing economies through the theoretical lens of transaction cost economics (TCE) and social exchange theory (SET).

Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses case study data to study SMEs operating in both a developing economy, the Republic of Macedonia, and a developed economy, the United States.

Findings: Insights reveal that the institutional context (i.e., environmental uncertainty) has significant indirect influence on ICT use by SMEs from rule-based and relationship-based supply SCs in the wine industry through contractual and relational mechanisms (i.e., contracts and social bonds).

Research implications/limitations: This study contributes to the body of SC knowledge by providing a comparative qualitative analysis of interorganizational factors (e.g., information sharing, collaboration, trust, contractual governance, relational governance, environmental uncertainty) that influence ICT use by SMEs in upstream wine SC from developing (i.e., Macedonia) and developed economies (i.e., the US).

Practical implications: This paper provides valuable implications for the SC participants (e.g., grape farmers, wineries and other suppliers) and industries (e.g., Macedonian and American wine industries) related to ICT use and non-use.

Originality/value: This study makes a novel contribution by being the first to qualitatively explore the ICT use in SMEs from the wine industry and identify the importance of legal institutional environment in buyer–supplier exchanges from developed and developing economies.

Keywords: Supply chain integration, Developed economies, Developing economies, ICT use, SMEs, Wine industry.