Abstract

Purpose The accounts receivable pool (ARP) is an e-invoice management system that provides suppliers with easy access to financial service. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the strength and weakness of ARP mechanism and suggest efficient methods to identify creditworthy borrowers. Design/methodology/approach By decomposing the sales records of 348 ARP borrowers and predicting the occurrence of overdue incidences, this study first portrays the creditworthy borrowers by sales features. Then, content analysis was applied to measure the loadings of soft and hard information, and examined the effectiveness of different information structures in creditworthiness assessment. Findings For ARP borrowers, upward trend and low volatility reveal their creditworthiness. In order to identify creditworthy borrowers beforehand, ARP financiers who have elaborated more soft information and less hard information can perform better. Originality/value This study first discussed ARP finance from a critical perspective and underlines borrower assessment to eliminate the defect of loose recourse. The empirical evidence presents the sales features of creditworthy borrowers. Moreover, the results suggest an efficient approach for ARP financiers to conduct better assessment.

Keyword

Information structure ;  Accounts receivable pool finance ;  Sales information

Abstract

Purpose Technology has dramatically changed the nature of interorganizational relationships and the ways partners interact with each other. In the new platform business model, platform technology usage seems to work as a governance mechanism to regulate operations and manage platform builder-platform participant relationships. To respond to these changes, this study aims to examine how platform technology usage in platform operations influenced the relationship quality between the platform builder and platform participants by promoting perceptions of three types of justice (procedural, distributive and informational). Design/methodology/approach The authors propose that it is through the perception of three types of justice (procedural, distributive and informational) that platform technology usage exerts its governance effect on the platform relationship. In doing this, the authors seek to answer the following two related research questions in the platform setting: How does platform technology usage drive relationship performance via different types of justice perceptions? Which type of justice affects relationship performance most effectively? Findings The results from a survey of 384 participant firms from two of the largest digital platforms for mobile/PC application in China reveal that platform technology usage leads to better relationship performance through enhanced perceptions of procedural, distributive, and informational justice. The positive impacts of procedural justice and distributive justice on relationship performance are greater than that of informational justice, while the impacts of procedural justice and distributive justice show no significant differences. Originality/value These findings provide novel insights into the role and mechanisms of platform technology usage in platform relationship management.

Keyword

Platform; Platform technology usage ;  Procedural justice ;  Distributive justice ;  Informational justice ;  Relationship performance

Abstract

致谢单位 本报告由国家自然科学基金重点国际（地区）合作研究项目：中国企业供应链合作创新行为研究（71420107024）提供支持。 同时感谢以下合作企业对案例素材提供的大力支持： 惠氏营养品（中国）有限公司 大连鑫玉龙海洋生物种业科技股份有限公司 人头马君度集团 中粮福临门食品营销有限公司 北京京东世纪信息技术有限公司

Keyword

Blockchain ;  service innovation ;  traceability ;  区块链 ;  服务创新 ;  溯源

Abstract

Keyword

数字化 ;  供应链

Abstract

Keyword

供应链 ;  数字化

Abstract

In large organizations, local use of innovations is not enough; extracting the full use of the innovation requires deployment across the organization. The purpose of this paper is to explore strategies for the deployment of service innovations and factors influencing success. We adopt an inductive theory-building approach with a longitudinal embedded case study of ten successful service innovations. We find two deployment strategies: required adoption, in which subsidiaries are required to adopt innovations, and voluntary adoption, in which adoption is not compulsory—innovations are showcased, but the adoption decision is left to the subsidiaries. We have investigated the factors influencing deployment, including the decentralized nature of service innovation, fit with the internal and external context, extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, and handovers. Based on analyses of case evidence, we put forward research propositions accordingly. This study provides managerial guidance for multidivisional organizations to extract full value from service innovations. Although some results may be particular to the Chinese context, research in other contexts can broaden the generalizability of the findings.

Keyword

Deployment strategies ;  innovation diffusion ;  ,longitudinal case study ;  multidivisional organizations ;  service innovation

Abstract

Purpose This paper assesses whether communication via interpersonal and IT channels accounts for short-term financial performance and long-term orientation and how these effects are influenced by contract completeness and technology usage in platform builder-platform participant relationships. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model and hypotheses are validated through a moderated regression of 384 survey responses from platform participant. Findings The empirical results indicate that interpersonal and IT-enabled communication contribute to both short-term financial gains and long-term orientation. The coexistence of interpersonal communication and IT-enabled communication has a synergetic effect on long-term orientation. Contract completeness positively moderates the effect of interpersonal communication on short-term performance while negatively moderating its effect on long-term orientation. Furthermore, contract completeness undermines the effect of IT-enabled communication on short-term performance. Technology usage enhances the effectiveness of interpersonal communication in generating long-term orientation. Originality/value First, diverging from the extant research treating communication as a single dimension construct, this study differentiates communication on media channels and shows their separate and synergetic effects on short-term performance and long-term orientation. Second, our empirical findings indicate that the effects of communication are influenced by governance practices, which extends the communication literature. Third, previous studies have presented conflicting results concerning the role of governance mechanisms in inter-firm relationships. By showing that governance mechanisms also either support or suppress communication in generating performance for platform participants, this study extends the existing research on governance mechanisms. Finally, by regarding technology usage as a transactional governance mechanism, this study furthers our understanding of the role of technology in interfirm relationships.

Keyword

Interpersonal communication ;  IT-enabled communication ;  Contract completeness ;  Technology usage ;  Short-term performance ;  Long-term orientation

Abstract

Third-party logistics (3PL) user-provider integration is attracting increasing attention from both academics and practitioners. However, it remains unclear how best to adopt governance mechanisms to safeguard 3PL user-provider integration (e.g., information sharing and process coordination). Based on transaction cost economics and social exchange theory, this study examined the individual and joint effects of contractual (e.g., detailed contracts and contract application) and relational governance (e.g., trust and relational norms) on 3PL user-provider integration for operational performance. We conducted a survey involving 247 3PL service users and analyzed the conceptual model using the method of structural equation modeling. The results showed that process coordination improved operational performance, while information sharing alone did not significantly improve operational performance but complemented the role of process coordination in improving operational performance. In addition, having detailed contracts was positively related to process coordination, while contract application was positively related to information sharing. Trust was not significantly related to information sharing or process coordination, while relational norms were positively related to both. Finally, three joint effects on 3PL user-provider integration were found. Two of them were substitutional (detailed contracts and relational norms; contract application and trust), and one was complementary (detailed contracts and trust). This study makes several theoretical contributions and provides novel guidelines for 3PL relationship development.

Keyword

3PL user-provider integration ;  China ;  complementary ;  contractual governance ;  relational governance ;  substitutional relationship

Abstract

怡亚通是一家在供应链服务领域摸爬滚打多年的企业，凭借对供应链大刀阔斧的改革与持之以恒的创新试验，怡亚通的体系越发展越庞大，涵盖的业务也越来越繁多。它致力于打造一条完善的端到端供应链，并将每个供应链环节发散为独立的垂直业务子平台，使得自身升级为“平台的平台”。 本案例将聚焦怡亚通在发展过程中所直面的三个关键问题：第一，怡亚通如何通过技术对传统供应链服务进行改造？第二，如何进行供应链整合与服务创新？这些供应链整合与创新如何为客户创造价值？第三，怡亚通的服务生态系统庞大全面，如何管理这些星罗棋布的子平台使其保持形散而神不散？如何进行不同业务模块的协调，保持庞大体系的灵活性？通过以上问题，本案例展示了怡亚通供应链服务创新实践的详细步骤，引导学员理解传统供应链服务模式转型升级的策略、工具、挑战及解决方案。

Keyword

供应链服务商 ;  供应链生态圈 ;  商业模式创新 ;  平台

Abstract

本案例由（A）（B）两个子案例构成，聚焦物流行业与大数据相关的决策优化、服务创新与商业模式。案例（A）属于“站在现在看过去”的描述型案例，主要讲述第四方物流服务平台——易流科技在过去12年的主要历程：先是通过各类软硬件技术手段实现公路运输各环节的物理数据透明和业务数据透明，做“业务数据化”；然后通过对不同维度的物流大数据的分析和应用，向平台上的货主企业、物流企业、承运商/车队、司机等群体提供用户画像、智能调度和配载、路径优化、物流金融等创新服务，做“数据业务化”。 案例（B）属于“站在现在看将来”的决策型案例，主要讲述在物流行业转型升级的时代背景与菜鸟网络战略投资易流科技的发展机遇面前，易流科技如何进一步通过技术手段与物流大数据为物流生态中的更多参与方设计创新的服务？面对案例中提出的四个可能的发展方向，易流科技应该如何选择，如何实施？

Keyword

商业模式 ;  大数据与商业智能 ;  物流透明 ;  生态圈 ;  第四方物流