Competing through supply chain process integration capabilities: An extension of the resource-based view

As introduced in the 1980s, the concept of supply chain management (SCM) continues to become increasingly market-oriented, shifting the primary driver of the value chain from supply to demand. As such, recent recommendations encourage researchers to focus investigations on the supply chain process integration (SCPI) capabilities that integrate a focal firm with its network of suppliers and business customers to create value for it. However, theoretical and empirical researches pertaining to the antecedents and consequences of a focal firm's SCPI capabilities have been limited and piecemeal. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of a focal firm's SCPI capabilities. Based on a sample of 139 sales managers of manufacturing industries in Taiwan, our research findings show that (1) business process specific investment positively influences a focal firm's SCPI capabilities but domain knowledge specific investment has no significant influence on a focal firm's SCPI capabilities; (2) SCPI capabilities positively influence a focal firm's SCM performance, both operational and strategic benefits. Implications for practitioners and researchers and suggestions for future research are also addressed in this study.