Eine Überdosis an Kooperation vermeiden! Empirische Erkenntnisse zum Erfolg der Supply-Chain-Organisation

Scholars in the field of business administration have recently shifted their focus towards the efficiency of supply-chain co-operations. This development is mainly due to the low sales margins a wide variety of European retailers have been exhibiting. However, both the retail and the manufacturing industry have rather controversial views of the value of such co-operations. Focusing on the point of view of the retail industry, this paper is going to examine the influence of supply-chain co-operations between the retail industry and consumer goods makers. In this context their impact on the supply-chain success of retailers, as well as the kind of variables that have an impact on the intensity of supply-chain co-operations, and the kind of recommendations that can be derived for the supply-chain management of a retailer are analyzed. This paper derives an effect model of the supply-chain co-operation between the retail industry and its manufacturers. The results of the causal analytical interpretation of the empirical analysis of European grocery stores and drugstores have several indications. Supply-chain managers should try to establish an open flow of information to improve the success of such co-operative ventures. Furthermore the analysis emphasizes on the importance the factor social competence has with regard to this success. Simultaneously, the examination shows that a close co-operation between the parties involved in the transaction that exceeds the boundaries of simply exchanging information can also lead to a significant reduction of the supply-chain performance. Ultimately, it could be demonstrated that an intensive co-operation with regard to mutual processes should reduced to a minimum in cases where high complexities prevail.