The role of supplier operational adaptation on the performance of IT-enabled transport logistics under environmental uncertainty

The use of information technology to facilitate transport logistics activities in support of responsive product movement is essential for contemporary supply chain operations to succeed. One neglected area towards achieving this goal is concerned with the role of supplier adaptation on the performance impact of IT-enabled transport logistics. Based on the General Theory of Network Governance, we argue that supplier operational adaptation serves to realize the cost improvements of those firms practicing IT-enabled transport logistics. Our propositions are validated with survey data collected from 188 trading firms, highlighting the importance of supplier operational adaptation for IT-enabled transport logistics to gain cost performance particularly when firms face environmental uncertainty where they lack the ability to predict the outcomes of their actions. Managerial attention should be directed at developing supplier operational adaptation for technological adoption in transport logistics activities to bring performance. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.