Environmental Uncertainties and Competitive Advantage: A Sequential Mediation Model of Supply Chain Integration and Supply Chain Agility

In this study, the direct effect of environmental uncertainty on competitive advantage and its indirect effect through the sequential mediator variables of supply chain integration and supply chain agility were investigated. The sample of the study consists of company managers operating in the manufacturing sector in Turkey. An online survey was sent to company managers through connections established on LinkedIn and an analysis was carried out with the data collected from 414 participants. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that environmental uncertainty has a direct, significant and positive effect on competitive advantage. In addition, the results of the research show that supply chain integration and supply chain agility have a partial mediating role in the relationship between environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage. According to the results of this study, in conditions of high environmental uncertainty, companies can increase their supply chain agility capabilities by establishing a more integrated structure with their supply chain partners, and thus gain a unique competitive advantage over their competitors. It has been observed that the relationships between the concepts, which are the subject of the study, have been investigated separately in different studies in the literature. This study will contribute to the literature by investigating the relationships between concepts in a holistic way.

Automated summary

This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of environmental uncertainty on competitive advantage, exploring the mediating roles of supply chain integration and supply chain agility. The findings indicate that environmental uncertainty has a direct, significant, and positive impact on competitive advantage. Additionally, supply chain integration and supply chain agility partially mediate the relationship between environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage. The study suggests that companies can enhance their supply chain agility capabilities by developing integrated structures with their supply chain partners, thus gaining a unique competitive advantage.