Does plant role moderate relationship between internal manufacturing network integration, external supply chain integration, operational performance in manufacturing network?

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the moderating effects of the role a plant plays in a manufacturing network on the relationships between its level of integration with other plants in the same manufacturing network (referred as internal manufacturing network integration in this paper), its interactions with suppliers/customers (referred as external supply chain integration in this paper), and its operational performance. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the data from the sixth version of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI). Specifically, this paper uses a subset of the IMSS VI data set from the 606 plants that identified themselves as one of the plants in a manufacturing network. Findings The results demonstrate plant role has a moderating effect on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration and external supply chain integration, but not on the relationship between external supply chain integration and operational performance. Our research also highlights that plant role moderates the mediating effect of external supply chain integration on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration and operational performance. More importantly, it indicates that if a plant wants to significantly increase its operational performance, it will have to strengthen its linkages with supply chain partners, no matter which role it plays in manufacturing network. Originality/value This paper supplements the existing research by developing further understandings on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration, external supply chain integration and operational performance. Specifically, it examines the influence of plant role on such relationship and reveals the essence about in what context (in terms of plant characteristics) internal manufacturing network integration influences the operational performance of a plant in a manufacturing network through external supply chain integration.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the moderating effects of plant role in a manufacturing network on the relationships between internal manufacturing network integration, external supply chain integration, and operational performance. The results show that plant role moderates the relationship between internal and external integration, as well as the mediating effect of external integration on the relationship between internal integration and operational performance. It highlights the importance of strengthening linkages with supply chain partners to significantly increase operational performance, regardless of plant role in the manufacturing network.