The role of joint collaboration planning actions in a demand-driven supply chain

Purpose - Drawing on the operations and information systems literature as well as concepts tied to buyer-seller relationships, the objective of this exploratory research is to measure the influence of joint collaboration planning actions on the strength of relationships, interorganizational information systems (IOISs) use and firm flexibility. The path model proposed in this study also posits that joint collaboration planning actions and the strength of relationships positively affect MISS use, which in turn positively affects firm flexibility. Design/methodology/approach - Empirical evidence is gathered through an electronic survey conducted with 53 suppliers in a single supply network in the telecommunications equipment industry. Findings - The present study demonstrates that joint collaboration planning actions positively and significantly impact the strength of relationships. The results also show that IOISs use mediates the impact of joint collaboration planning action and of the strength of relationships on firm flexibility. Practical implications - This study contributes to managers' understanding of the critical role played by joint collaboration planning actions between partners and MISS in a demand-driven supply chain. Originality/value - This research is amongst the few that have examined the preparation or other activities that precede the actual collaboration between partners.