Title: Reasons for SMEs to engage in multi-tier supply chain management - a social capital perspective

Authors: Silvia Dopler; Julian M. Müller; Monika Eick; Matthias Winter; Alexander Zeisler

Addresses: University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wehrgabengasse 1-3, 4400 Steyr, Austria ' Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany; Seeburg Castle University, Seeburgstraße 8, 5201 Seekirchen/Salzburg, Austria ' HOFER KG, Hofer Straße 1, A-4642 Sattledt, Austria ' University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Wehrgabengasse 1-3, 4400 Steyr, Austria ' Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Urstein Süd 1, 5412 Puch bei Hallein, Austria

Abstract: While large enterprises engage in multi-tier supply chain management (SCM), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tend to consider multi-tier SCM considerably less. To better understand how and why SMEs approach multi-tier SCM, the paper applies a social capital perspective. The paper builds upon 11 case studies with SMEs from bordering regions of Salzburg and Upper Austria (Austria) and Bavaria (Germany), presenting material from interviews with their executive personnel. All 11 SMEs emphasise the role of all three dimensions of social capital, shared vision, shared interaction, and trust for multi-tier SCM. Reliability, product and service quality, cost management, and sourcing are targets of pursuing all three dimensions of social capital regarding multi-tier SCM. In the case of trust, responsiveness is an additional target of pursuing social capital in multi-tier SCM. For shared vision, data and information availability are additional targets.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; multi-tier supply chain management; SCM; social capital; case studies; qualitative research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISM.2023.130316

International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 2023 Vol.16 No.2, pp.131 - 147

Received: 12 Nov 2021
Accepted: 28 Mar 2022
Published online: 17 Apr 2023 *

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