The social-psychological processes of supply chain learning: A dyadic perspective

Abstract

Today’s dynamic and complex supply chain contexts require supply chain actors to continuously learn. Hence, this research explores the fundamentals of effective supply chain learning, which presents in the extant literature as an opaque black box. The study explores the socio-psychological dynamics of learning capability and learning processes of a dyadic supply chain, arguing that they depend on certain enabling characteristics. The study also contributes to a comprehensive theory of supply chain learning by establishing the nature of the linkages between the elements of supply chain learning, thereby bridging the various gaps between micro-and macro-perspectives. By highlighting the significance of the enabling factors, it also theorizes the dynamics of supply chain learning. Also, the relationship between enabling characteristics and the individual, individual-group, group-organizational, and organizational levels of supply chain learning is shown to be strongest when certain contextual factors are present.

In analyzing the phenomena, the study uses a constructivist paradigm and an interpretative philosophical base. It also adopts organizational learning theory and a relational view as fundamental theoretical perspectives. A multiple case study methodology is used when collecting the data.

This research makes valuable original contributions in the field of supply chain learning. The theoretical contributions extend organizational learning theories to the dyadic supply chain context by developing a more comprehensive and practical perspective of 'supply chain learning' that also demonstrates the crucial role of certain enabling characteristics. This research also develops a framework of the dynamics of supply chain learning at the dyadic level from the perspectives of the supplier and the manufacturing firm. This study will help decision makers to better understand how to manage their supply chain dynamics and enhance their learning processes and capabilities.

Using a multilevel lens to study the supply chain learning phenomenon, the framework presented in this study opens the way for understanding the critical role of value creation and behavioral enabling characteristics in supply chain learning. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of applying behavioral approaches in future explorations of supply chain learning phenomena. However, further theoretical development is required, both to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings and ultimately to provide a successful and sustainable theory of supply chain learning.