A learning perspective of supply chain quality management: empirical evidence from US supply chains

This paper aims to examine the relationship between supply chain quality management practices and their impact on supply chain performance. The authors define and operationalize supply chain quality management practices that enhance knowledge creation and learning in a supply chain.

Data are collected from logistics and supply chain managers in the USA to examine the validity and reliability of the model for supply chain quality.

The empirical result provides support for the reliability and validity of the proposed model, the constructs used in the model, and the interrelationships among key constructs of supply chain quality. The authors show that trust is the main predictor of supply chain quality practices and supply chain quality performance outcomes. In addition, the findings show that the impact of trust on process improvement is mediated by information sharing, inter-firm trust and information sharing are significant predictors of supply chain satisfaction, and inter-firm trust and process improvement are significant predictors of supply chain performance. Implications of the research for the theory and practice of supply chain management and quality management are presented.

This study provides important insights into effective implementation of quality management across the supply chain. Supply chain managers should realize that achieving improvement in many supply chain activities such as information sharing or process improvement requires organizations to be engaged in trust-based activities. In that regard, it is important for supply chain managers to be engaged in developing relationships with their supply chain partners that enhance inter-organizational trust.

This is the first study that examines a supply chain quality management model from the learning perspective. The authors validate the supply chain quality framework proposed by Parast (2103) through operationalization of the constructs, development of the relationship among key supply chain quality practices and empirical assessment of the structural model for supply chain quality.