Value Co-Creation in Supply Chains through IT Integration: The Role of Collaborative Network Structure

Firms today are increasingly dependent on external resources, and the need for collaboration across organizational boundaries continues to grow. Therefore, research has highlighted the importance of IT capabilities that integrate an organization with its network of partner organizations. However, antecedents of IT integration have been primarily derived from technology-driven contexts. In contrast, the role of organizational attributes remains largely unexplored. We therefore develop and test a theoretical model to examine collaborative network structure as an antecedent to IT integration. Based on this particular form of supply chain governance, we go on to explore how IT integration in conjunction with other capabilities leads to supply chain integration, thereby enabling the creation of value. Based on data gathered from 150 supply chain executives, the study provides evidence on the important role of organizational attributes and contributes to the stream of research that examines the role of interorganizational IT capabilities in co-creating value.