Accessing The Impact Of Information Technology Architectures On Sustainable Practices In Supply Chain

Of current importance to the field of supply chain management are the following two themes: in-depth application of information technology(IT)and the implementation of sustainable policies in the supply chain.Firms are clearly aware of the above points,they are trying to integrate these two issues to copy with the coming development of supply chain: on the one hand,firms continue to promote the in-depth application of internal and external IT to ensure the competitive advantage of a firm and its supply chain,and lay the foundation for future sustainable supply chain practices;on the other hand,there are still many obstacles in promoting the application of sustainable policies in the supply chain practices,such as lacking of understanding of sustainable thinking inside and outside the firm,the inability to transfer information in a timely manner,and poor communication,etc.,these obstacles emphasize that,compared with traditional supply chain practices,sustainable practices may need more efficient collaboration,more timely information transmission and more transparent processes.Promoting the evolution of supply chain collaboration mode is crucial in sustainable supply chain practices.Meanwhile,some scholars have pointed out that,the "IT value paradox" phenomenon,which frequently occurred in the traditional supply chain field,is also unavoidable when firms implement sustainable supply chain practices.The insufficient depth in application of IT has become one of the most important factors hindering the practices of sustainable polices.Many firms also found that IT can provide more effective tools for supply chain to achieve sustainable goals than emphasizing the sustainable culture.The academic circles are also trying to explore the role of IT in sustainable supply chain management(SSCM)field.The existing researches focus more on the importance of IT value than its mechanism,and the relevant empirical research is still lacking.In view of the current theoretical circles’ understanding of sustainable supply chain practices is expanding from "single" to "multiple",the research regards lean,agile,flexible and green supply chain practices as an aggregation based on LARG framework,and considers it as one of the key strategies,and it will be used to reveal the impact of IT on this broader category.In this context,this study intends to explore and solve the following problems:(1)The relationship between IT infrastructures and supply chain e-integration in the IT architectures ?(2)Under the LARG framework,what is the impact mechanism of the IT architectures on the four sustainable supply chain practices?(3)As a representative of the in-depth application of IT infrastructures,what are the differences between the mechanisms of supply chain e-integration on four types of sustainable supply chain practices?In response to the above issues,this research is carried out through the following framework: First of all,based on the sustainable practices at home and abroad and the current situation of IT investments and application,combined with the relevant literature review,this paper points out the shortcomings of the current related research fields,and puts forward the problems to be studied;Secondly,Huawei Company and FR company are selected to conduct exploratory case study.Through case analysis and cross-cases comparative analysis,the relationships between IT and four sustainable practices in the supply chain are theoretically presupposed,and the proposition hypothesizes are put forward too;And then,on the basis of the exploratory case study and literature review,according to the theory of absorptive capacity,absorptive capacity,resource-based view,this paper analyzes the complex role of IT architectures(including IT infrastructures and supply chain e-integration)and the differentiated impact on sustainable supply chain practices.The research derives two conceptual models: the first one is to explore the relationships among IT infrastructures,eintegration and L-A-R supply chain practices(lean practices,agile practices and flexible practices),and put forward relevant assumptions;The second model mainly tests the moderating effect of electronic integration on green supply chain practices,in detail,the impact of e-integration on the relationship between managerial support and green supply chain practices,financial support and green supply chain practices.It indicates that IT infrastructures and e-integration play a different role in promoting green supply chain practices than in influencing L-A-R practices;At last,taking 211 Chinese manufacturing firms as an example,a variety of statistical analysis methods such as SEM,Bootstrap analysis,and LMS analysis were used to test and draw the conclusions.The main contributions of this research are mainly reflected in the following aspects:First,the research deconstructs the IT architectures in the supply chain into a twodimensional concept including IT infrastructures and e-integration.Scholars at home and abroad currently have made many achievements in the research of IT in the fields of supply chain and information system(IS),however,most of the research perspectives focus on a single level,such as IT infrastructures themself,or IT applications and capabilities,and few studies have deconstructed and simultaneously discussed two-dimensional IT architectures.The multidimensional deconstruction not only enhances the connotation of absorptive capacity theory,but also enriches the explanation of complex adaptability theory to the process of promoting supply chain informatization.second,Although the LARG framework for sustainable supply chain practices have been initially proposed abroad(Azevedo et al.,2016;Carbral et al.,2012),it is only used as a benchmarking tool to explore the antecedents of sustainable supply chain practices.At the same time,it is still blank,and there is no related research in China.As one of the important influencing factors for sustainable supply chain practice,the comprehensive analysis of IT architectures not only conforms to the trend of theoretical research and the current status of practical development,but also makes up for the gap in domestic research on sustainable supply chain practices with a broader meaning.Third,from the dichotomy perspective of "capacity" and "model",this study focuses on the different impact mechanisms of supply chain e-integration on four types of sustainable supply chain practices,which is different from previous discussions from a single perspective.The subsequent IT architectures and sustainable supply chain practices based on the LARG framework were analyzed at the same time.This study not only compares the different impacts of IT infrastructures and e-integration on sustainable supply chain practices,but also reveals the different roles of “cultivation capabilities” and “building collaboration model” for the e-integration of supply chain,to enable academics and practitioners to have a more comprehensive understanding of how firms can improve the efficiency of IT use in the supply chain.Fourth,most of the existing researches emphasize that firms should invest in the IT infrastructures in the supply chain,or emphasize the importance of IT application.This research goes a step further and not only explores the relationship between IT infrastructures and e-integration in the supply chain,but also highlights the positive effects of differentiated e-integration capabilities with suppliers and customers,as well as the synergy of “collaboration model”,when the firm implement sustainable supply chain practice portfolio strategies to improve the use of IT efficiency.An in-depth analysis of this issue not only recognizes the impact of the IT architectures on the sustainable supply chain practices,but also provides theoretical support for firms’ decision-making on investment in IT.Finally,empirical results show that firms are also unable to avoid the "IT pitfalls" when promoting sustainable supply chain practices.The study warns that when implementing agile practices in its supply chain,the firm should take the initiative to weaken the connection with its suppliers,not only to establish a multi-supply strategy in advance,but also to achieve rapid demand changing and rapid adjustment of production process through higher level internal e-integration.When firms strengthen the e-integration with upstream and downstream partners through IT infrastructures,it will have a negative impact on the relationship between managerial support and green supply chain practices,that is,the antagonistic effects.At this time,firms should choose to reduce the high concentration with their suppliers and customers.The direct negative effects of supply chain e-integration on agile practices and the antagonistic effects on green practices not only provide more practical evidence for resource dependency theory(RDT),but also provide a new explanation for the "Darkside" of supply chain relationship management.