Title: Business Environment Characteristics, Competitive Priorities, Supply Chain Structures, and Business Performance: an empirical study of the US technical textile industry

Authors: Ting Chi, Peter D. Kilduff, Vidyaranya B. Gargeya, Carl L. Dyer

Addresses: Department of Apparel Merchandising and Management, California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768, USA. ' Department of Apparel Merchandising and Management, California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768, USA. ' Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403, USA. ' Department of Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies, The University Of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403, USA

Abstract: This study is the first work to develop a conceptual model linking Business Environment Characteristics (BEC), Competitive Priorities (CP), Supply Chain Structures (SCS) and Business Performance (FBP). Using the collected 202 eligible survey returns, Structural Equation Modelling technique is employed to analyse the relationships between these four constructs. The study demonstrates there are causal relationships from the BEC to the CP and SCS of firms as well as their FBP. There is also a causal relationship from firms| CP to their SCS. However, analyses indicate the CP and SCS of firms do not influence their FBP independently. The findings provide important implications for how research into strategic and Supply Chain Management should be approached in the future.

Keywords: business environment characteristics; business performance; competitive priorities; structural equation modelling; SEM; supply chain structures; SCM; supply chain management; survey design; USA; United States; textile industry; textiles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIIM.2009.025944

International Journal of Intercultural Information Management, 2009 Vol.1 No.4, pp.407 - 432

Published online: 25 May 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article