Title: From value generating to partnership creating: highlighting the business-to-business information sharing service

Authors: Yi-Ming Tai; Yi-Cheng Ku

Addresses: Department of Information Management, National Pingtung University, No. 51, Minsheng East Road, Pingtung 90004, Taiwan ' Department of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Road, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan

Abstract: Information sharing has been implemented as a coordination mechanism to enhance the value system in a supply chain. However, in addition to generating operational value in the supply chain context, information sharing can be regarded as a service and can be employed as a relationship marketing strategy to increase customers' loyalty intention. This innovative application is called an 'information sharing service' (ISS) in this study. An ISS is an information service in which suppliers use specialised information and knowledge resources to satisfy the information needs of customers. To verify the marketing benefits of ISS, we propose a research model to explore the indirect impact of buyer firms' perceived value of ISS on loyalty intention via trust and commitment. The results reveal that the perceived value of ISS influences buyer firms' trust. The findings suggest that suppliers may create partner relationships with buyer firms by providing ISS to enhance loyalty intention.

Keywords: ISS; information sharing service; relationship marketing; trust; commitment; loyalty intention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISM.2017.086213

International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 2017 Vol.11 No.2/3, pp.217 - 235

Received: 19 Jan 2016
Accepted: 13 Feb 2017
Published online: 03 Sep 2017 *

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