Edwin Obonyo, S. Wagura Ndiritu and Marco Formentini
The aim of this paper is to examine trust, commitment and social sustainability (SS) in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) in an underexplored context, an emerging country. This adds…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to examine trust, commitment and social sustainability (SS) in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) in an underexplored context, an emerging country. This adds to the literature on the benefits of trust and commitment in AFSCs.
Design/methodology/approach
Within four counties in Kenya — Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu and Kajiado — 85 abattoirs and 164 traders were surveyed as part of data collection. Hypotheses were proposed, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test them.
Findings
The findings indicate that trust (benevolent and credibility trust) as well as commitment (affective and continuance commitment) have a positive direct relationship with SS.
Practical implications
The study underlines how important trust and commitment are in improving the social well-being of AFSC actors. They enhance collaboration which empowers them to improve social welfare of the supply chain.
Originality/value
The study is one of the first to examine the effect of trust and commitment on SS within AFSC, a novel contribution to SS literature. It differentiates between types of trust (benevolent and credibility trust) and commitment (affective and continuance commitment), giving a clearer understanding of how each of the variables impact SS. The findings offer new insights into the relationship between trust and commitment in improving social sustainable practices in AFSCs.
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Edwin Obonyo, Marco Formentini and S. Wagura Ndiritu
The purpose of this paper is to explore information sharing (IS) in triadic supply chain relationships through social capital lenses in the Kenyan dairy supply chain context, a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore information sharing (IS) in triadic supply chain relationships through social capital lenses in the Kenyan dairy supply chain context, a setting challenged by the need to increase transparency and improve supply chain performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a multiple-case study design. Data was collected using a range of methods, including semi-structured interviews. Six cases with a triadic unit of analysis were identified and analyzed within the Kenya dairy supply chain.
Findings
The study finds that IS and the presence of social capital hinge on the type of triad and the size of the involved suppliers. The study discovers different outcomes of IS on the development of social capital, highlighting the challenges for buyers to develop social capital with second-tier suppliers, while it may be beneficial for horizontal relationships between first-tier suppliers.
Originality/value
This study contributes to extant literature on IS in supply chains by exploring different types of triadic relationships in dairy supply chains in an emerging country context. The type of triad is an antecedent of information, providing a unique and novel insight. Furthermore, the study highlights distinct contextual characteristics of Africa that can influence the IS process.
Details
Keywords
Edwin Obonyo, Marco Formentini, S. Wagura Ndiritu and Dag Naslund
The aim of this paper is to provide a review of state-of-the-art literature on information sharing in the context of African perishable agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). In doing…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to provide a review of state-of-the-art literature on information sharing in the context of African perishable agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). In doing so, the authors hope to stimulate further research and advance both theory and practice on African perishable AFSCs, which is a relevant, but under-investigated context.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors’ systematic literature review covers a period of 21 years (2000–2021). After providing the bibliometric and methodological insights related to this sample of literature, the authors provide a detailed analysis and discussion of the key aspects of information sharing in African perishable AFSCs, based on a review framework grounded in the information sharing literature.
Findings
The authors’ review revealed that information sharing in African AFSCs is still in its nascent stage. Findings are based on four themes of (1) why share information (mainly to gain market access), (2) what information is shared (price and market information) (3) how it is shared (still traditional communication, with limited adoption of digital technologies?) and (4) antecedents, drivers and barriers (technology adoption and socio-economic background of Africans).
Research limitations/implications
This paper outlines a research agenda for advancing the theory on information sharing in AFSCs. Furthermore, the review highlights the importance of context, supply chain structure, relationships, product characteristics and culture in studying AFSCs.
Originality/value
A review on information sharing in African perishable AFSCs does not appear to exist in operations and supply chain management (O&SCM) and agribusiness journals.