Ebusiness

594
16th Bled eCommerce Conference
eTransformation
Bled, Slovenia, June 9 - 11, 2003
Impact of eBusiness Supply Chain Technology
on Inter-organisational Relationships:
Stories from the Front Line
Belén Icasati-Johanson, Steven John Fleck
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
B.I.Johanson@Sheffield.ac.uk, Steven.J.Fleck@Sheffield.ac.uk
Abstract
Implementing e-business systems on supply chains has been predicted to lead to closer
inter-organisational (IO) relationships. Adopting a qualitative and exploratory approach,
we conducted a preliminary interview study and a comparative case study that sought to
surface more specifically the underlying dynamics of how e-business systems affect IO
relationships. In total we conducted 75 interviews. Participants were drawn from two
customer organisations: a large food retailer and a large aerospace component
manufacturer, and from their supplier bases. Following the implementation of e-business
supply chain management systems (e-SCMS) in the customer companies, we observed
substantial changes to various relationship aspects such as communication, perceived
transparency, trust and collaboration. Differences in contextual factors such as customer
approach to customer-supplier relationships, inter-firm process re-engineering
initiatives, and e-SCMS functionalities implemented, appeared to determine the extent to
which IO relationships became closer. We propose a set of tentative mechanisms to
explain IO relationship changes and discuss some of the wider implications of the
increased transparency created by e-SCMS on IO relationship dynamics.
1. Introduction
The advent of e-business solutions as a new way of conducting work through supply
chains has elicited enormous interest. Since the late 1990s organisations have been
making consistent efforts to implement e-business technology that will “web-enable”
their supply chains. The potential benefits to be accrued are huge,... [continues]

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