The Future of Temporal Supply Chain Networks

Prior research highlights how successful collaborative initiatives between supply chains members could lead to sustained differentiated performance. However, inter-organisational collaboration often fails due to misalignment of incentives and strategies. Whilst management research tackles this issue in the Relational View theoretical perspective, however, usually in contexts where the supply chain is a well-established network and overlooks a long-term time horizon. Considering the recent technological advancements and the rapid digital transformation of supply chains, it becomes pertinent to investigate the co-generation of competitive advantages in temporal contexts. As such, we can better understand and realistically manage supply chains against periods of uncertainty, while not compromising on the theoretical soundness. The present research investigates the interplay between supply chain relationships, collaborative strategies and performance. Employing a case study in industrial projects-based supply chains, the research touches upon the feasibility of achieving supply chain alignment, and reflects on the appropriateness of the relational view in temporal context