Does supply chain agility create customer value and satisfaction for loyal B2B business and B2C end-customers?
Department
Management and Entrepreneurship
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-11-2020
Abstract
© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Despite the recent wealth of supply chain agility literature, scholars have yet to thoroughly examine its impacts on the customer experience. To address this gap, we assess the effects of supply chain agility on customer value and customer satisfaction, including the moderating role of customer loyalty, from the perspectives of both business customers (B2B) and end-customers (B2C). Design/methodology/approach: We used multivariate regression analysis to evaluate direct, indirect and conditional effects across survey responses from 148 senior-level supply chain managers (buyers) (Study 1) and 170 end-customers (i.e. consumers) (Study 2). Findings: The results reveal that supply chain agility retains a direct link to both B2B and B2C’ value and satisfaction. However, a higher level of customer loyalty reduces the strength of these relationships, signifying that agility is less important with established customers. In this respect, agility is important to attract new customers, but more agility is not always beneficial once the customer relationship is established. Originality/value: The current study is among the first to examine end-customer response to supply chain agility. The findings complement existing literature by providing novel insights into the impact of supply chain agility on both business customers (B2B) and end-customers (B2C).
Journal Title
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management
Journal ISSN
09600035
Volume
50
Issue
7-8
First Page
721
Last Page
743
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1108/IJPDLM-01-2020-0004