The role of governance structures in supply chain information sharing

Abstract

Information sharing in supply chains may result in concerns related to information security, information access privileges, and allocation of claimed benefits. To mitigate such concerns in order to efficiently and effectively share information, relationships among the supply chain actors need to be managed and effective governance structures need to be chosen. Despite initial research, a comprehensible supply chain analysis of the role of governance structures in information sharing is missing. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to investigate how and to what extent supply chain information sharing can be explained by supply chain governance structures. To take into account the multi-dimensionality of information sharing, the specifications of which information to share and how to share it are considered. Based on case study data from three European pork supply chains, we conclude that information sharing cannot be solely explained by governance structures. The results show that information sharing is apart from governance structures strongly determined by quality regulations, financial strength (power) of the chain partners, and the relationships that are aimed for. Consequently, our study challenges the general assumption that a more integrated governance structure is accompanied by more types of information shared through the use of automated information systems.