The Influence of Information Sharing in the Supply Chain Process on Business Performance: An Empirical Study

Abstract

Supply chain management has become one of the focal points of competition nowadays. The importance of information sharing in supply chain management is also increasing in terms of business performance improvement. In this study, five different models were developed to investigate the effect of information sharing in the supply chain process of businesses on cost, flexibility, response, delivery and financial performance. The relationships among these models are examined by means of a structural equation model (SEM). This paper is focused on supply chain process, supply chain flexibility, environmental uncertainties and information sharing latent structures whose cumulative effects on the determined performance indicators have been examined. The survey data obtained from the companies within the scope of the ISO (Istanbul Chamber of Industry) 1000 were used in the analyses conducted, whose results proved that all the suggested models were adequate in terms of validity and reliability. Furthermore, it was determined in all models that environmental uncertainties affect the supply chain process, while supply chain flexibility affects the supply chain process and information sharing.