Explanation of Terms:
Top Management Support: Top management support is thus identified as one key
element of partnership quality because it represents firms' attitudes toward the
relationship from the internal perspective.
Trust: With trust, firms have a greater willingness to rely on the other party when doing
so involves risk. Firms also expect that the other party will not act opportunistically by
placing its own short-term gains over the other firm's welfare.
Suppliers’ Digital Capability: The digitalisation of suppliers.
Upstream Supply Chain Integration: Concerns the exchange of green-related
information with suppliers, collaboration with suppliers, the provision of assistance to
suppliers, and the integration of processes with suppliers for environmental
improvement.
Competitive Intensity: A situation where competition is fierce due to the presence of
numerous competitors and the lack of opportunities for further growth.
Scales:
1. Relationships with our suppliers are considered to be of critical importance to our
top managers.
2. What is the approximate employee number in your company?
3. Our top managers repeatedly tell us that sharing supply chain risks and rewards with
our suppliers is critical to our success.
4. In dealing with our suppliers, we are willing to change assumptions to find more
effective solutions.
5. Which industry does your company belong to?
6. Competition in our market is intensive.
7. Requesting that your suppliers sign a code of environmental conduct.
8. Both parties (your company and suppliers) expect that any information that may
help the other party will be provided to that party.
9. Sharing valuable information with our suppliers is considered critical by our top
managers.
10. Suppliers constantly keep current with new digitalisation technologies and
innovative use cases.
11. How many years does your company run in this industry?
12. Anything that one competitor can offer in our market, others can match readily.
13. Suppliers have the capability to analyse big data with AI for process improvement
and new business generation.
14. Our top managers do not support us in sharing valuable information with our
suppliers.
15. Providing design specifications to suppliers in line with environmental
requirements.
16. Suppliers have the capability to exchange digitalised data with us in real time.
17. Co-development with suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of the product.
18. Our relationship with suppliers is characterised by high trust.
19. There are many “promotion wars” in our market.