Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the moderating effects of the role a plant plays in a manufacturing network on the relationships between its level of integration with other plants in the same manufacturing network (referred as “internal manufacturing network integration” in this paper), its interactions with suppliers/customers (referred as “external supply chain integration” in this paper), and its operational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the data from the sixth version of International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI). Specifically, this paper uses a subset of the IMSS VI data set from the 606 plants that identified themselves as one of the plants in a manufacturing network.

Findings

The results demonstrate plant role has a moderating effect on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration and external supply chain integration, but not on the relationship between external supply chain integration and operational performance. Our research also highlights that plant role moderates the mediating effect of external supply chain integration on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration and operational performance. More importantly, it indicates that if a plant wants to significantly increase its operational performance, it will have to strengthen its linkages with supply chain partners, no matter which role it plays in manufacturing network.

Originality/value

This paper supplements the existing research by developing further understandings on the relationship between internal manufacturing network integration, external supply chain integration and operational performance. Specifically, it examines the influence of plant role on such relationship and reveals the essence about in what context (in terms of plant characteristics) internal manufacturing network integration influences the operational performance of a plant in a manufacturing network through external supply chain integration.

中文翻译：

---

工厂角色是否适度内部制造网络集成，外部供应链集成，制造网络的运营绩效之间的关系？

目的

本文旨在研究工厂在制造网络中扮演的角色对其与同一制造网络中其他工厂的集成水平（本文中称为“内部制造网络集成”）及其相互作用之间的关系的调节作用。与供应商/客户（在本文中称为“外部供应链集成”）及其运营绩效。

设计/方法/方法

本文基于第六版国际制造战略调查（IMSS VI）中的数据。具体来说，本文使用了来自606家工厂的IMSS VI数据集的子集，这些工厂将自身标识为制造网络中的工厂之一。

发现

结果表明，工厂角色对内部制造网络集成与外部供应链集成之间的关系具有调节作用，但对外部供应链集成与运营绩效之间的关系没有影响。我们的研究还强调，工厂角色可减轻外部供应链集成对内部制造网络集成与运营绩效之间关系的中介作用。更重要的是，它表明如果一家工厂想要显着提高其运营绩效，则无论工厂在制造网络中扮演何种角色，它都必须加强与供应链合作伙伴的联系。

创意/价值

本文通过对内部制造网络集成，外部供应链集成和运营绩效之间关系的进一步理解来补充现有研究。具体来说，它研究了工厂角色对这种关系的影响，并揭示了在何种情况下（就工厂特性而言）内部制造网络集成通过外部供应链集成影响制造网络中工厂运营绩效的实质。