Firms source goods and services in complex, global supply chains. The network structures of these far-reaching supply chains are believed to influence both firm-level and supply chain-level behavior. However, researchers and managers are challenged to manage extended supply chain networks because firms typically do not actively oversee their entire supply chain network. The extant research on the underlying network topologies is limited and relies on untested structural assumptions. This study addresses the latter issue by examining structural topologies in supply chain networks. We draw from the network and supply chain literature and empirically investigate the presence of topologies found in complex networks. In particular, we look for: small-world, scale-free, community, and hierarchical network structures. We study 21 extended (five-tier) supply chain networks of firms representing various industries. Our analysis provides evidence for community, scale-free, and hierarchical structures within the observed supply chain networks. The identification of network topologies is relevant to understand how to study supply chain networks and provide insights into network behavior and performance.

中文翻译：

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复杂供应链网络的结构特征

公司在复杂的全球供应链中采购商品和服务。这些影响深远的供应链的网络结构被认为会影响公司层面和供应链层面的行为。然而，研究人员和管理人员面临着管理扩展供应链网络的挑战，因为公司通常不会主动监督整个供应链网络。对底层网络拓扑的现有研究是有限的，并且依赖于未经测试的结构假设。本研究通过检查供应链网络中的结构拓扑来解决后一个问题。我们从网络和供应链文献中汲取经验，并实证研究了复杂网络中拓扑的存在。特别是，我们寻找：小世界、无标度、社区和分层网络结构。我们研究了代表不同行业的公司的 21 个扩展（五层）供应链网络。我们的分析为观察到的供应链网络中的社区、无标度和等级结构提供了证据。网络拓扑的识别与了解如何研究供应链网络以及深入了解网络行为和性能有关。