Antecedents and Consequences of Electronic Product Code Adoption and its Implications for Supply Chain Management: A Framework and Propositions for Future Research

Although electronic product code (ePC) is a popular standard of inter-organisational communication for identifying and tracing trade items, its level of adoption varies among firms, many of which still confine their supply chain activities to manual processes and stand-alone operations. To provide a better understanding of ePC adoption, we surveyed the relevant literature and developed a theoretical framework, together with a set of research propositions, to account for the antecedents and consequences of ePC adoption for supply chain management (SCM). The framework and propositions provide the impetus for a research agenda that identifies the critical issues of technological adoption for SCM. We also discuss the implications of the theoretical framework for further research and provide recommendations on the adoption of ePC for SCM. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2006) 8, 311–330. doi:10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100166