Collaborative culture and relationship strength roles in collaborative relationships: a supply chain perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to model and investigate collaborative culture and relationship strength roles in supply chain collaboration. This research highlights critical role played by culture and relationship strength in collaboration. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from relational view, a conceptual model is developed with the help of literature, and the model is validated with data collected in India using partial least squares method. Findings Results and analyses revealed that culture and relationship strength significantly and strongly influence each collaborative activity. The relationship strength fully mediates between collaborative culture and supply chain performance. The research also finds that the relationship strength partially mediates between collaborative culture and market-based information sharing, operational resource planning and sharing. In the long-term, collaborative culture drives relationship strength and the element enhances collaborative activities. Originality/value This research attempted to explore collaborative culture and relationship strength which are crucial for collaborative relationship. Many mediation effects are studied which increase the understanding and give insights for its implementation. Its theoretical and practical implications are highlighted. This knowledge has enough potential to lead collaborative relationships towards success.