Reassessing Supply Chain Fit: A Look at Moderating Factors

Abstract

Numerous studies have stressed the critical nature of aligning a product's attributes to its supply chain design (i.e., supply chain fit). Fisher (1997) developed the concept of supply chain fit, stating that enterprises must evaluate the nature of their products' demand before constructing a supply chain. I extend Fisher's (1997) paradigm by providing a more thorough understanding of when firms should invest in supply chain fit. I argue that assuming that perfect supply chain fit always results in enhanced financial performance is oversimplistic, as the benefits of perfect supply chain fit may be outweighed by the resources expended to attain it. To conduct this research, I will use archival and survey data to examine the moderating effects of six dimensions of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain fit and financial performance (e.g., munificence, market dynamism, technological dynamism, technical complexity, product diversity, and geographic dispersion).