Purpose

This article aims to examine the impact of multiple suppliers on competitive advantage by exploiting digital capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The author propose a structural equation model with the adopted measure from the literature. Hence, the study conducted an online survey in Indonesia with 450 qualified respondents involving managers and owner-managers.

Findings

The results indicate multiple suppliers help the firms to exploit digital capabilities, which foster them to achieve competitive advantage. Hence, different level of market turbulences determines the impact of numerous suppliers on competitive advantage. Specifically, the multiple-suppliers approach is more effective in supporting buyer firms to gain a competitive advantage during high market turbulence than low market turbulence.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers empirical evidence with unit analysis of buyer firms that seek competitive advantage by exploiting digital capability. However, this approach focusses on a single unit analysis, which is buyer firms. Hence, there is an opportunity to adopt qualitative approach to explore the suppliers and end-users from different perspectives from other supply chain players.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the growing literature on the resource-based theory by examining the relationship between the multiple-sourcing model and competitive advantage. The authors also discuss the intersection between resource-based, dynamic capability and stakeholder theory.

中文翻译：

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多个灵活的供应商和市场动荡期间的竞争优势：数字能力的作用

目的

本文旨在通过利用数字能力来研究多个供应商对竞争优势的影响。

设计/方法论/途径

作者提出了一个结构方程模型，并采用了文献中的测量方法。因此，该研究在印度尼西亚进行了一项在线调查，共有 450 名符合条件的受访者，其中包括经理和业主兼经理。

发现

结果表明，多个供应商帮助公司利用数字能力，从而促进他们获得竞争优势。因此，不同程度的市场动荡决定了众多供应商对竞争优势的影响。具体而言，多供应商方法在支持买方公司在市场剧烈波动期间获得竞争优势方面比在市场波动较低时更有效。

研究局限性/影响

本研究通过对通过利用数字能力寻求竞争优势的买方公司进行单位分析提供了经验证据。然而，这种方法侧重于单一单位分析，即买方公司。因此，有机会采用定性方法从其他供应链参与者的不同角度探索供应商和最终用户。

原创性/价值

本文通过研究多源模型与竞争优势之间的关系，为不断增长的基于资源理论的文献做出了贡献。作者还讨论了基于资源的动态能力和利益相关者理论之间的交叉点。