THE BENEFITS OF USING E-BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY: THE SUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

The use of e-business technologies between supply chain organizations has primarily been examined from the viewpoint of buying firms or retailers, with little attention given to the benefits accrued to suppliers. Further, previous studies have been limited to either financial or marketing performance measures, or a narrow range of operational measures. This study builds on research in this area by testing a model of the relationship between supplier use of e-business technologies in communication with their primary buyer, degree of buyer-supplier coordination, and a complete set of benefits that include strategic and operational performance measures. Using data from 241 first-tier OEM suppliers in the computer industry, the findings show that supplier use of e-business technologies positively impacts organizational benefits both directly and indirectly by promoting buyer-supplier coordination.