Purpose: Power is central to inter-organizational relationships. The literature distinguishes between structural power (i.e. dependence) and behavioral power (i.e. use of power), yet few studies considered them simultaneously. Opportunism is generally linked to use of power, but it remains unclear whether use of power deters or invites opportunism. In this study, the authors treat dependence as a driver of use of power and opportunism as its outcome, and empirically test relationships among dependence, power, and opportunism from both buyer and supplier perspectives. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: This study examines how buyer and supplier dependence influence the other’s and their own use of coercive and non-coercive power, which lead to opportunism of two parties, based on data from 240 companies in China on their perceived relationships with major suppliers.Findings: Results show that buyer/supplier dependence is positively related to supplier’s/buyer’s use of coercive and non-coercive power. Buyer’s and supplier’s use of coercive power also positively influences their opportunism. Buyer’s use of non-coercive power is negatively related to both partners’ opportunism, whereas supplier’s use of non-coercive power is not significantly related to either partner’s opportunism.Originality/value: This study contributes to literature in two ways. First, the authors distinguish the structural aspect of power from its behavioral aspect and demonstrate that dependence, which represents structural power, generates different patterns of influence on use of coercive and non-coercive power when considered from buyer’s and supplier’s perspectives. Second, the authors reexamine relationships between use of power and opportunism and show that buyers and suppliers react differently to use of different types of power.

In the context of the digital economy, establishing close strategic partnerships to cope with market uncertainties is an important strategic choice for firms seeking to achieve sustainable development in developing countries, particularly in Eastern culture. However, research on how strategic partnerships affect enterprise performance remains controversial. To address this issue, based on the supply chain management practices of Chinese enterprises in the era of the digital economy, and according to resource dependence theory, social network theory, and transaction cost theory, a chain multiple intermediary model was constructed and 243 Chinese enterprises information was collected for an empirical test. The results show that strategic partnership has a significant direct positive impact on information sharing, supply chain flexibility, and enterprise performance. Information sharing has a significant direct positive impact on enterprise performance and plays a partial mediating role between strategic partnership and enterprise performance. Supply chain flexibility was also found to positively impact enterprise performance and plays a partial mediating role between strategic partnership and enterprise performance. The findings also showed that information sharing and supply chain flexibility play a chain mediating role between strategic partnership and enterprise performance. This study explores the effects of strategic partnership on enterprise performance, which provides an important supplement to theoretical studies of supply chain management. The results help provide targeted solutions on how to effectively implement supply chain management for enterprises in emerging and developing nations.

This research explores the driving pathways for building a high-level rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing valuable insights for responding to global policies promoting rural entrepreneurship and innovation and accelerating rural industrial development. However, existing studies on the “rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystem” lack in-depth exploration. Based on the CAS (Complex Adaptive System) theory and TOE (Technological, Organizational, and Environmental) framework, we conducted a comprehensive case study across 31 Chinese provinces, focusing on seven key indicators within three dimensions: technology, organization, and environment. Employing the Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method, we examined key factors and driving pathways influencing the establishment of successful rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystems in China. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) The construction of a rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystem is not driven by a single element but is the result of the combined effects of multiple facets and factors. (2) The number of leading agricultural enterprises and the establishment of e-commerce cooperatives are critical factors promoting the high-level construction of rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystems. (3) Typical driving pathways for advancing the construction of rural e-commerce entrepreneurial ecosystems can be categorized into three types: technology-organization-government-driven, organization-environment-driven, and holistic synergy-driven. The research findings are instrumental in guiding the government to formulate systematic policies that support the development of leading agricultural enterprises and e-commerce cooperatives. Additionally, these policies should be tailored to the specific characteristics of different regions to create differentiated driving paths. Implementing these measures can effectively promote rural e-commerce entrepreneurship.

New ventures have stronger learning motivation but higher failure rates. In the era of the digital economy, it is necessary to clarify whether and how learning orientation gives scientific guidance for new ventures. We developed a chain multiple intermediary model following the paradigm of “orientation → capability → performance,” which was empirically analyzed using data from 214 Chinese new ventures. The results show that learning orientation not only has a direct positive impact on new venture performance (NVP) but also has an indirect positive effect through the chain-mediating effect of absorptive capacity and innovation capacity. The study advances theoretical understanding of the effect and path of learning orientation on NVP, fosters in-depth research on organizational learning and dynamic capability, and provides targeted organizational learning solutions for new ventures in emerging economies.

Purpose: The field of returns management has become an important supply chain management topic. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptualization of returns management orientation (RMO), a topic that has been largely ignored by the academic community. Design/methodology/approach: A series of interviews with experts and a review of the literature were used to develop the construct. Empirical survey data were used to validate the proposed RMO measurement scale. Findings: Statistical results support the validity and reliability of the new RMO construct. Different analyses show that the proposed conceptualization satisfies the criteria of the tests for unidimensionality, construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and nomological validity. Furthermore, the results of this study confirm the positive relationship between a firm’s RMO and returns management performance. Research limitations/implications: The present study provides a starting-point for further empirical research on returns management from a behavioral perspective. Practical implications: RMO has a significant impact on returns management performance. The proposed RMO measurement scale provides a useful tool for companies to evaluate their management’s emphasis or recognition of the returns management function. Originality/value: While the field of returns management has gained increased attention from both academics and practitioners, empirical research efforts on this topic are still limited. In order to address this issue, this study takes a behavioral perspective and follows a well-established approach to operationalize the construct of RMO.

The digitalization of rural areas has emerged as a crucial strategy for promoting economic development, yet the phenomenon of “digital suspension” poses a challenge, where the lack of digital integration in certain sectors may hinder economic progress. This study delves into this issue by identifying multiple configurations that drive county-level economic growth. More specifically, this study aims to explore how rural digitalization contributes to county-level economic growth through different combinations of environmental and subject-level factors. To address this issue, this study applies the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method, guided by systems thinking and ecological systems theory. The analysis is based on 89 case samples selected from China’s digital village pilot counties, using data from the China County-level Digital Rural Index Research Report jointly released by Peking University and Ali Research Institute, published in 2022, and other county-level statistical data. The study explores the complex causal mechanisms and configuration paths through which rural digitalization empowers county-level economic growth. This study found that (1) the conditions necessary to generate high county-level economic growth do not exist in the process of rural digitalization (at least not within the digital village pilot); (2) four configurations facilitate high county-level economic growth: digital governance-led configuration, dual promotion of digital governance and digital infrastructure, dual promotion of digital life and digital infrastructure, and dual promotion of digital life and digital economy; and (3) two configurations yield non-high county-level economic growth and exhibit asymmetrical relationships with those configurations conducive to high growth. These research findings not only broaden the application of systems thinking and ecological systems theory in the realm of rural digitalization but also offer practical insights into strategies for enhancing county-level economic growth.