In the logistics sector, price competition is no longer the only form of horizontal competition between logistics service integrators; instead, it frequently takes the form of service efficiency competition among chains. Facing fierce market competition, vertical resource integration gradually becomes the trend in logistics industry integration. Using the inverse derivation method and comparative analysis, this study examines the relationship between the overall profit of its chain and that of the rival chain under service efficiency competition with or without the integration strategy. Furthermore, it builds two parallel competition logistics service supply chain models based on the inter-chain Nash competition and Stackelberg game of the chain members. The study results demonstrate that when the cost per unit of service efficiency is fixed, the greater the intensity of competition between chains, the more managers should tend to choose an integration strategy to maximize their profits. More interestingly, we find that the optimal integration decision of the supply chain is independent of the competitive intensity when the cost required to improve the unit service efficiency is extremely high.

Building a reasonable and stable interest linkage mechanism is key to ensuring the efficient operation of the green supply chain of grassland livestock products, and it is also an inherent requirement to promote the income of herders. Firstly, according to the stakeholder theory and the green supply chain theory, a conceptual model of interest linkage-influencing factors of the green supply chain of grassland livestock products was constructed on the basis of public policy effect, green business status, willingness to cooperate, characteristics of decision-making behavior, and circulation characteristics. Secondly, on the basis of 358 research data samples from participants in the green supply chain of grassland livestock products in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the structural equation model was used to empirically study the action law of each influencing factor and the mechanism of influence on the interest linkage. The results showed that willingness to cooperate had a significant positive influence on interest linkage; circulation characteristics did not have a significant direct influence on interest linkage but had an indirect positive influence on it through willingness to cooperate; characteristics of decision-making behavior not only had a direct positive influence on interest linkage but also enhanced the willingness to cooperate through the circulation characteristics of livestock products, which had an indirect positive influence on interest linkage; and green business status did not directly influence interest linkage. The public policy effect did not directly influence interest linkage but indirectly influenced the interest linkage through green business status, willingness to cooperate, characteristics of decision-making behavior, and circulation characteristics. Finally, managerial implications for constructing a reasonable interest linkage mechanism were proposed, including enhancing the willingness of subjects to cooperate, stabilizing the distribution channels of livestock products, cultivating market awareness of the interested subjects, strengthening the main body’s awareness of green development and expanding the scale of green operation, increasing government input and policy publicity to highlight the public policy effect, and improving relevant laws and regulations to effectively safeguard the interest of market entities.

The current study focuses on vertical supply chain integration, with a special emphasis on the competitive environment of green investment markets and green investments. The current study investigates the relationship between the final product’s green service level and integration and non-integration methods within two separate supply chain models, namely the Nash competition and Stackelberg game models. To attain its goals, the study utilises an inverse derivation technique and comparative analysis. The current study investigates the best integration approach depending on the level of environmental investment in the supply chain’s final product. The findings revealed that the inter-chain rivalry in green investment and the sensitivity coefficient associated with green investment impacted the integration decisions of competing chains in the Nash competition. Furthermore, when the coefficient of the sensitivity to green investment was greater than 0.375, the choice to integrate logistics service supply chains in a horizontal Nash competition was independent of the amount of service competition intensity. In such cases, taking a different strategy than the rival chain might potentially increase the grade of eco-friendly services provided by one’s own chain.