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How to Improve Sustainable Competitive Advantage from the Distributor and the Supplier Networks: Evidence from the Paper-Making Industry in China

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  • Haifeng Wang

    (School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 200083, China)

  • Pengfei Han

    (School of Accounting, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Weishu Liu

    (School of Information Management and Engineering, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China)

Abstract

Confronted with urgent green requirements from customers and government, firms in high pollution and high resource-consuming industries must make changes and adopt green strategies as well as knowledge-management strategies to develop and sell green products to improve sustainable competitive advantage. To study how to leverage social networks to improve sustainable competitive advantage, our article sheds light on the effects of structural holes in the distributor network as well as in the supplier network and explores how mutual trust could moderate the impact of structural holes in both networks. Based on data from 122 matched pairs of suppliers and distributors of a high-pollution and high-resource-consuming industry, the Chinese paper-making industry, our empirical results demonstrate the positive effects of structural holes in the distributor and the supplier networks on the distributor sustainable competitive advantage. In addition, mutual trust could negatively moderate the relationship between structural holes in the distributor network and the distributor sustainable competitive advantage, but would positively moderate the relationship between structural holes in the supplier network and the distributor sustainable competitive advantage.

Suggested Citation

  • Haifeng Wang & Pengfei Han & Weishu Liu, 2018. "How to Improve Sustainable Competitive Advantage from the Distributor and the Supplier Networks: Evidence from the Paper-Making Industry in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:2038-:d:152805
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    2. Abiodun E. Alao & Adesoga D. Adefulu & Olalekan U. Asikhia & Olubisi G. Makinde, 2020. "Strategic Marketing and Competitive Advantage of Selected Petroleum Products Marketing Companies in Nigeria: The Moderating Role of Resource Capabilities," Journal of Accounting, Business and Finance Research, Scientific Publishing Institute, vol. 9(1), pages 12-23.
    3. Chu Kuo-Ming, 2019. "Coevolution of environmental sustainability orientation and strategic alliance learning in green supply chain management," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 55(1), pages 3-12, March.
    4. Abiodun E. Alao & Adesoga D. Adefulu & Olalekan U. Asikhia & Olubisi G. Makinde, 2020. "Strategic Marketing and Competitive Advantage of Selected Petroleum Products Marketing Companies in Nigeria: The Moderating Role of Resource Capabilities," Journal of Accounting, Business and Finance Research, Scientific Publishing Institute, vol. 8(3), pages 108-119.
    5. Ma Degong & Farid Ullah & Muhammad Sualeh Khattak & Muhammad Anwar, 2018. "Do International Capabilities and Resources Configure Firm’s Sustainable Competitive Performance? Research within Pakistani SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.

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