Pattern of information technology use and relationship learning in international customer-supplier relationships

While information technology (IT) has been widely applied in global supply chain relationships, academic research in this area is still limited. Drawing on resource-based view (RBV) and interpartner learning theory, we investigate how different pattern of IT use (IT exploitation and IT exploration) influences relationship learning and performance in international customer-supplier relationships. Further, we look into two contingent conditions including technological uncertainty and cultural distance in the proposed model. Based on 240 Taiwanese-based electronics suppliers, this empirical study reveals that only exploration side of IT use was significant on relationship learning and finds significant positive relationship between relationship learning and relationship performance. Moreover, the effect of IT exploration on relationship learning was positively moderated by technological uncertainty but negatively moderated by cultural distance. However, the effect of IT exploitation on relationship learning was negatively moderated by technological uncertainty but positively moderated by cultural distance.