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The impacts of trust and contracts on opportunism in the 3PL industry: The moderating role of demand uncertainty

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  • Huo, Baofeng
  • Ye, Yuxiao
  • Zhao, Xiande

Abstract

Logistics outsourcing has become an important strategy for companies seeking to gain a competitive advantage. However, opportunistic behavior often arises in the process of outsourcing, and such behavior can damage the collaborative relationships between third-party logistics (3PL) providers and users. By applying the lenses of transaction cost economics, social exchange theory and contingency theory, this study investigates how transactional (i.e., contracts) and relational safeguards (i.e., trust) curb opportunism under demand uncertainty. The data were collected from 247 manufacturing and service industries in China. The results show that trust and detailed contracts mitigate opportunism directly, but contract application aggravates the hazards of opportunism. In addition, demand uncertainty moderates the relationship between contract application and opportunism. Trust, however, both enhances contract application and enables detailed contracts. Therefore, trust indirectly enhances opportunism through contract application and indirectly reduces opportunism through detailed contracts. This study provides theoretical contributions and managerial insights for 3PL relationship management.

Suggested Citation

  • Huo, Baofeng & Ye, Yuxiao & Zhao, Xiande, 2015. "The impacts of trust and contracts on opportunism in the 3PL industry: The moderating role of demand uncertainty," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PA), pages 160-170.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:proeco:v:170:y:2015:i:pa:p:160-170
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.09.018
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    4. Fraccascia, Luca & Yazan, Devrim Murat & Albino, Vito & Zijm, Henk, 2020. "The role of redundancy in industrial symbiotic business development: A theoretical framework explored by agent-based simulation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    5. Yuan, Yang & Feng, Bo & Lai, Fujun & Collins, Brian J., 2018. "The role of trust, commitment, and learning orientation on logistic service effectiveness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 37-50.
    6. Zhu, Wenwen & Ng, Stephen C.H. & Wang, Zhiqiang & Zhao, Xiande, 2017. "The role of outsourcing management process in improving the effectiveness of logistics outsourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 29-40.
    7. Huo, Baofeng & Fu, Dijia & Zhao, Xiande & Zhu, Jingwen, 2016. "Curbing opportunism in logistics outsourcing relationships: The role of relational norms and contract," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 293-303.
    8. Hou, Yunzhang & Wang, Xiaoling & Wu, Yenchun Jim & He, Peixu, 2018. "How does the trust affect the topology of supply chain network and its resilience? An agent-based approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 229-241.
    9. Devrim Murat Yazan & Vahid Yazdanpanah & Luca Fraccascia, 2020. "Learning strategic cooperative behavior in industrial symbiosis: A game‐theoretic approach integrated with agent‐based simulation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 2078-2091, July.
    10. Huo, Baofeng & Ye, Yuxiao & Zhao, Xiande & Wei, Jiang & Hua, Zhongsheng, 2018. "Environmental uncertainty, specific assets, and opportunism in 3PL relationships: A transaction cost economics perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 154-163.
    11. Haoyang Song & Jianhua Hou & Shiqi Tang, 2021. "From Contractual Flexibility to Contractor’s Cooperative Behavior in Construction Projects: The Multiple Mediation Effects of Ongoing Trust and Justice Perception," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-21, December.
    12. Orji, Ifeyinwa Juliet & Kusi-Sarpong, Simonov & Huang, Shuangfa & Vazquez-Brust, Diego, 2020. "Evaluating the factors that influence blockchain adoption in the freight logistics industry," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
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    14. Petrosyan, Leon A. (ed.) & Zenkevich, Nikolay A. (ed.), 2017. "Contributions to Game Theory and Management (GTM2016), vol. X," Conference Papers 10427, Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University.
    15. Yeo Amy Chu May & Lai Marcus Ee Ken, 2020. "The Influence of B2B Relationship Quality on Opportunism and Firm Performance," HOLISTICA – Journal of Business and Public Administration, Sciendo, vol. 11(3), pages 59-87, December.

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