The interplay between customer integration, transactive memory system and supply chain responsiveness: the roles of supply chain relational capital

Purpose This study aims to demonstrate how existing studies highlight customer integration (CI) as a key factor in enhancing supply chain responsiveness (SCR). However, the influence of CI on SCR remains largely unexplored. This research draws upon dynamic capability theory and SCT to examine how supply chain relational capital (SCRC) moderates the indirect link between CI and SCR mediated by a transactive memory system (TMS). Design/methodology/approach This study’s theoretical framework empirically tested newly collected data from 335 Ghanaian firms, representing a sub-Saharan African context. Hypothesis testing was conducted using ordinary least squares regression analysis and PROCESS, with additional investigations using structural equation modelling and two-stage least squares regression analysis. Findings This research yielded three primary outcomes. First, a direct positive relationship exists between CI and SCR. Second, this study revealed that the TMS acts as a mediator in the relationship between CI and SCR. Third, SCRC moderates the indirect positive association between CI and SCR via a TMS under varying levels of SCRC. Originality/value Although greater CI is commonly believed to enhance SCR, this study illustrates how TMS capabilities serve as conduits through which CI drives SCR. This study also demonstrates the conditions under which SCRC amplifies these effects.