Cross-border Collaboration in European-Russian Supply Chains: Integrative Approach of Provisions on Design, Performance & Impediments

Abstract

The primary goal of the study in this thesis is to offer and provide novel insights in the research area of SCC. The formulated problem statement comprises that it is unclear if SCC has a positive effect on improvement of firm performance, and what mediates and moderates such impacts and effects in the case of the contextual cross-border inter-firm (EU15-Russia) design. A survey questionnaire (quantitative) was based on EU15 firms doing business in Russia. Descriptive and inferential statistics, Pearson correlation, linear and multiple regression, CFA, SEM, mediation and interaction moderation analyses were used. The results showed that in a cross-border inter-firm context, as in the case of EU15-Russia, SCC has a direct positive impact on improvement of operational performance and achieving collaborative advantages. Furthermore, these collaborative advantages have a bifurcated effect on the relationship between SCC and improvement of firm performance. Conclusively, in market situations and environments with collaborative barriers and cross-border business barriers the positive effects of SCC are amplified and strengthened due to unfavorable environmental dissimilarities of the market which makes it harder to obtain them.