National Culture as an Antecedent for Information Sharing in Supply Chains: A Study of Manufacturing Companies in OECD Countries

The chapter investigates the importance that differences in national culture characteristics have in explaining the investment that companies do in collaboration with their supply chain partners. Empirical analysis is based on the fifth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS V), through which have been gathered data among 392 companies belonging to 16 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies. Two specific cultural traits have been considered: individualism-collectivism and power distance. Results prove evidence of significant and complex relationship between the mentioned cultural characteristics and the amount of investment that a focal company is willing to develop in information sharing with its supply chain partners.