Collaborative supply chain and firm performance: insights from fruits and vegetables sector in Souss Massa Morocco

Abstract

Collaborative supply chains provide strategic advantages that can enhance firm performance by strengthening coordination, resource integration, and inter-organizational relationships. This study examines the impact of collaborative supply chain practices on firm performance in the Moroccan fruits and vegetables sector, with a particular focus on the Souss Massa region. A quantitative approach was adopted using data collected from 203 companies and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings provide partial empirical support for the collaborative supply chain framework proposed by Cao and Zhang (2011). Among the seven collaborative practices examined, information sharing, resource sharing, and collaborative communication were found to have a positive and significant impact on firm performance, whereas goal congruence, decision synchronization, incentive alignment, and knowledge creation did not show significant effects. The model explains 54.6% of the variance in firm performance (R² = 0.546), with resource sharing (β = 0.321), information sharing (β = 0.214), and collaborative communication (β = 0.259) showing the strongest effects. These results demonstrate that the effectiveness of collaborative practices depends on the organizational and sectoral context. The study contributes to the collaborative supply chain literature by extending existing empirical evidence to the Moroccan agricultural sector and provides practical recommendations for managers seeking to strengthen collaboration and improve firm performance.

Classification JEL : Q13, L22, M11

Paper type :  Empirical Research