Inter-Organizational Trust as a Catalyst Between Supply Chain Integration and Customer Service Performance in the Chinese Automotive Logistics Sector
Abstract
This study examines the effect of Supply Chain Integration (SCI) on Customer Service Performance (CSP) and the moderating role of Inter-Organizational Trust (IOT) in China’s automotive logistics industry. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Relational View, SCI is conceptualized as an operational capability that facilitates coordination, information sharing, and joint planning, while IOT is viewed as a relational resource that strengthens cooperation among supply chain partners. Survey data were collected from 400 professionals employed by automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and third-party logistics providers in Changchun, China. The proposed research model was empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4.0. The results demonstrate that SCI has a significant positive effect on CSP (β = 0.256, p < 0.001), while IOT significantly and positively moderates this relationship between SCI and CSP (β = 0.116, p = 0.001). These findings suggest that supply chain integration alone is insufficient to maximize customer service performance; rather, its effectiveness is enhanced when strong inter-organizational trust exists among supply-chain partners. The study contributes to supply chain literature by demonstrating the importance of integrating operational capabilities and relational resources in enhancing service performance. The study also offers valuable practical insights for automotive logistics sector and organization seeking to strengthen service performance through integrated and trust-based supply chain practices. The findings provide new insights for Business Education curricula by highlighting the importance of equipping future supply chain and logistics professionals with competencies in supply chain integration, collaborative decision-making, information sharing, relationship management, and trust building.