Work

When buyer transparency really stimulates supplier innovation: A motivation-opportunity-ability perspective

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: While the importance of buyer transparency in supplier innovation has been recognized, its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. Drawing on the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework, this study examines the mechanism through which buyer transparency—conceptualized as operations and strategy transparency—affects supplier innovation. The overall measurement model, including a newly developed multidimensional scale of buyer transparency, was validated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Finally, survey data from 334 Chinese manufacturing suppliers were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that buyer transparency (opportunity) does not directly enhance supplier innovation. Rather, it does so conditionally through suppliers’ absorptive capacity (ability), customer orientation, and digital trust (motivation). By refining the conceptualization and measurement of buyer transparency, integrating digital trust into the open innovation framework, and empirically examining the contingent role of supplier-side factors, this study advances the literature on supply chain management and open innovation.

Source: Journal of Innovation & Knowledge

DOI: 10.1016/j.jik.2025.100805

Authors: Suicheng Li, Wenjing Hou, Xinyi Zhang, Huifang Wu

Institution: Xi'an University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Quality and Supply Management

Subfield: Management Information Systems

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200