Matin Fatemi, Fatemeh Taheri, Steven Van Passel, Hossein Azadi, Parisa Rafiaani, Thomas Dubois, Frank Witlox, Fatemi, Matin, AZADI, Hossein, RAFIAANI, Parisa, Taheri, Fatemeh, Dubois, Thomas, VAN PASSEL, Steven, and WITLOX, Frank
Although Iran is one of the top 10 countries in the world that produce tomatoes, the level that they are exported into the global market is low. This issue may have resulted from a major problem within tomatoes supply chain management. This paper aims to develop an empirical model of the supply chain management (SCM) of tomato companies. Throughout the reviewed literature, a SCM construct with different six indicators has been developed, including information sharing, long-term relationship, cooperation, quality, flexibility, and delivery. In this study, the influence of the SCM components on tomato export was identified through the use of empirical data that were collected from 20 different tomato companies in Northeast Iran. Using structural equation modeling, the major elements of SCM were found to have significant impacts on the export of tomatoes. The results also showed that information sharing, cooperation, flexibility, quality, and delivery had significant positive effects on the export of tomatoes.