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This research investigates the role of market orientation (MO) and supply chain capabilities in Australian fast-growth family SMEs (FGFSMEs). Two research questions are addressed: i) how does MO affect supply chain capabilities (i.e., information exchange, inter-firm activity integration, inter-firm coordination & supply chain responsiveness)?; and ii) how do supply chain capabilities influence sales performance? Statistical analyses involved the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques and structural equation modeling. Results indicate that supply chain capabilities are able to transform a market-based resource into higher value for FGFSMEs. The mediation effect of supply chain capabilities implies that incorporating mediators can help better explain the impact of MO on firm performance. In other words, embedding MO into supply chain systems enables these entities to enhance channel specific assets through activity integration, information exchange and superior coordination with supply chain partners. Family firm management needs to foster organizational cultures that embody MO throughout the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations have increasingly invested money in information technology (IT) in order to improve their agility. It is generally believed that organizations with greater IT investment tend to be more agile to response to environmental changes. However, the issue of whether IT is an enabler or impeder of organizational agility still remains unresolved. Drawing upon resource-based view theory and the literatures of information systems and supply chain management, the authors develop and test a theoretical model that integrates IT capability, supply chain capability and organizational agility. The authors propose that IT capability enables the development of a higher level of supply chain capability which is embedded within inter-firm processes and in turn enhances organizational agility. Structural equation modelling is employed to test their theoretical conceptualization of 310 Australian fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises across different industrial sectors. The results show that IT capability does contribute to firm agility through enhancing inter-firm supply chain processes such as integration, information sharing and coordination. This research highlights the role of ITenabled intermediated processes and the ways in which IT is used by firms to enhance core business processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]