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Holding vs using power: A dyadic study of mediated power and responsible supply chains

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Ying YangORCiD, Dr Biao Yang

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Business organizations must (re-)evaluate their supply chain practices to foster responsible relationships while adopting strategies to achieve sustainability. Understanding the dynamic interactions among supply chain members is essential for advancing responsible supply chain practices. The authors define responsible supply chain practices as those that support ethical, fair, and socially beneficial outcomes within buyer-supplier relationships, particularly when power asymmetries affect less powerful actors. Building on power-dependence theory within the broader framework of social exchange theory, this research explores how power dynamics influence supply chain interactions and drive the adoption of responsible supply chain practices. Drawing on empirical data from 17 dyadic interactions involving 12 Chinese manufacturers and their 17 supply chain partners, three key findings emerge. First, extending power-dependence theorizing in a responsible supply chain context, responsible outcomes are shaped by the interplay between dependence, the performative exertion of mediated power, and resistance from less powerful partners. Second, the research introduces a power-dynamics matrix that provides a structured framework to analyze the interplay between power/dependence (i.e., power-as-a-position) and power use (i.e., power-as-action) in advancing responsible supply chain management. Third, power’s influence is analyzed at both intra-organizational and inter-organizational levels, providing an integrated perspective on social, relational, and ethical dimensions of responsible supply chains. These findings provide a better understanding of power dynamics in supply chains and offer actionable insights for promoting responsible practices within complex supply chain networks.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Yang Y, Yang B, Kalra J, Sun J

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Supply Chain Management

Year: 2026

Pages: Epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 20/05/2026

Acceptance date: 21/04/2026

Date deposited: 01/06/2026

ISSN (print): 1523-2409

ISSN (electronic): 1745-493X

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.70027

DOI: 10.1111/jscm.70027

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