1 Introduction
Early definitions of supply chain management (SCM)
typically emphasised the management of activities and
material flows, whereas more recent SCM definitions have
largely focused on managing the supply chain (SC) as one
system with clear strategic goals [1]. Hence, there has
been a shift towards managing SC members to gain
mutual benefits and a concentration on a SC-centric rather
than an organisation-centric view. Within a SC, firms need
to provide basic management resources, both internally
and in relation to their SC partners, to develop main
capabilities in relation to SCM execution [2]. Hence, there
has been a change of focus from the process function to
SC, which has been characterised by specific attention to
partnerships, relationships, networks, value creation and
value constellations [3]. Collaboration is known as a
‘‘silver bullet’’ in many areas of SCM [4, p. 314], which
illustrates the importance many firms place on it. Building
relationships between companies rather than working