The Role of Technology and Trust in Operational Performance for Iraqi FMCG’s

The purpose of this research is to understand the link between trust, technology and supply chain collaboration and their impact on firms’ operational performances. Design/methodology/approach based on extant literature, a hypothesized model was developed and tested using structural equation modelling (PLS). A survey was conducted to collect data from the supply chain managers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in Iraq. The study findings suggest that trust evolves and is shaped over time through an on-going relationship and can form a competitive capability that may not be easy for competitors to replicate. Both trust and technology are found to have a significant impact on supply chain collaboration and on firms’ operational performances. One of the major limitations of the study is that the data was obtained from one single economy, which restricts its generalizability across other economies. The study was a cross-sectional and descriptive sample of the FMCG industry at a given point in time. A more stringent test of the relationships between trust, technology, supply chain collaboration, and operational performance requires an in-depth case study or longitudinal study.