Supply chain roles and performance measurement procedures: evidence from Brazilian agribusiness companies

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the extent to which companies’ roles in supply chain coordination mechanisms affect supply chain (S.C.) performance measurement processes. It addresses the gap in the S.C. performance measurement literature for empirical studies of participant roles across whole supply chains. A survey of 114 individual agribusiness companies was undertaken in Brazil, and it was found that both performance measurement process and performance indicators selection were statistically related to the role played by companies in supply chain coordination mechanisms. Usage of performance indicators regarding new customers and quality was also statistically related to the role played by companies in supply chain mechanisms, as was the overall usage of internal processes performance indicators. The findings also suggest that the specificities of an S.C. coordination mechanism could be related to the design and implementation of S.C. management control practices, rather than being based only on contracts and formal long term agreements.