Postponement application in greater China and its related determinants

Abstract

Postponement has a long history in both practical applications and academic literature. However, past empirical research has almost always been conducted in the Western countries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situations of postponement application in Greater China (which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) and to verify the effects of some determinants (i.e., business environment uncertainty, administration factors, IS maturity, and industry characteristics). This study conducted a questionnaire survey that encompassed large manufacturers across three industries. The result indicates that postponement application in Greater China is growing, and the degree is higher than that indicated by previous findings in some Western countries. Business environment uncertainty, administration factors, and IS maturity all have positive effects on postponement application, while industry-specific variations truly influence the presented styles of postponement strategies. In summary, the findings of this study may provide another viewpoint that is different from what we are used to seeing in the Western studies.