Influence of Supply Chain Integration on Operational Performance in the Ghana Cocoa Industry

Purpose: In today’s business environment companies improve operational performance through effective and efficient coordination of supply chain integration both internal and external. The purpose of this paper is to understand how supply chain integration translates into operational performance and whether collaborative risk management play moderating role in supply chain integration and operational performance relationship in the Ghana cocoa industry. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is designed to employ a model that incorporates supply chain integration, collaborative risk management and operational performance. It is underpinned by relational view theory and the proposed model is to establish the direct and indirect effects of supply chain integration (internal, supplier and customer) on operational performance in the cocoa supply chain in Ghana. The framework also identifies collaborative risk management which will subsequently strengthen the relationship to enhance operational performance in the cocoa sector. Originality/value: The study effectively used relational view theory to develop a comprehensive model involving supply chain integration and operational performance. Even though previous studies identify similar work on supply chain integration in other sectors, however, none of such studies have been reported in the cocoa industry especially in Ghana. Again, the proposed theoretical model is a potential blueprint for successful implementation of supply chain management. It also serves as a guide to establish a set of key drivers for enhancing operational performance in the cocoa industry