A Study of Factors in the U.S. Automotive Industry that Influence Use and Procurement Outcomes for Electronic Supply Chain Management (eSCM)

Abstract

The U.S. automotive industry is a critical component of the nation's economic growth because of its use of innovative technologies that provide strategic advantages for business and operational practices. This study focused on electronic supply chain management (e-SCM) in the automotive industry and used two factors, ease of system use (EOU) and perception of organizational usefulness (PU), to investigate its impact on procurement outcomes and the organization's decision to use e-SCM. An online survey was used to gather responses from 144 people employed in supply chain management within the U.S. automotive industry regarding perceptions based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). The results found that two variables, perceptions of organizational usefulness and ease of use, affected the final adoption of e-SCM systems within organizations. The study also found that individual experience and educational level were significant in predicting work outcomes, which are important for supporting continued innovation, sustainability, and industry success. Recommendations for future research include studies in alternative industries, such as agriculture, textiles, pharmaceutical and electronics, using a similar research model and survey instrument, as well as, research in automotive industries in other countries looking for similarities and differences with the U.S. based findings.