Retailer responsiveness: a total interpretive structural modelling approach

Abstract

Customer-driven markets and developing information technology pressurise retailers to respond time effectively towards current and future demand. Responsiveness has been explored in the extant literature of manufacturing, operations and logistics from multiple facets. The paper primarily focuses on the examination of responsiveness variables and their inter-relationships in retail context. Total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) has been adopted to determine and interpret the interactions among the identified variables. The use of TISM has also revealed the important links and hierarchical associations. The findings of the study indicate firm performance and behavioural intentions to be privileged with highest dependence power and lowest driving power. The results of the analysis can act as a vital impetus to comprehend the level of driving power of different responsiveness variables. Management researchers and policy-makers shall primarily emphasise on the interactions and their interpretations between variables with high driving force. The study offers a ground-breaking understanding for retailers to consider their inherent capabilities that can be promoted to respond time-effectively. The findings can be insightful and feasible to formulate advanced retail policies and strategies in order to transform the retail paradigm. It specifically encapsulates the role and potential of retailer's responsive capabilities in entire supply chain, which was not previously covered by any study through TISM.