The impact of operational stickiness on product quality: product diversification moderation

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of operational stickiness on product quality. Particularly, it analyzes the moderating effect of product diversification on the relationship between operational stickiness and product quality of exporting firms from China.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 3,567 exporting firms between 2002 and 2012 in China, this paper develops a fixed effect model to demonstrate the nonlinear relationship between operational stickiness and product quality.FindingsResults show that operational stickiness has an inverted U-shaped impact on product quality, while inventory stickiness, property, plant and equipment (PPE) stickiness and labor stickiness are used to measure operational stickiness. Furthermore, the impact of operational stickiness on product quality is found to be moderated by product diversification.Practical implicationsManagers can achieve an optimal level of product quality by adjusting the level of operational stickiness. Firms with excessive operational stickiness should appropriately reduce the degree of stickiness to improve product quality. Besides, managers who focus on product quality should be cautious in adopting the product diversification strategy and be wary of the loss of product quality this strategy may cause.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study that has empirically validated the inverted U-shaped relationship between operational stickiness and product quality, and confirmed the moderating effect of product diversification on the relationship between operational stickiness and product quality. It provides a new idea to improve product quality by operational management.