The Impact of Supply Chain Management Practices, Information Technology Capabilities, and Supply Chain Capabilities on Supply Chain Operational Performance: Mediating Role of Supply Chain Technology Adoption in Beijing's Cold Storage Industry

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of supply chains has intensified the need to understand how organizational and technological factors influence operational performance, particularly within specialized sectors such as the cold storage industry. Despite growing investments in digital infrastructure, inconsistencies remain regarding the role of technology adoption and organizational capabilities in enhancing performance, revealing a critical research gap in emerging economies such as China. This study examines the impact of supply chain management practices (SCMP), information technology capabilities (ITC), and supply chain capabilities (SCC) on supply chain operational performance (SCOP), with supply chain technology adoption (SCTA) as a mediating variable, grounded in the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. A quantitative approach was employed using survey data collected from 350 respondents, with 300 valid responses from supply chain personnel and managers in Beijing’s cold storage firms, analysed using SmartPLS. The findings indicate that SCMP significantly influences SCTA (H1: β = -0.488, t = 6.631, p < 0.001) and SCOP (H4: β = -0.178, t = 2.661, p = 0.008), while SCC demonstrates a strong positive effect on SCOP (H6: β = 0.739, t = 18.980, p < 0.001). SCTA significantly affects SCOP (H7: β = -0.387, t = 6.731, p < 0.001) and partially mediates the relationship between SCMP and SCOP (H8: β = 0.189, t = 4.344, p < 0.001), indicating competitive partial mediation. In contrast, ITC shows no significant direct or indirect effects (H2, H5, H9). These results highlight the dominant role of organizational capabilities over technological readiness and underscore the importance of effective technology implementation. The study contributes theoretically by extending the TOE framework in a cold storage context and offers practical insights for enhancing supply chain performance through capability development and strategic technology adoption .