Supply Chain Finance in China: Business Innovation and Theory Development

Supply chain finance (SCF) is concerned with the capital flows within a supply chain, an area often neglected in past decades, while SCF does have an impact on a firm’s capability to adopt sustainable supply chain management (SCM) practices. The aim of this study is to explore new insight from a growing body of research which is investigating SCF issues in China, an evolving transition economy. A content analysis on a review of 151 Chinese-written SCF papers from 2004–2014, based on a sample of 45 leading Chinese journals (Chinese Social Science Citation Index, CSSCI) was conducted from three perspectives: topical coverage, theoretical application and methodological inquiry. The study reveals that the research stream of SCF in China has emerged and evolved to a considerable extent. However, the SCF phenomenon in China is not exactly the same as “SCF” as it is perceived in the mature economy, which is articulated in mainstream SCM English literature. The Chinese business context in which SCF has been implemented has played a dominant role in initiating, affecting and even shaping SCF. This study represents the first endeavor in the field of SCM. It diffuses the Chinese-written SCF research in mainstream SCM English literature.