Supply Chain Complexity and its Impact on Knowledge Transfer: Incorporating Sustainable Supply Chain Practices in UK Food Sector

Knowledge transfer has been an important aspect in supply chain systems; however, there are many factors that impact the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. In previous studies, less attention has been given to the process of knowledge transfer and therefore, this study highlights the significance of the process of knowledge transfer in supply chain processes. Enhanced supply chain networks have better performance when knowledge sharing is present, and it is important to identify and eliminate any supply chain complexity to improve the supply chain processes. Despite the research studies around supply chain management has gained significant importance and attention; research gaps remain in identifying the factors associated with supply chain complexity and its impact on the process of knowledge transfer. It is imperative to highlight the importance of knowledge transfer which is a gap in this study as the identification of supply chain complexity drivers helps in increasing the process of knowledge transfer. The balanced power of facilitating knowledge transfer in supply chain processes helps in supply chain partnerships. It also plays a vital role in the reduction of supply chain complexity. Nonetheless, several studies have focused on manufacturing supply chain networks, tourism and hospitality, agri-food supply chain networks, buyer-supplier relationships in supply chain networks etc. However, the exploration of supply chain complexities in food supply chain sector is an under researched area. The dynamics of supply chain networks have changed due to increasing complexities. Global expansions and knowledge transfer in supply chain networks bring efficiency and effectiveness to companies. However, the probability of supply chain complexity has also been seen increasing. The barriers to sustainable supply chain networks need to be tackled in an effective manner as they impact business operations. Therefore, it is essential to eliminate and reduce the supply chain complexities, as it will facilitate the process of knowledge transfer and increase the implementation of sustainable practices in supply chain networks. In this research, four supply chain complexity drivers were identified by conducting a systematic review. Moreover, this study investigates which of the four complexity drivers impacts knowledge transfer in the context of the food supply chain sector. A systematic review has been conducted to critically identify and evaluate the factors of supply chain complexity which impact knowledge transfer. Furthermore, this research examines knowledge transfer from the perspective of sustainable food supply chains. Thirty exploratory qualitative interviews were conducted in this study and analysed using NVivo (v12) software. This study utilised thematic analysis 8 techniques for the evaluation of the interviews to gather results. The findings highlight the key benefits of effective knowledge transfer in supply chain systems by identifying risks associated with supply chain networks. The results illustrated six main factors classified under broad categories: integration of Knowledge Transfer, incorporation of technological advancements in supply chain networks, supply chain complexity solutions, supply chain complexity drivers, sustainable supply chain networks, and capability to reduce supply chain complexity. The results chapter of this research highlights that process complexity significantly influences the process of knowledge transfer in food supply chain networks. The research findings contribute to both academic and practical domains. This study contributes to the aggregation of supply chain complexity and its impact on Knowledge Transfer. Additionally, the findings support supply chain networks, which strive to achieve efficient Knowledge Transfer to attain sustainable value in business operations. This study has proven that robust knowledge transfer reduces supply chain complexity as it makes supply chain systems more resilient and well-coordinated in many potential ways. This research is beneficial for the industries and firms on many levels as it highlights and identifies the supply chain complexity factors, sheds light on the importance of knowledge transfer (internal and external) and provides recommendations for sustainable supply chain networks. This research has both theoretical and practical contributions as it adds to the literature by identifying the factors of supply chain complexity drivers which are impacting the knowledge transfer.