Supply chain integration through staff exchange

Abstract

In the relevant literature there is a widely recognized consensus of understanding supply chain’s integration (SCI) in terms of the informational, material or financial flows. However, there are very few publications including people or human as flows in the SC. We equate them with staff exchange activities – sending / delegating company employees to work in partner organizations. The main objective of the article is to explore and explain the role of staff exchange activities as a factor integrating the SC as well as projections of directions for development. In the research process 1232 enterprises from Poland, EU were included; 500 of them declared the occurrence of staff exchange activities in the SC; 732 enterprises denied such situation. The considerations in our study on the role of such activities in the context of SCI indicate the need to recognize the fact that they are an important factor of SCI.