Supplier Innovation
How buyers source, signal for, and capture value from supplier-driven innovation — including the nexus-supplier perspective adopted by CAPS Research.
Rawls College of Business · Texas Tech University
Tingting Yan
Jerry S. Rawls Chair in Supply Chain Management
Associate Dean for Research & Outreach
Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management
I study how firms innovate for sustainability by leveraging their supply networks and understanding their suppliers' extended networks. My work spans supplier innovation, supply network structure, behavioral operations, and the management of inter-organizational new-product-development projects — combining field experiments, surveys, secondary panel data, and simulation.
Education
-
2011
Ph.D., Supply Chain Management — Arizona State University
Dissertation: “Aligning Actions and Goals in Buyer-Supplier Collaborative Product Innovation.” Committee: Kevin Dooley (Chair), Thomas Choi, Joseph Carter. -
2008
M.S., Management Science — Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Thesis directed by Hongyu Li. - 2003 B.S., Management Information Systems — Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China
40+
Refereed Journal Articles
14
FT50 & UTD24 Articles
23
Top Empirical SCM-Journal Articles
6
Current Editorial Roles
01
Research
“How could a firm better innovate for sustainability by leveraging its supply network as well as understanding its suppliers' extended networks?”
Supply Networks
Structural views of supply and customer networks, structural equivalence, network-based innovation value, and knowledge diffusion across global networks.
Behavioral Operations
Managerial decision making in buyer-supplier relationships — contract design, psychological contracts, opportunism, and responses to disruption.
Sustainability
Diffusion of CSR through supply chains, environmental disclosure and supplier emissions, and innovating for broader environmental impact.
NPD & Project Management
Coordination, leadership, and value creation in inter-organizational new-product-development projects with supplier involvement.
Digitalization & AI
Servitization, digital resilience, and generative-AI-enabled value co-creation studied through field experiments and panel data.
02
Publications
My articles in Financial Times 50 and UT Dallas Top 24 journals are featured first, followed by my work in the top empirical SCM journals (SCM Journal List). The complete record — 40+ refereed articles, editorials, teaching cases, and work in progress — expands below.
FT50 Financial Times Top 50 Journals UTD24 UT Dallas Top 24 Journals SCM List Top Empirical SCM Journals — JOM, JSCM, JBL, Decision Sciences
Featured — Published in FT50 & UTD24 Journals
- Technology Development Outsourcing: When to Join Forces with a Rival? Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: The Impact of Supply Base Growth, Contraction, and Turnover on Firm Innovation. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Developing Generative AI for Value Co-Creation: An Intervention-Based Randomized Field Experiment in a Healthcare Context. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Taking Turns Leading? Rotational Leadership in New Product Development Projects with Supplier Involvement. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- When Complexity Meets Complexity: COVID-19-Induced Supply Chain Disruptions and Strategy Portfolio Efficiency. Journal of Operations Management, 2025, 71(1): 109–129.
- Follow-Suit or Free-Ride? A Relational View of CSR Diffusion in a Supply Chain with Customer-Supplier Closure. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(6): 979–1006.
- Into the Unknown? Explaining Management Nonresponse after a Supply-Base Disruption. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(8): 1213–1233.
- Customer Base Environmental Disclosure and Supplier Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Signaling Theory Perspective. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(3): 355–380.
- Thinking Alike or Not: Performance Implications of Transactional Psychological Contract Congruence in Buyer-Supplier NPD Projects. Journal of Operations Management, 2022, 68(1): 4–32. Jack Meredith Best Paper — Honorable Mention
- Trading-off Innovation Novelty and Information Protection in Supplier Selection for a New Product Development Project: Supplier Ties as Signals. Journal of Operations Management, 2020, 66(7–8): 933–957. Jack Meredith Best Paper — Honorable Mention
- Supplier Innovation Value from a Buyer-Supplier Structural Equivalence View: Evidence from the PACE Awards in the Automotive Industry. Journal of Operations Management, 2020, 66(7–8): 820–838.
- Incentivizing Supplier Participation in Buyer Innovation: Experimental Evidence of Non-Optimal Contractual Design. Journal of Operations Management, 2018, 57: 36–53.
- Communication Intensity, Goal Congruence, and Uncertainty in Buyer-Supplier New Product Development. Journal of Operations Management, 2013, 31(7–8): 523–542.
- Structural Investigation of Supply Networks: A Social Network Analysis Approach. Journal of Operations Management, 2011, 29: 194–211.
Featured — Top Empirical SCM Journals (SCM Journal List)
- Does It Matter to the C-Suite? The Role of Top Management in a Purchasing Manager's Responsible Sourcing Intentions. Journal of Business Logistics, 2025, 46(2): 1–19.
- Consolidate? Diversify? Post-M&A Supply Base Structural Changes and Operational Performance. Decision Sciences, 2025, 56: 171–192.
- Knowledge Diffusion in a Global Supply Network: A Network of Practice View. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2020, 56(1): 33–53.
- How Environmental Innovations Emerge and Proliferate in Supply Networks: A Complex Adaptive Systems Perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2016, 52(2): 66–86.
- Structuring Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A China-US Study. Decision Sciences, 2016, 47(4): 589–627.
- A Theory of the Nexus Supplier: A Critical Supplier from a Network Perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2015, 51(1): 52–66. Foundation for the CAPS Nexus Supplier Index
- Supplier Opportunism in Buyer-Supplier New Product Development: A China-US Study of Antecedents, Consequences and Cultural/Institutional Contexts. Decision Sciences, 2015, 46(2): 403–445.
- Buyer-Supplier Collaboration Quality in New Product Development Projects. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2014, 50(2): 59–83.
- Inventory Management and the Bullwhip Effect during the Current Recession: Evidence from the Manufacturing Sector. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2010, 46(1): 12–18.
Refereed Journal Articles
- Technology Development Outsourcing: When to Join Forces with a Rival? Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: The Impact of Supply Base Growth, Contraction, and Turnover on Firm Innovation. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Process Innovation Similarity with Suppliers and the Bullwhip Effect. International Journal of Production Economics (forthcoming).
- Unleashing Resilience through Digitalization: Do Upstream and Downstream Firms Differ? Omega (forthcoming).
- Developing Generative AI for Value Co-Creation: An Intervention-Based Randomized Field Experiment in a Healthcare Context. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Taking Turns Leading? Rotational Leadership in New Product Development Projects with Supplier Involvement. Journal of Operations Management (forthcoming).
- Consolidate? Diversify? Post-M&A Supply Base Structural Changes and Operational Performance. Decision Sciences, 2025, 56: 171–192.
- Does It Matter to the C-Suite? The Role of Top Management in a Purchasing Manager's Responsible Sourcing Intentions. Journal of Business Logistics, 2025, 46(2): 1–19.
- When Complexity Meets Complexity: COVID-19-Induced Supply Chain Disruptions and Strategy Portfolio Efficiency. Journal of Operations Management, 2025, 71(1): 109–129.
- More or Complex Actions? Effects of Supply Networks on Firms' Competitive Aggressiveness. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2025, 46(1): 33–61.
- Follow-Suit or Free-Ride? A Relational View of CSR Diffusion in a Supply Chain with Customer-Supplier Closure. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(6): 979–1006.
- Into the Unknown? Explaining Management Nonresponse after a Supply-Base Disruption. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(8): 1213–1233.
- Customer Base Environmental Disclosure and Supplier Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Signaling Theory Perspective. Journal of Operations Management, 2024, 70(3): 355–380.
- How to Charge Doctors and Price Medicines in a Two-Sided Online Healthcare Platform with Network Externalities? International Journal of Production Research, 2023, 61(9): 3052–3070.
- Revenue Sharing Bids of a Loss-Averse Supplier for a New Product Development Contract: A Multi-Method Investigation. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2022, 42(12): 1853–1877.
- Supply Chains and the Success of M&As: Investigating the Effect of Structural Equivalence of Merging Firms' Supplier and Customer Bases. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2022, 42(8): 1272–1293.
- Thinking Alike or Not: Performance Implications of Transactional Psychological Contract Congruence in Buyer-Supplier NPD Projects. Journal of Operations Management, 2022, 68(1): 4–32. Jack Meredith Best Paper — Honorable Mention
- Performance Implications of Knowledge Inputs in Inter-Organizational NPD Projects: The Moderating Roles of Technology Interdependence. International Journal of Production Research, 2022, 60(20): 6048–6071.
- Disentangling the Interactions within and between Servitization and Digitalization Strategies: A Service-Dominant Logic. International Journal of Production Economics, 2021, 238.
- Trading-off Innovation Novelty and Information Protection in Supplier Selection for a New Product Development Project: Supplier Ties as Signals. Journal of Operations Management, 2020, 66(7–8): 933–957. Jack Meredith Best Paper — Honorable Mention
- Knowledge Diffusion in a Global Supply Network: A Network of Practice View. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2020, 56(1): 33–53.
- Supplier Innovation Value from a Buyer-Supplier Structural Equivalence View: Evidence from the PACE Awards in the Automotive Industry. Journal of Operations Management, 2020, 66(7–8): 820–838.
- A Study of Servitization and Service Supply Networks. International Journal of Production Economics, 2020, 291: 31–42.
- Measuring Supplier Innovation. Supply Chain Management Review, 2018.
- Incentivizing Supplier Participation in Buyer Innovation: Experimental Evidence of Non-Optimal Contractual Design. Journal of Operations Management, 2018, 57: 36–53.
- Do What and With Whom? Value Creation and Appropriation in Inter-Organizational New Product Development Projects. International Journal of Production Economics, 2017, 191: 1–14.
- A Theory of Supplier Network-Based Innovation Value. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 2017, 23(3): 153–162.
- Comparing Inter-Organizational New Product Development Strategies: Buy or Ally; Supply-Chain or Non-Supply-Chain Partners? International Journal of Production Economics, 2017, 183(A): 21–38.
- MMOG/LE: Improving Supply Chain Delivery Performance through Buyer-Supplier Collaboration. Journal of Transportation Management, 2016, 25(2): 57–68.
- How Environmental Innovations Emerge and Proliferate in Supply Networks: A Complex Adaptive Systems Perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2016, 52(2): 66–86.
- Structuring Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A China-US Study. Decision Sciences, 2016, 47(4): 589–627.
- Supplier Opportunism in Buyer-Supplier New Product Development: A China-US Study of Antecedents, Consequences and Cultural/Institutional Contexts. Decision Sciences, 2015, 46(2): 403–445.
- A Theory of the Nexus Supplier: A Critical Supplier from a Network Perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2015, 51(1): 52–66.
- The Moderation of Lean Manufacturing Effectiveness by Dimensions of National Culture: Testing Practice-Culture Congruence Hypotheses. International Journal of Production Economics, 2014, 153: 1–12.
- Buyer-Supplier Collaboration Quality in New Product Development Projects. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2014, 50(2): 59–83.
- Linking Socio-Economic Factors with Technology Adoption in Three Emerging Economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2014, 25(1): 49–68.
- Communication Intensity, Goal Congruence, and Uncertainty in Buyer-Supplier New Product Development. Journal of Operations Management, 2013, 31(7–8): 523–542.
- Structural Investigation of Supply Networks: A Social Network Analysis Approach. Journal of Operations Management, 2011, 29: 194–211.
- Managing Backlog Variation in Order Fulfillment: The Case of Internet Retailers. International Journal of Production Economics, 2010, 128(1): 261–268.
- Impact of Culture on Supplier Selection Decision Making. International Journal of Logistics Management, 2010, 21(3).
- Entry Timing in a Secondary Market: When to Trade? International Journal of Production Economics, 2010, 124(1): 62–74.
- Inventory Management and the Bullwhip Effect during the Current Recession: Evidence from the Manufacturing Sector. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2010, 46(1): 12–18.
- How Procurement Managers View Low Cost Countries and Geographies: A Perceptual Mapping Approach. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 2008, 38(3): 224–243.
- The Procurement Function's Role in Strategic Outsourcing from a Process Perspective. International Journal of Procurement Management, 2007, 1(1/2): 210–226.
Journal Editorials
- Researching Like a Master Chef: An Expansion of the Quantitative “Kitchen Tools” in Supply Chain Management Research. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2025, 61(2): 3–12.
- A Guided Tour through the Qualitative Research City. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2024, 60(1): 3–12.
- Call for Papers — Radical Innovations and Extreme Disruptions: How Could a Firm Thrive from the Coevolution of the Two? Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2022, 58(4): 3–5.
- Introduction to the Emerging Discourse Incubator: Leveraging Multiple Types of Resources within the Supply Network for Competitive Advantage. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2022, 58(2): 3–7.
- Testing the Shoulders of Giants — Replication Research Using Registered Reports. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 2022, 58(3): 89–94.
Teaching Cases
- General Motors: Full-Size Truck Seat Supply Chain. Ivey Publishing, 2022.
- General Motors: Electrification Capacity Constraints. Ivey Publishing, 2020.
- General Motors: Supplier Selection for Innovation. Ivey Publishing, 2017. 2022 Ivey Best Seller Case Award
Papers Under Review
- 3rd round review, Journal of Operations Management.
- 2nd round review, Production and Operations Management.
- 3rd round review, International Journal of Operations & Production Management.
- 2nd round review, Journal of Supply Chain Management.
- 2nd round review, Production and Operations Management.
- 1st round review, Journal of Operations Management.
- 1st round review, International Journal of Operations & Production Management.
- 1st round review, California Management Review.
- 1st round review, International Journal of Operations & Production Management.
- 1st round review, International Journal of Operations & Production Management.
- 1st round review, Journal of Operations Management (leadership special issue).
- 1st round review, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (operations management for developing economies SI).
- 1st round review, Journal of Operations Management (buyer-supplier relationship exit and termination SI).
- 1st round review, Organization Science.
Work in Progress
- Blind Spots in Collaborative Inter-Organizational Networks. Target: Journal of Management Studies.
- A Network View of Customer Disclosure and Supplier Operational Efficiency. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- A Cognitive Explanation of Managerial Nonresponses to Competitor Failures. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- Government Dependence and Competition. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- Supplier AI Usage Mode for Buyer NPD Projects. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- A Network View of Supplier Innovation and Customer GHG Emissions. Target: Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.
- Customer M&A and Supplier Performance. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- A Network View of Knowledge Leakage through Suppliers. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- Firm Productivity Shortfall: A New Construct for Understanding Firm Resilience. Target: Journal of Operations Management.
- A Field Experiment of Automated Daily Inventory Record Correction in a Buy-Online-Pickup-in-Store Context. Target: Production and Operations Management.
Conference Proceedings
- Blind Spots in Collaborative Inter-Organizational Networks: An Information Processing Norm View. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2024.
- Which Supplier to Select for Product Development? A Node, Dyad, and Network Level Investigation. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2020.
- A Knowledge Management View of Open Innovation Strategies. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2014.
- The Influence of Supply Chain Management on Business Innovation. Midwest Decision Sciences Conference, 2012.
- The Missing Link in Buyer-Supplier Joint Product Innovation: A Work Group Effectiveness Perspective. Academy of Management, 2012.
Other Publications & Funded Research
- Supplier Innovation Assessment and Management: Current State and Future Potential. Inside Supply Management, 2017.
- Measuring and Managing Supplier Innovation. CAPS Research Report, 2015–2016. Funded, $31,000.
03
Teaching
Texas Tech University
- SCM 4372 — Strategic Supply Management (undergraduate; face-to-face)
- BA 7000 — Power Ideas for Business Research (doctoral seminar; face-to-face)
Wayne State University
- GSC 3600 — Introduction to Supply Chain Management (undergraduate)
- GSC 5650 / 7650 — Strategic Supply Management (study abroad; face-to-face, online, hybrid)
- GSC 5690 / 7991 — Quality Management (undergraduate & graduate)
Arizona State University
- SCM 440 — Quality Measurement and Management
- SCM 432 — Planning and Control Systems for SCM
Published Teaching Cases
- General Motors: Full-Size Truck Seat Supply Chain. Ivey Publishing, 2022.
- General Motors: Electrification Capacity Constraints. Ivey Publishing, 2020.
- General Motors: Supplier Selection for Innovation. Ivey Publishing, 2017. 2022 Ivey Best Seller Case Award
04
Editorial & Professional Service
Research Leadership at Rawls
As Associate Dean for Research & Outreach, I lead the research strategy of the Rawls College of Business — supporting and disseminating scholarship across six disciplines, administering sponsored projects, and building programs such as the Rawls Undergraduate Research Program and the Shannon Rinaldo Student Research Pool. The work is shared under the banner “Research Built at Rawls.”
Current Editorial Roles
- Senior Editor — Journal of Business Logistics (2026–present)
- Department Editor — Journal of Operations Management (2025–present)
- Associate Editor — International Journal of Operations & Production Management (2026–present)
- Associate Editor — Journal of Supply Chain Management (2025–present)
- Associate Editor — Transportation Research Part E (2026–present)
- Guest Editor — JSCM Special Issue, “Improving Quantitative Empirics in SCM” (2026–2027)
Past Editorial Roles
- Co-Editor-in-Chief — Journal of Supply Chain Management (2021–2025)
- Associate Editor — Journal of Operations Management (2018–2025)
- Associate Editor — Journal of Supply Chain Management (2017–2021)
- Editorial Board — Journal of Business Logistics (2017–2025)
- Editorial Board — International Journal of Operations & Production Management (2021–2025)
Professional Memberships
- Decision Sciences Institute
- Academy of Management
- Production and Operations Management Society
05
Awards & Recognition
- 2023Jack Meredith Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention — Journal of Operations Management
- 2022Ivey Publishing Best Seller Case Award, Outstanding Runner-Up
- 2021Jack Meredith Best Paper Award, Honorable Mention — Journal of Operations Management
- 2021–23Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellow — Wayne State University
- 2020Best Associate Editor Award — Journal of Operations Management
- 2020Best Associate Editor Award — Journal of Supply Chain Management
- 2020Chan Hahn Best Paper Award, Finalist — OSCM Division, Academy of Management
- 2015Carol J. Latta Memorial DSI Emerging Leadership Award for Outstanding Early Career Scholar
- 2010First Place, ISM Doctoral Dissertation Grant in Supply Management (one of two recipients nationally)
- MultipleExcellence in Research Award — Mike Ilitch School of Business, Wayne State University
- MultipleOutstanding / Best Reviewer Awards — JOM, JSCM, and Int'l Journal of Production Economics
06
Beyond Research
Food & Travel
I love exploring new places and the cuisines that come with them — collecting flavors, markets, and the stories behind a good meal wherever the road leads.
Hiking
Trails are where I think best. Time outdoors keeps the ideas — and the energy — moving.
Painting
Painting is my quiet counterpoint to data and deadlines: a slower, hands-on way of seeing and making.
Gardening
Tending a garden is a study in patience and systems thinking — small, steady inputs that grow into something alive over a season.