Collaborating pivotal suppliers: Complementarities, flexibility, and standard communication between airline companies and travel agencies

Data were obtained via questionnaire surveys that were distributed among employees of travel agencies from Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The model and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The findings of this study indicate that higher delivery quality from airline companies improves a travel agency's ability to develop and operate more effectively. Complementarities with supplier competencies across the airline companies and travel agencies facilitate the development of knowledge competence particularly in relation to price strategy. In addition, supply chain flexibility significantly influences collaborative performance within travel agency collaborations.