Developing a comprehensive scale to measure objective and effective supply chain complexity

In today´s business environment supply chains can be characterized as more dynamic (e.g., shorter product life cycles, higher product variety), multi-functional and more global (e.g., globally dispersed customers and suppliers, globally dispersed manufacturing) leading to increasing levels of supply chain complexity (SCC) (Manuj and Sahin, 2011). There is evidence that SCC has the potential to negatively influence a company´s performance when not managed adequately (Deloitte, 2003). In addition, several studies assert an accelerated increase of SCC levels over the next couple of years (e.g., Capgemini, 2008) making the topic more and more important for both research and practice (Bode and Wagner, 2015; Handfield et al., 2013). Therefore, the purpose of this research is to holistically investigate SCC by developing theoretical and measurement models (including related outcomes and moderators) of SCC.