Impact of certification on efficiency: a study of the inverted U-shaped moderating role of supply chain complexity

Purpose This study aims to find the impact of supply chain certification (SCCert) on supply chain efficiency (SCEffi) with the inverted U-shaped moderator role of supply chain complexity (SCComp). Design/methodology/approach In order to test the conceptual model and the hypothesized relationships between all the constructs, the 307 useable survey responses were collected using the purposive sampling technique on a seven-point Likert scale. The SPSS26.0 and AMOS24.0 were used to analyze data, and the hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the model. Findings This study reached a set of interesting results where it was confirmed that there is a significant relationship between SCCert and SCEffi. It further confirmed the inverted U-shaped moderating effect of SCComp between SCCert and SCEffi: on the left side of the threshold, the increase of SCComp will enhance the promotion effect of SCCert on SCEffi, while on the right side of the threshold, excessive SCComp will rather weaken the promotion effect of SCCert on SCEffi. Practical implications The findings provide implications for supply chain efficiency enablers to introduce/promote certification upgrading actions. The study provides a framework for solving the power and constraint problem of supply chain efficiency change. Originality/value Findings provide deeper and new insights into threshold feature of supply chain complexity, analyzing how supply chain certification activity realize supply chain efficiency reform through the moderating role of supply chain complexity.