The role of collaboration in reducing quality variability in Brazilian breweries
研究了小型啤酒厂如何通过纵向和横向合作（信息共享、联合决策、知识交换）来减少质量变异，发现非正式关系对获取外部知识很重要，并提出了一个整合供应链参与者、合作类型、社会化机制和关系类型的框架。
This paper aims to analyse how small-scale breweries undertake vertical and horizontal collaborations to manage their quality performance (when measured by reducing quality variabilities). While vertical collaborations are overemphasised, horizontal and simultaneous collaboration efforts have been understudied. Our contribution lies in proposing an interplay of vertical and horizontal collaborations through information sharing, joint decision-making, and knowledge exchange with intra- and inter-supply chain partners to address quality variability issues. We draw attention to supply chain relationships being predominantly informal, which contribute strongly towards accessing external sources of knowledge. Additionally, such collaborative efforts have led companies to achieve mutual gains in their relationships. Finally, a framework is presented that consolidates the supply chain actors, collaboration types, socialisation mechanisms, and relationship types.