Supply-chain restructuring using the “China-plus-one” strategy: the push–pull–mooring perspective

Purpose The China-plus-one strategy is an increasingly attractive supply chain risk management strategy and has been adopted by many multinational enterprises. However, relevant research remains limited and warrants empirical validation. This paper addresses this research gap by investigating the determinants of emerging multinational enterprises’ adoption of a China-plus-one strategy. Design/methodology/approach The China-plus-one adoption decision of 1,527 firms was predicted using a logistic model based on Taiwan’s official data – Investigation of Foreign Sales and Manufacturing, for the years 2020–2022. This database is administered by the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (DSMEA) in Taiwan. Analysis was conducted using SPSS 25.0. Findings It is suggested that customer pressure and supplier relocation, functioning as push forces, lead to the China-plus-one strategy adopted by Taiwanese firms. Regarding pull forces, lower production cost has a positive association with China-plus-one adoption, whereas sufficient local workforce supply does not have a significant effect. Finally, in terms of the mooring forces, local sales performance is negatively related to the strategy adoption, whereas local access to components shows a positive association with such strategy. Originality/value This research uniquely adopts the push–pull–mooring framework to examine factors affecting supply chain restructuring in international business, representing a novel domain for this framework.