Developing transactive memory to the supply chain based on buyer-supplier digital communities

• This paper combines an interdisciplinary literature review and a 6-year-long netnography on buying firms in online communities. • These communities developed transactive memory systems, a form of knowledge network that enabled them to access a greater pool of knowledge. • We highlight member roles (from influencers to lurkers) in expertise sharing and the outcomes associated with knowledge shared. • Findings suggest that knowledge networks, such as transactive memory systems, enhance member resilience and innovation in the face of disruptions. Finally, this paper proposes the development of supply chain transactive memory systems. Knowledge and expertise are critical to the proper functioning of supply chains. However, scholars have only stated the need for knowledge and information sharing and overlooked how it conceptually develops in organizations. This research provides an in-depth look at the source of knowledge through the lens of four decades of Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) research. Through netnographic research, we first identified communities where TMS occurred naturally. We found that they were developed to provide members access to a greater pool of knowledge that improved product innovation and supplier choice and affected their buying behavior. We also found that it enabled members to become more resilient during the global supply chain crisis. Finally, we identified distinct, though often overlapping, member roles to encourage TMS development. Previous research on TMS has mainly focused on relationships between dyads and within small organizations. This paper extends the TMS literature into the supply chain by applying it through a structure-strategy-performance model. We conclude by reasoning that understanding the theory behind the source of knowledge will enable firms to develop and enhance more efficient supply networks. Finally, we also outline the extent to which these networks can be developed.