Bridging Cultural Barriers in Global Supply Chain Collaboration: A Systematic Review of Mechanisms, Mediators, and Performance Outcomes

Karim Hossam, Muhammad Arfeen, Amira Ismail, Yousif Abdel Haseeb

Abstract


Purpose: This paper synthesizes recent evidence on how global supply chain (GSC) partners bridge cultural barriers and how cultural, relational, and structural antecedents translate into collaboration and performance outcomes. Methodology: A systematic review of 41 peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2025 was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. Studies were screened using explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria focused on culture-related mechanisms in interorganizational collaboration; data were extracted and thematically coded to identify antecedents, mediators, and outcomes. Findings: The literature shows a clear shift from conceptual work (2021–2022) to empirical testing (2023 onward). Across studies, cultural distance, cultural intelligence, and organizational culture affect collaboration primarily through mediators especially trust, information/knowledge sharing, and supply chain integration thereby influencing operational, financial, innovation, resilience, and sustainability outcomes. Practical Implications: Managers should treat culture as a governable collaboration capability, combining relational governance (trust-building, communication routines) with integration practices and knowledge-sharing systems. Value: The review consolidates fragmented findings into a relational-capability chain (Antecedents → Mediators → Outcomes) that clarifies how cultural differences become either friction or advantage in cross-border supply networks. 

Keywords


Cross-Cultural Collaboration, Supply Chain Integration, Global Supply Chains, Relational Governance, Trust and Commitment, Cultural Barriers, and Interorganizational Collaboration

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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21622/MARLOG.2026.15.1.88

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