Supply Chain Management Practices and Performance of Pharmaceutical Firms in South-East Nigeria

ABSTRACT Pharmaceutical firms in South-East Nigeria confront systemic supply chain challenges including erratic raw material supply, infrastructural deficits, regulatory bottlenecks, and distribution inefficiencies, leading to stock-outs, escalated operational costs, diminished market competitiveness, and eroded customer trust. This study examined how six supply chain management (SCM) practices influence multidimensional firm performance. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, targeting 1,625 employees across 23 NAFDAC-registered pharmaceutical firms in the region. Using Yamane's formula (5% margin of error), a sample of 321 respondents was selected via stratified random sampling to ensure proportional inclusion across hierarchical levels. Primary data were gathered through structured Likert-scale questionnaires validated for reliability and content validity. Data analysis utilised SPSS v26 for descriptive statistics and SmartPLS v3.0 for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), assessing measurement and structural models with bootstrapping (5,000 subsamples). Results confirmed all six hypotheses: strategic supplier partnership significantly enhanced operational performance (β = 0.779, p < 0.001); information sharing boosted profitability (β = 0.903, p < 0.001); customer relationship management elevated customer satisfaction (β = 0.913, p < 0.001); inventory management expanded market share (β = 0.891, p < 0.001); logistics and distribution management accelerated product innovation (β = 0.819, p < 0.001); and quality management improved product quality (β = 0.761, p < 0.001). The study concludes that SCM practices function as strategic, interdependent capabilities driving holistic organisational excellence. Recommendations include institutionalising collaborative supplier frameworks, deploying integrated digital information systems, strengthening customer engagement protocols, optimising inventory controls, modernising logistics infrastructure, and embedding continuous quality assurance mechanisms. Keywords: supply chain management practices, firm performance, strategic supplier partnership, information sharing, inventory management, quality management, pharmaceutical firms, PLS-SEM, South-East Nigeria