# 2010 The Braybrooke Press Ltd. Journal of General Management Vol. 36 No. 2 Winter 2010/11 37 The influence of organisational culture on strategic supply chain relationship success Trevor Cadden Lecturer in Operations Management, Ulster Business School, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Paul Humphreys Professor of Operations Management, Ulster Business School, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Marie McHugh Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Ulster Business School, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland The purpose of this paper is to explore and develop the general proposition that organisational cultural compatibility between strategic supply chain partners results in improved performance outcomes for each participant in the chain. A theoretical framework is proposed of the relationship of differing organisational cultural elements (practices, values, behaviours and norms) to supply chain performance. A number of propositions are presented along with conclusions and suggestions for further research. This paper is one of the first to deconstruct differing organisational cultural elements and present a model linking them to a diverse range of strategic supply chain partner performance outcomes throughout the supply chain. Introduction: Cultural compatibility and performance In an intensely competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace, organ- isations have identified strategic supply chain relationships as a major source for competitive advantage, facilitating survival and growth (Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Dyer, 2000; Min and Mentzer, 2004 cited by Elmuti et al., 2008; Krause, 1998; Phillips et al., 2006). Since the 1980s, interest in the concept of supply chain relationships has increased, with companies becoming more aware of the opportunities and benefits of collaborative relationships, both within their own organisations and beyond (Soosav et al., 2008). In the last decade, research has revealed that effective supply chain relationships can create value by combining resources, sharing knowledge and increasing speed to market 37–64