Abstract
In highly dynamic situations, supply chain partners have only limited time to get and work together to respond to a market opportunity. This research looks at the effect of capability connectivity to leverage collaborative, short-term relationships where partners coordinate their mutual capabilities to address a transitory, but important, business opportunity in order to achieve collectively beneficial outcomes. This is referred to as the "informally networked supply chain". Using a sample of 231 supply chain professionals generated from the Dun & Bradstreet's database, this research operationalizes the construct of capability connectivity. Ongoing research uses this construct in a wider study highlighting the relative importance of information technology and cross-company processes in improving operational supply chain performance through informal networking.