The joint effects of lead time, information sharing, and the accounts receivable period on reverse factoring

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the joint effects of lead time, information sharing and the accounts receivable period on reverse factoring (RF) adoption from the suppliers' perspective. Design/methodology/approach Supported by one of the largest commercial banks in China, survey data are collected from 424 Chinese manufacturing firms and analyzed using regression methods. Findings The results suggest that lead time positively affects suppliers' RF adoption directly and indirectly through the accounts receivable period. Meanwhile, information sharing has a positive, direct and a negative, indirect influence on suppliers' RF adoption. Originality/value The findings give suppliers and financial institutions a better understanding of how to leverage the benefits of RF.