Abstract We conduct this multiple-case study of supply chain finance which has been mainly conducted by the focal firms from each supply chain. We choose focal firms which provide services for SMEs in agriculture, manufacturing and circulation industries as sample firms and explore the role that SMEs’ competence and network embeddedness play in realizing supply chain finance performance. This study found that supply chain finance is not for any SMEs, but certain ones with competence and necessary network embeddedness. Focal firms will complement for SMEs’ lack of both structural and relational embeddedness. In addition, the interaction of SMEs’ competence and network embeddedness will jointly improve the supply chain finance performance.
