优化供应链垂直协作关系以解决中国乳品供应链上的原奶价格波动、乳品质量安全及进口奶粉冲击等突出问题具有很强的紧迫性。交易成本理论与知识交换理论分别从交易特征与企业能力视角论证供应链垂直协作，二者强调企业层面的微观因素的作用，忽视行业层面的竞争态势的影响。本项目在交易特征与企业能力的基础上，将反映竞争态势的集中度纳入研究框架，论证市场集中、交易特性与企业能力对供应链垂直协作的影响机理；中国农业生产、食品质量及加工活动的主管部门密集出台提高乳品供应链上下游环节集中度的政策，以期优化供应链垂直协作关系，但政策背后隐藏的集中度与供应链垂直协作关系的假设是没有被证实的，本项目将实证集中度的市场势力效应与成本效率效应对供应链垂直协作的影响；中国乳品供应链包含从市场交易、中间组织治理到纵向一体化的所有垂直协作关系，集中了食品供应链的几乎全部特征，作为研究对象具有极强代表性，得出的结论将具有普遍参考价值。

The vertical coordination of supply chain is explained by researchers from the points of transaction cost theory and knowledge-based theory. Most of researchers have analyzed this topic according to each of these two theories. Each one just is based on a separate field of study. Transaction cost theory explains the impact of transaction attributes on how to choose the type of the vertical coordination; and knowledge-based theory weighs the firm’s capabilities. The overall analysis on this topic is needed to understand most of factors which influence vertical coordination. The first innovativeness of this project is to take concentration into the theoretical framework. Most of the empirical studies are done to test the hypotheses originated from transaction cost theory. This project will test hypotheses inferred from industrial organization and knowledge-based theory, which is another innovativeness of this project. The dairy supply chain organization in China includes all kinds of types of vertical coordination, so samples selection is scientific. Optimizing the dairy supply chain organization not only help to solve the dairy safety issues and attenuate the price fluctuation, but also help to enhance the competitive advantage of Chinese dairy industry, which will be managerial contributions of this project.