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Archetypes of sourcing decision-making: The influence of contextual factors on consensus, argumentation and cabal

Martin C. Schleper (University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK)
Constantin Blome (University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK)
Alina Stanczyk (EBS Business School, Wiesbaden, Germany)

International Journal of Operations & Production Management

ISSN: 0144-3577

Article publication date: 17 December 2019

Issue publication date: 17 January 2020

1066

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop taxonomy of sourcing decision-making (SDM) archetypes and explore how different contextual factors influence these archetypes when global sourcing of complex components is considered a viable option.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study approach with five in-depth cases is employed. In total, 19 interviews as well as publicly available and internal data from large buying firms headquartered in Austria and Germany were collected and analyzed.

Findings

The results reveal three different SDM archetypes which are described in detail (i.e. “consensus,” “argumentation” and “cabal”). Furthermore, it is found that these archetypes are mainly influenced by three contextual factors: sourcing maturity, product complexity and leadership style. The final model comprises six propositions which illustrate how these contextual factors determine companies’ SDM archetypes.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to theory development at the intersection of organizational buying behavior and the (global) SDM literature. Thereby, it answers the call for more rigorous investigation of the influence of contextual factors on SDM processes.

Practical implications

The findings enable practitioners to better understand and consequently manage SDM processes and their outcomes. By supporting decision-makers in identifying SDM archetypes, this study allows sourcing managers and teams to make better decisions by avoiding problems that occur in situations in which the preferred decision-making type would result in suboptimal decisions.

Originality/value

The study provides a first step toward taxonomy of SDM archetypes and is among the first that explores their underlying contextual factors.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The original manuscript has been submitted to IJOPM under the previous editorial team before the authors took over their current roles as Editorial Assistant and Co-Editor-in-Chief. The authors are indebted to the previous Editor-in-Chief Dr Steve Brown and Associate Editor Dr Alex Hill, as well as two anonymous reviewers for their highly rigorous, developmental and constructive guidance. The authors are also grateful for the final handling by the current Co-Editor-in-Chiefs, Dr Tobias Schoenherr and Dr Cristina Giménez. This research has benefitted significantly from their feedback.

Citation

Schleper, M.C., Blome, C. and Stanczyk, A. (2020), "Archetypes of sourcing decision-making: The influence of contextual factors on consensus, argumentation and cabal", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 40 No. 2, pp. 117-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-07-2017-0397

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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