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1 – 10 of over 28000Daniel Prajogo, Carlos Mena and Mesbahuddin Chowdhury
The purpose of this paper is to test the moderated-mediated model using a dataset drawn from 204 manufacturing firms in Australia, and Hayes' PROCESS macro software was used for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the moderated-mediated model using a dataset drawn from 204 manufacturing firms in Australia, and Hayes' PROCESS macro software was used for analyzing the research model.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines how firms can leverage the strategic value of their key supplier for improving their product performance by developing strategic collaborations with the key supplier as a mediating factor. Furthermore, it also seeks to understand the role that commitment plays in strategic relationships by testing how the mediating role of strategic collaboration is moderated by the level of buyer-suppliers relational capital.
Findings
The findings show that strategic collaborations mediate the relationship between the strategic value of key supplier and buyer's product performance, and the mediating effect is moderated by the relational capital between the buyer and the key supplier in such a way that the stronger the relational capital the stronger the indirect effect of strategic value of key supplier on buyer's product performance.
Practical implications
The findings show that firms could derive significant benefits from the strategic value of their key supplier in improving their product performance. However, the benefits can only be realized if firms can build successful strategic collaborations in the first place. At the same time, this study also demonstrates the importance of relational capital in terms of commitment and trust with the key supplier that influences the effectiveness of strategic collaborations in realizing the outcome of the collaborations.
Originality/value
This study addresses the gap in the literature by disentangling the complex relationship between a key supplier's strategic value and a buyer's product performance and the role that both collaboration and relational capital play in this relationship. By integrating strategic collaborations and relational capital of buyer-supplier relationships, this study not only confirms the links by testing key supplier's strategic value, strategic collaboration and product performance, but also extends the previous studies by incorporating the moderating role of relational capital as a contingent factor.
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The study aims to investigate how the collaborative activities of joint action and knowledge-sharing between cross-border buyers and sellers influence the affect-state of buyers…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to investigate how the collaborative activities of joint action and knowledge-sharing between cross-border buyers and sellers influence the affect-state of buyers and eventually develop their strategic performance under the contingent condition of psychic distance.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data collected from 235 Taiwanese importers were analyzed using partial least squares to test the proposed conceptual framework.
Findings
Joint action and knowledge-sharing are found to increase buyer’s engagement and affective commitment. Psychic distance is found to weaken the effect of collaborative activities on engagement and affective commitment. Both engagement and affective commitment are found to increase strategic performance, and the findings confirm their intervening role in the collaborative activities-strategic performance relationship.
Originality/value
The study offers insights into the under researched areas of collaborative activities and strategic performance in international exchanges and highlights the role of psychic distance in the success or failure of relational exchanges in international environments. The study introduces the concept of engagement and advances the theoretical understanding of the concept’s significance and application in international buyer–seller exchanges.
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Although existing partial theories contribute to scholarly understanding of strategic alliances, the lack of a comprehensive framework to explain strategic alliances is…
Abstract
Purpose
Although existing partial theories contribute to scholarly understanding of strategic alliances, the lack of a comprehensive framework to explain strategic alliances is unfortunate. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated framework for maker‐buyer strategic alliance performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the concept of embeddedness developed by Granovetter, this paper argues that maker‐buyer alliances are economic actions intended to pursue synergies; meanwhile, these economic actions are embedded in social contexts.
Findings
This paper argues that the economic goal of firms entering alliances is to combine their complementary resources to create synergies. To achieve this goal, managers must efficiently manage the economic problems associated with such alliances, including searching for partners with complementary resources, allocating value‐added activities correctly, establishing efficient interorganizational routines, and introducing proper governance structures. Furthermore, alliances are embedded in their social contexts. Firms are constrained by their specific social environments and behave accordingly, impacting their performance. It is difficult for firms to modify the contexts in which they are embedded without strong strategic intent. The social contexts in which firms are embedded may also be sources of sustainable competitive advantage or disadvantage.
Research limitations/implications
Several managerial implications and future research directions are presented.
Originality/value
This study, by integrating economic and sociological theories into a framework and focusing on maker‐buyer alliances, depicts not only the full picture but also the necessary details of maker‐buyer alliances for scholars and practical managers.
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Refers to the recent trend to utilize strategic alliances and partnerships for securing both goods and services. Additionally, the supply chain management concept is gaining more…
Abstract
Refers to the recent trend to utilize strategic alliances and partnerships for securing both goods and services. Additionally, the supply chain management concept is gaining more acceptance as a method of sustaining a competitive advantage in global markets. Although the literature explores strategic partnerships within both the buyer and supplier context and the shipper and logistics context, there has been little attempt to link these relationships in order to explore multi‐firm interactions. Examines existing buyer‐supplier strategic partnerships and the role of carriers used to transport the particular items sourced within these partnerships through an in‐depth case study methodology of firms engaged in identifiable three‐party relationships. There are two primary objectives of this research: to assess the carriers’ perceived importance and degree of participation within the buyer‐supplier partnerships; and to explore further the relationship between strategic partnerships and supply chain management by presenting more detailed information from firms involved in three‐way relationships. Of interest to carriers, manufacturers, purchasers and academics.
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Refers to the recent trend to utilize strategic alliances and partnerships for securing both goods and services. Additionally, the supply chain management concept is gaining more…
Abstract
Refers to the recent trend to utilize strategic alliances and partnerships for securing both goods and services. Additionally, the supply chain management concept is gaining more acceptance as a method of sustaining a competitive advantage in global markets. Although the literature explores strategic partnerships within both the buyer and supplier context and the shipper and logistics context, there has been little attempt to link these relationships in order to explore multi‐firm interactions. Examines existing buyer‐supplier strategic partnerships and the role of carriers used to transport the particular items sourced within these partnerships through an in‐depth case study methodology of firms engaged in identifiable three‐party relationships. There are two primary objectives of this research: to assess the carriers’ perceived importance and degree of participation within the buyer‐supplier partnerships; and to explore further the relationship between strategic partnerships and supply chain management by presenting more detailed information from firms involved in three‐way relationships. Of interest to carriers, manufacturers, purchasers and academics.
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Sylvie Lacoste, Fouad Ben Abdelaziz and Meriem Youssef
This paper is about customer relationships from the perspective of small suppliers. More precisely, this paper aims to examine the relational implications through a product…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is about customer relationships from the perspective of small suppliers. More precisely, this paper aims to examine the relational implications through a product portfolio model with the main participants of the buying center (buyer/business manager).
Design/methodology/approach
The study first uses an in-depth qualitative data analysis to explore how elements of small suppliers’ relationship with such large customer’s main actors are affected by the nature of the product (categorized between strategic, bottleneck and non-critical items). From the results, an empirical model is drawn of small suppliers’ relational strategies in a product-centered and buyer/business manager relationship typology. To analyze the results of the empirical model, a quantitative analysis is performed, using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis approach.
Findings
This study contributes to deepen the supplier–customer relationship analysis, from a product-centered and customer dyadic perspective (buyer and customer business manager). The findings highlight three different small suppliers’ relationship strategy with a different level of involvement of the different participants of the buying center.
Originality/value
Few studies so far analyze vertical asymmetric relationships from a triadic perspective composed of the small supplier, the buyer and the business manager – hence, this study contributes to unveiling some of the relationship complexity within a triad of actors and how small suppliers can navigate through this complexity according to their product or service positioning.
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Manoj Hudnurkar, Urvashi Rathod and Suresh Kumar Jakhar
Buyer companies’ engagement with suppliers varies according to their specific business needs. Prior models of supplier classification are based on the dimensions like product…
Abstract
Purpose
Buyer companies’ engagement with suppliers varies according to their specific business needs. Prior models of supplier classification are based on the dimensions like product specification or criticality of purchase. As the supply chains are embracing collaboration among partners to respond to the dynamic market conditions, it is prudent to study the changes adopted by buyer companies for supplier classification. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an exploratory research for identifying the criteria used for supplier classification based on the interviews of practitioners from buyer multinational manufacturing companies operating in India. The content analysis of the subjective responses led to the identification of distinctive criteria.
Findings
Although, many of the practitioners were unaware of the model per se, they labelled their suppliers as per the types stated in the Kraljic model. They mentioned twenty six criteria for supplier classification; five of which do not have any reference in the extant literature. The degree of presence of these criteria provides a multi-criteria framework for supplier classification that has been further extended based on prior models.
Research limitations/implications
The exploratory nature of the study, its confinement to Indian milieu and small sample size could limit the generality and exhaustiveness of the findings.
Practical implications
The framework and its extension can be used by practitioners in assessing and classifying their suppliers for strengthening supply chain collaboration.
Originality/value
This research unveils five new criteria used by buyer companies for supplier classification. The multi-criteria framework for supplier classification and its extension give new insights into the supplier characteristics significant for supply chain collaboration.
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Lamiae Benhayoun, Marie-Anne Le-Dain, Tarik Saikouk, Holger Schiele and Richard Calvi
Buying firms involve suppliers early in New Product Development (NPD) projects to benefit from their capabilities. The authors investigate the joint impact on project performance…
Abstract
Purpose
Buying firms involve suppliers early in New Product Development (NPD) projects to benefit from their capabilities. The authors investigate the joint impact on project performance improvement, of the social capital established throughout the project, and the strategic preferred buyer/supplier statuses awarded prior to the project, from the buyer's perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose a conceptual model underlining the complementary contribution to project performance of social capital dimensions and of preferred partners' statuses resulting from social exchange expectations. The model is analyzed with Partial Least Squares using 80 responses of purchasers and R&D managers involved in collaborative NPD projects with suppliers.
Findings
The relational capital built during the project has a positive central role, with a direct impact on NPD project performance and mediating effects through cognitive and structural capitals. The preferred partners' statuses have strong direct impacts on performance, and mediating effects that do not completely supplant the social capital's contribution.
Practical implications
The implications for the efficient management of supplier involvement are twofold. First, the authors encourage strategic investments of buying firms to acquire preferred buyer's status and to support preferred supplier programs. Second, the authors alert them on the importance of establishing trust and shared cognition during the project.
Originality/value
This study captures NPD project performance from the social angle of buyer–supplier relationship management. It demonstrates the complementarity of relationship management at the strategic and operational levels, before and during the project unfolding.
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Mads Mortensen and Jan Arlbjørn
This paper aims to investigate the concept of inter‐organisational supplier development programs and to stress the importance of considering suppliers' interest and motivation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the concept of inter‐organisational supplier development programs and to stress the importance of considering suppliers' interest and motivation when implementing development initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper's theoretical framework is based on an in‐depth literature review that analyses how extant supplier development literature considers an inter‐organisational approach. A single case study of eight inter‐organisational relationships is also included.
Findings
The literature review reveals a lack of focus on inter‐organisational approaches to supplier development, even though the literature mentions it as a missing theme. Customer attractiveness is presented as one approach that takes supplier view and motivation into consideration. This idea is supported by the case study, which indicates that supplier performance is influenced by perceived customer attractiveness.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is based on only a single case study and does not provide the basis for statistical generalisation. A theory on customer attractiveness is under development, and the analysis presented here is based on the theoretical findings.
Practical implications
Because suppliers can have their own strategic agendas, such as prioritising developments with the most attractive customers, buyers should consider suppliers' perspectives and motivations when analysing and implementing supplier development programs.
Originality/value
This paper is among the first to focus on the importance of viewing both parties' interest in a buyer‐supplier relationship when implementing supplier development initiatives. The concept of customer attractiveness as an inter‐organisational approach represents a valuable addition to supplier development literature.
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David A. Johnston and Mehmet Murat Kristal
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate for co‐operation, from both the supplier and buyer perspectives, for its impact on co‐operative activities. Climate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate for co‐operation, from both the supplier and buyer perspectives, for its impact on co‐operative activities. Climate encompasses the constructs of cross functional barriers, participation by the respondent in strategic customer/supply decisions and expectation of the continuity of the relationship, competitive pressure and institutionalized beliefs about co‐operation in the firm's industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the study is based on a cross‐sectional mail‐based survey of 89 buyer and supplier dyads, involving 178 manufacturing companies. First, the psychometric properties of the proposed constructs were assessed. Then the relationships among the proposed constructs were tested by structural equation modeling for the supplier and then the buyer samples.
Findings
Both parties' co‐operative behaviors were strongly influenced by the expected continuity of the relationship. Suppliers differed from buyers in that they were influenced by institutional beliefs about co‐operation. Involvement in decision making positively affected shared planning activities for the suppliers whereas it affected relationship flexibility for the buyers. Lastly, buyers in contrast to suppliers were influenced by competitive pressure.
Research limitations/implications
As a cross‐sectional study about complex inter‐firm relationships, the research does not directly capture relationship effects over time. The paper also does not address how climate affects the formulation and implementation of dysfunctional buyer‐supplier relationships.
Practical implications
Buyers and suppliers should be aware that there are significant similarities and differences in how their partners respond to the context in which they operate. This knowledge is important in understanding what drives the other party's behavior in the formal and informal negotiations and problem solving that characterize an ongoing relationship.
Originality/value
The research uses dyadic data to understand both sides of the buyer supplier relationship. It introduces constructs such as institutional belief and cross‐functional barriers and functional involvement in strategic planning as components of a new concept called co‐operative climate. This concept is found to be relevant to both buyer and supplier perspectives.
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