An empirically based operational definition of strategic purchasing

To develop an empirically based operational definition of strategic purchasing, a definition was first developed from the current literature. The definition was tested by first developing a model based on the current literature in the strategic management and strategic purchasing literature. The model resulted in four hypotheses. To test the hypotheses, survey responses from 739 firms were analyzed. Each of the following factors were positively related to the level of strategic purchasing as defined from the literature: status of the purchasing function; purchasing knowledge and skills; purchasing's willingness to take risks, and; purchasing resources. Therefore, it was concluded that the definition was valid and could include the four underlying characteristics.     

Outranking methods in support of supplier selection

Initial purchasing decisions such as make-or-buy decisions and supplier selection are decisions of strategic importance to companies. The nature of these decisions usually is complex and unstructured. Management Science techniques might be helpful tools for this kind of decision making problems. So far, however, the application of outranking methods in purchasing decisions has not been suggested in purchasing or operations research literature. In this paper we show by means of a supplier selection example, that an outranking approach may be very well suited as a decision-making tool for initial purchasing decisions.     

Strategic and Operational Determinants of Relationship Outcomes With New Venture Suppliers

While the vast majority of the supplier selection and development literature has focused on relationships between mature, established firms, significantly less attention has been paid to relationships between established firms and new, entrepreneurial ventures. This study addresses this important topic and, using an interdisciplinary lens, investigates the question of how established buying firms can work with new ventures to achieve desired relationship outcomes. Drawing on the literature from the disciplines of entrepreneurship and supply chain management, we propose a theoretical model that links buying firms' strategic orientation in supplier selection (innovation and cost in strategic supplier selection) and operational approach in supplier development (direct and indirect development of new venture suppliers) with new venture‐specific relationship outcomes (purchasing volume and realized innovations). The model's predictions are tested on cross‐sectional survey data from 136 buying firms. Our results contribute to the emerging research stream at the supply chain management–entrepreneurship interface and enhance the understanding of relationships between established firms and new ventures.     

The role of buyer and supplier relationships in integrating TQM through the supply chain

Many academics and practitioners have alluded to the importance of total quality management (TQM) principles and the important role the purchasing function plays in the quality process. However, the role of the buyer–supplier relationship in the TQM process has not been directly investigated to any large extent. Three hypotheses concerning the role of buyer–supplier relationships in the success of TQM implementation were tested. The results demonstrate that buyer–supplier relationships are different in firms with successful TQM programs. Hypothesis 1 suggests that those firms with successful TQM programs will have more formal mechanisms for interacting with suppliers. The second hypothesis suggests that business units with more successful TQM programs exhibit a greater degree of competitive focus and single sourcing. The third hypothesis relates to a higher level understanding of internal and external customer needs by successful TQM adopters. All hypotheses were supported. The buyer–supplier relationships in firms with successful TQM programs are different than firms with less successful TQM programs.     

采购成本的有效控制策略

采购成本的节约将给企业带来明显的利润杠杆。企业可以采取精益生产与设计改善、精选供应商、集中采购、战略库存、采购集成、注意非价格因素、重视人才培养、快速反应、全球寻找供应商、战略采购等策略对采购成本进行有效控制。     

Small-independent retailers vs. organized retailers: An empirical study in Indonesian economics of service industries

This paper explores the influence of strategic planning and functional-business strategy in helping small-independent retailers/traditional retailers to survive amidst the competition with organized retailers. Based on cross-sectional survey research, this study illustrates the influence of strategic planning and functional-business strategy to retailer–supplier relationship, consumer loyalty program, and retailer performance. In order to clarify the relationships among these constructs, a structural equation model (SEM) is employed to examine the model fit and the five hypotheses. The results show that strategic planning is critical for small independent retailers due to its influence on the retailer–supplier relationship and consumer loyalty program. Besides, consumer loyalty program is also influenced by functional-business strategy. The retailer–supplier relationship and consumer loyalty program exhibits a positive influence on the small-independent retailer performance. The research supports the existence of a more complex that the consumer loyalty program fully mediates the relationships between strategic planning and functional-business strategy on retail performance. Moreover, the retailer–supplier relationship fully mediates the relationship between strategic planning and small retailer performance. These findings constitute a new contribution to the literature on small retailer research streams through the development of cross category relationships such as strategy, buyer behavior, and structure categories. Besides, this study can enhance the strategic management as well as the performance of small-independent retailers to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.     

Strategic alliances in international distribution channels

Given the differing dynamics of managing a distribution channel system, can the extant research on international strategic alliances, which largely focuses on the manufacturer–supplier interface, be extended to the manufacturer–distribution channels context? Owing to the paucity of research on strategic alliances in international distribution channels, this investigation seeks to verify empirically the effects of learning orientation, relationship longevity, and relationship closeness as determinants of cooperation, which, in turn, is an antecedent of performance, and relationship satisfaction.The research hypotheses were tested empirically on data drawn from a sample of manufacturing firms located in the United States (U.S.), Finland, the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), and Poland. Although some similarities for fostering cooperation in international distribution alliances were detected on a cross-national basis, disparate emphases on alliance management practices were observed as well.     

The impact of buyer dependence on buyer opportunism in buyer–supplier relationships: The moderating role of relational norms

The impact of buyer dependence on opportunism against the supplier is examined in this research. Extant literature provides support for both a positive and an inverse relationship between these constructs. In this research, these competing predictions are subsumed under a more general model where the effect of dependence on opportunism is moderated by the level of relational norms present in the buyer–supplier relationship. Results of an experiment with purchasing managers and one replication provide support for the hypotheses that (a) dependence and opportunism will be positively related under low relational norms, and (b) dependence and opportunism will be inversely related under high relational norms. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Risk‐taking propensity in supplier choice: Differences by sex and decision frame in a simulated organizational buying context

Past research concerning decision framing has found that buyer's choices tend to be risk averse for decisions framed as a gain and risk seeking for choices framed as a loss. Attribution theory suggests that women may be less likely to take risk than men when faced with similar decision‐making problems. The present study sought to determine whether there would be differences between men and women with respect to their supplier choices based on how the purchasing decision was framed. Two experiments were conducted: one using a price‐based purchasing scenario and the other using a price‐based and a quality‐based purchasing scenario. For the price‐based scenario women tended to make more risky supplier choices than men when the purchasing decision was framed as a loss, and less risky supplier choices than men when the purchasing decision was framed as a gain. No differences between the sexes were found for the quality‐based scenario. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Multimarket Contact and the Use of Power in Buyer–Supplier Relationships

Buyers and suppliers often have multiple business relationships with each other across different geographical and product markets, forming a potentially complex web of connections. What happens between the firms in one geographical or product market may influence their interactions in others. Prior research in strategic management has found that similar multimarket contact in horizontal relationships between competitors has important consequences for the firms’ use of market power. However, the consequences of multimarket contact in vertical buyer–supplier relationships remain unexplored. Building on resource‐advantage theory, this study proposes that multimarket contact between buyers and suppliers is linked to their respective propensity to use three types of mediated power in their relationships (i.e., reward, coercion, and legal legitimate) and that the effects of multimarket contact differ between buyers and suppliers. A vignette study with 143 purchasing managers and 137 business‐to‐business sales managers tests the developed hypotheses. The findings show that a higher level of multimarket contact encourages suppliers to use legal legitimate power to a greater extent and encourages buyers to use reward power to a greater extent but legal legitimate power to a lesser extent.     

“Do frogs jump as a result of privatisation?” Impact of privatisation on buyer–supplier relationships

As the cornerstone of the Conservative Government between 1979 and 1996, privatisation has undoubtedly had an enormous impact on the UK economy. On the whole, privatised companies have improved their performance in an ever increasing competitive environment by focusing on, among other things, a drive to reduce costs through bought-out goods and services. Research into Japanese companies, meanwhile, has highlighted the key role that supplier relationships play in their success. It has stressed the advantages of co-operative over adversarial relationships with suppliers, and evidence shows that an increasing number of Western companies are adopting this practice. This has raised the profile of purchasing in these companies with a change towards `better practice’ and improved management of the supplier base. From this new research a model of Feature and Construct Evaluation and Aggregation (FCEA) has been developed, in the search for a link to support the proposition that privatisation has an influence on purchasing strategies concerning supplier relationships. The research has shown that only a very limited link exists. Whilst Purchasing as an activity has increased in its importance and control, it has not become strategic. Purchasing strategies have not evolved or supported the business strategy as a result of privatisation, nor does privatisation encourage the development of purchasing strategies towards closer relationships with suppliers. This is compounded by the EC Directives that reflect an `open tender’ model of procurement, particularly evident in the emphasis on formal competitive tendering procedures and maintaining an `arms-length’ relationship with suppliers.     

Lean supply and price-based global sourcing — the interconnection

Just-in-time delivery, design for manufacturing, and early supplier involvement based on frequent and close interactions between buyers and suppliers are some of the basic conditions of lean supply in the automotive industry. Many of these conditions appear to be difficult to achieve in global purchasing. This is because global purchasing has mostly been seen as a means of putting price pressures on suppliers. The aim of this paper is to highlight the interconnection between global purchasing and lean supply. A strategic project “live or die” was chosen within a major global auto original equipment manufacturer (OEM) located in North America. To get as complete a picture as possible of the context and causal conditions, and to be able to make coherent benchmarks with objectives, global purchasing was followed across one major project rather than across different ones. The data was collected through interviews both in the OEM and in six suppliers and validated by triangulation and internal seminars. The analysis was done by screening data into some of the conditions identified in lean supply, which were observed to be the most relevant in the case company. We found that lean supply is affected negatively by global purchasing based on price and thus, price-based global purchasing should not be used for sourcing complex components that require early supplier involvement and intensive engineering collaboration between OEMs and suppliers. Instead, it could be proactively used in the sourcing of less complex modules and simple components.     

The Moderating Role of Strategic Integration in Performance Improvement Through Purchasing Social Responsibility in Thailand

This research aims to understand the performance of purchasing social responsibility (PSR) through moderating effect of purchasing strategic integration. The results show that PSR directly influences purchasing performance, while the relationship between PSR and purchasing performance is partially mediated by organizational learning. Moreover, strategic integration negatively moderates the relationship between PSR and purchasing performance. This study suggests that the adoption of PSR affects the operations of both buyers and suppliers in a supply chain that further encourage organizational learning and increases purchasing efficiency. The results also show that organizations may realize this effect of PSR practices but may focus on other purchasing practices, which affects purchasing performance. Copyright © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Host country institutional pressures and cross-border relationship governance

This study examines the effects of transaction cost, strategic positioning and institutional factors on the governance of international relationships. A firm's product differentiation strategy and export market ethnocentricity are identified as antecedents to specific investments, whereas state influences in the export market are identified as an antecedent to relationship governance. The hypotheses are empirically tested on a sample of 160 international business-to-business relationships. The results show that both product differentiation and export market ethnocentricity impact the level of specific investments, and state influences make it difficult to use both formal contracting and relational norms as governance mechanisms. Furthermore, specific investments made by the supplier are positively related to formal contracting, and product differentiation is positively related to relational norms.     

Supplier diversity and supply chain management: A strategic approach

Although purchasing trends are moving toward consolidation, a strong economic argument can be made for supplier diversity. In fact, most Fortune 500 companies currently employ supplier diversity initiatives. If integrated into the overall corporate strategy, supplier diversity can become a source of competitive advantage for corporations. In order for such integration to successfully occur, however, the initiative must have top management commitment, a supportive culture, and the availability of champions to promote the proposal. Minority suppliers, in turn, need to realize that their failure or success in this highly competitive environment depends on their ability to continually develop overall competences, to be learning organizations, and to become increasingly attuned to and adept at building strategic alliances amongst themselves and with their corporate customers. In these respects, they can make use of intermediary organizations (such as local supplier councils) to improve their competences and competitive edge.     

从BCG矩阵看采购项目定位模型

回顾了从BCG矩阵到GE矩阵的发展,GE矩阵由于基本假设和很多局限性都和BCG矩阵相同,最大的改善就在于用了更多的指标来衡量两个维度。也正是由于GE矩阵使用多个因素,可以通过增减某些因素或改变它们的重点所在,很容易地使GE矩阵适应经理的具体意向或某产业特殊性的要求。市场和采购的天然联系,因此回顾了采购项目定位模型的发展,发现原有模型在因素选择和量化、细化方面可以进一步探究,并提出了采购项目在模型内的移动性问题和买卖双方关系问题。进而给出建议的研究方向。     

Corporate Perceptions of the Business Case for Supplier Diversity: How Socially Responsible Purchasing can ‘Pay’

In exploring corporate perceptions of the business case for supplier diversity (SD), this paper reports on a cross-national study of large purchasing organisations (LPOs) that had introduced, or were in the process of introducing, purchasing initiatives aimed at ethnic minority businesses (EMBs). The research investigates how LPOs portray the benefits of this form of socially responsible purchasing and suggests a business case construct based on four component elements. It also highlights a number of contextual factors that appear to have shaped business case rationales. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues of cost and contingent influences affecting SD programmes and points to possible areas for future research.     

An Empirical Study of Buyer–Supplier Relationships within Small Business Organizations

A paradox exists in small business organizations; although effective buyer–supplier relationships are essential to the success of small businesses, these organizations may not have the purchasing and selling power in terms of managerial resources to implement them. This provides us an opportunity for research to determine how well developed are buyer–supplier relationships within small business organizations. Grounded in transaction cost and resource dependence theory, this paper presents and empirically tests a model that examines the relationships between buyer and supplier specificity and long‐term buyer–supplier relationships and the latter's impact on organizational performance from the buyers' perspective. The results of this study provide insight into the development and impact of buyer–supplier relationships within small business organizations. Several managerial implications can be determined.     

Antecedents and performance outcomes of flexibility in industrial customer–supplier relationships

This paper deals with the impact of suppliers' flexibility in the industrial markets and presents empirical results from the market research sector including outcome variables (market-uncertainty, relationship-specific investments, mutuality, opportunism, long-term orientation, planning, conflict management). We examined the antecedents of supplier flexibility. Buyers need to know whether supplier will modify existing agreements in cases where environmental factors change. Insufficient flexibility can lead to problems, such as having to accept services which no longer meet the buyer's needs. Accordingly, identifying indicators of supplier flexibility is an important objective for managers involved in the purchasing process of services.     

The economics of partnership sourcing versus adversarial competition: a critique

In the strategic procurement management literature two general forms of purchasing arrangement feature—‘partnership sourcing’ and ‘competition’. Usually partnership sourcing is said to be superior because it leads to long-term collaboration based on trust between buyer and supplier. One product is a reduction of the supplier base with firms perhaps relying on a single source of supply or a small number of preferred suppliers. The paper reconsiders procurement methods in terms of a continuum using the economics of transaction costs. The paper then illustrates the economic issues discussed by considering procurement in the defence sector. Defence is taken as an example of public procurement with experience and opportunities for competition, partnership sourcing and long-term buyer-supplier relationships. The paper concludes that the case for partnership sourcing over competition is not clear cut.