Multiple case study of the supplier selection decision process

The complex and important problem of the supplier selection has been modelled with the involvement and integration of different multiple criteria decision techniques. Nevertheless, there is little empirical evidence of the relevance of such approaches to the procurement practice. In order to overcome the relevance gap it is imperative to analyze the practical decision process in the procurement function. With this aim an exploratory multiple case study was undertaken, based on semi-structured interviews with senior procurement managers of eight Portuguese enterprises, and triangulation with previous research. The results suggest that supplier selection decisions tend to be based on the non-compensatory decision strategy (conjunctive decision rule) in the pre-selection stage, followed by the price bidding and qualitative analysis in the stage of final choice.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Technologia within the Project Scope: PEst-OE/EEI/UI0319/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Supplier pre-qualification method for the Portuguese construction industry

The construction process is so dependent on supply chain partners that selecting the best ones has an impact on its performance. The literature on supplier selection in the construction industry is little explored and its proposals are complex using techniques that industry managers are unfamiliar. This work's purpose was to study a construction organization's needs and, thus, develop a method of supplier qualification, capable of matching best practices while responding to the company's specific needs, according to its context. Thereby, a case study was used in the metal construction industry. The paper describes the development of a simple and fast supply chain partner pre-qualification method, which corresponds to a questionnaire, an automatic assessment, and a classification method. The study' main conclusions are the managers' lack of familiarity with analysis and improvement techniques, the difficulty of defining “quality” in this industry and the need for further studies in this area.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

Do ethical work climates influence supplier selection decisions in public organizations? The moderating roles of party politics and personal values.

Purpose - This study examined the relationship between ethical work climates (EWCs) and supplier selection decisions (SSD), and the moderating roles of party politics and personal values on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 600 senior level personnel from 40 Nigerian public organizations were surveyed using structured questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses developed for the study after assessing construct reliability and validity. Findings - Results show that both high and low levels of external political pressures significantly reduce the perception that organisational SSDs are ruled-based and pro-social in nature. Furthermore, regardless of the level of perception of instrumental personal values by employees, instrumental ethical climates significantly determine SSDs; principled/cosmopolitan climate and benevolent/cosmopolitan climate only become significant perceptible determinants when there is less room for the accommodation of personal goals during SSD processes. Research limitations/implications - This study only examined the relationship between ethical climate perceptions and supplier selection decisions without controlling for the effects of some important possible intervening variables on this relationship. Therefore, the study encouraged future researcher to enhance the generalizability of our findings by incorporate relevant control variables in the model, as well as examining other decision phases in the public buying process. Originality/value – This study is original to the extent that only a few studies in the literature are devoted to perceptions of EWCs in African organizations, and no previous studies have examined this phenomenon in relation to SSDs in Nigerian public firms. Key Words: Ethical Work Climates, Supplier Selection Decisions, Public Sector, Nigeria, Party Politics, and Personal Values