(Dis)loyalty in the German dairy industry: a supplier relationship management view ; empirical evidence and management implications

During the last decades there have been many empirical and theoretical attempts to approach the question of how to build and maintain stable, long-term relationships (Hennig- Thurau and Hansen, 2000; Andaleeb, 1996). In neoclassical analysis, one would typically argue that the decision to whom to deliver one's products or from whom to buy them is only based on price. The perception that the homo oeconomicus is no appropriate idea of man for the analysis of enduring business relationships, however, is not new (Heide, 1994). Today, it is widely accepted that behavioural aspects such as commitment and loyalty also play an important role in economic exchanges. --

Positioning Clients in Dyadic Dependence Structures of IS Outsourcing Relationships – Conceptualization and Empirical Findings

While dependence is a well-known concern in IS outsourcing, there is little literature dealing with this phenomenon as proposed by traditional dependence research in other disciplines. In particular, little efforts have been made to contrast a client’s dependence with supplier’s dependence in a single study. To bring forward the conceptualization in our field, we investigated five outsourcing relationships with respect to dependence structures in a dyad. Perceptual differences became apparent while comparing clients’ perceived dependencies with suppliers’ ones. As a second contribution we aimed to explain different client positions in the dependence structures. Therefore, the dependence construct was broken down into its constituting facets. Besides importance of the outsourcing relationship and a supplier’s substitutability, spillover effects emerged as an unanticipated third category of dependence. Originating from other exchange relationships with the same partner, these effects can distort the dependence structure in the focal relationship. Implications for future research are discussed

Management of IS Outsourcing Relationships – A Dyadic Analysis of Antecedents and Consequences of Dependencies and Power

Many companies today rely heavily on specialized information technology (IT) suppliers for fulfilling their IT demands. However, external provision, i.e., outsourcing, of IT services is a risky endeavor, and expectations are frequently not met. This dissertation addresses the challenge of successfully managing outsourcing relationships between clients and IT suppliers. The dissertation begins by presenting results from a multiple case study that analyzes the organizational design of the management of supplier relations in the IT organizations of five client companies. These results contribute to research in this area and show IT decision makers on the client side efficient ways of organizing the ‘client-supplier interface’. Special attention is paid to the risks associated with outsourcing arrangements that should be addressed as part of successful relationship management. From a client’s perspective, excessive dependence on the IT supplier is viewed as a major outsourcing hazard. However, research from related disciplines suggests not only analyzing a client’s dependence but also incorporating the supplier’s dependence on the client in a dyadic exchange relationship. Differences between the dependency levels of the client and the supplier can lead to a power advantage for one party that can then be used to the detriment of the dependence-disadvantaged party. The dissertation investigates different dependence and power constellations in outsourcing relationships using a case study approach. The investigation results in conceptualizations and measurement instruments for client and supplier dependence in outsourcing relationships. The dissertation ends with a large-scale empirical survey that analyzes the effects of different combinations of dependencies and power use on the contractual partners’ satisfaction with the exchange performance. Taken together, the results advance knowledge about the successful management of outsourcing relationships and, more specifically, they enable clients and IT suppliers to capture and optimize dependence relations