The role of purchasing in the management and performance of supplier relationships: an empirical investigation in service organisations

This thesis investigates the role of purchasing managers (and departments) in supplier relationships( SRs) and assesses the impact of their role on SRs' performance. Driven by the importance of outsourcing in organisations, there is an intense interest in academia in the study of SRs and an increased awareness that purchasing has an important role to play in their management. In the literature however there appears to be an incoherent view of the actual role of purchasing in SRs, which is limited to anecdotal accounts that take the vague assumption that purchasing managers and departments, by virtue of their position in organisations, manage the SRs. The aim of this thesis is to push theory forward by exploring this role in a systematic way and to investigate whether and how it varies across SRs that involve the exchange of products/services with certain structural characteristics.I n that way it generates insights about how the purchasing function can be leveraged to better manage SRs. A multiple case study research design is employed in order to achieve a deeper and greater understanding of the processes that define the actual role of purchasing. Empirical research is conducted in two large service organisations in the UK (a financial organisation and an airport operator), examining seven diverse SRs that involve the exchange of products and services with different levels of asset specificity and criticality. An integrated framework of various activities that purchasing managers are involved in for the management of SRs is developed initially. The way that purchasing managers conduct these activities in the different SRs is then examined to generate insights about the actual role of purchasing in the individual SRs that is defined in terms of four variables (level of contribution to the development of trust in the SR, level of power in the SRs, level of involvement in the SR and level of contribution to the development of commitment in the SR). With the use of a gap analysis model to assess the performance of the individual SRs, the impact of the role of purchasing on SRs performance is finally extrapolated. The results provide support for the following primary conclusion. The widely held assumption that purchasing managers are in effect supply chain managers is tempered by the findings of this research, which observed a far more limited role for purchasing managers (and a negative impact) in the management of SRs relating to products/services which have high levels of criticality and asset specificity. Their negative impact in such SRs was also observed to have implications for the dyadic relationship of the purchasing department with the internal (customer) departments, which under certain conditions can create problems of coordination in the organisations. From a managerial point of view this thesis demonstrates in a systematic way the contribution and role of purchasing to SRs. The framework of activities that is developed may provide a useful reference point for the auditing and improvement initiatives of purchasing professionals in SRs. From this, guidance about the types of situation in which certain activities may be more important than others will provide a useful guide to how purchasing departments may be involved in an effective and efficient way. Academically, this thesis utilises an innovative conceptual method in evaluating SRs by incorporating two major theoretical frameworks and provides with insights in delineating the actual role of the purchasing function in SRs. Finally, the thesis contributes to the ongoing debate of the establishment of a contiguous Supply Chain Management discipline, by investigating its problem domain

The role of purchasing in the management and performance of supplier relationships : an empirical investigation in service organisations

This thesis investigates the role of purchasing managers (and departments) in supplier relationships( SRs) and assesses the impact of their role on SRs' performance. Driven by the importance of outsourcing in organisations, there is an intense interest in academia in the study of SRs and an increased awareness that purchasing has an important role to play in their management. In the literature however there appears to be an incoherent view of the actual role of purchasing in SRs, which is limited to anecdotal accounts that take the vague assumption that purchasing managers and departments, by virtue of their position in organisations, manage the SRs. The aim of this thesis is to push theory forward by exploring this role in a systematic way and to investigate whether and how it varies across SRs that involve the exchange of products/services with certain structural characteristics.I n that way it generates insights about how the purchasing function can be leveraged to better manage SRs. A multiple case study research design is employed in order to achieve a deeper and greater understanding of the processes that define the actual role of purchasing. Empirical research is conducted in two large service organisations in the UK (a financial organisation and an airport operator), examining seven diverse SRs that involve the exchange of products and services with different levels of asset specificity and criticality. An integrated framework of various activities that purchasing managers are involved in for the management of SRs is developed initially. The way that purchasing managers conduct these activities in the different SRs is then examined to generate insights about the actual role of purchasing in the individual SRs that is defined in terms of four variables (level of contribution to the development of trust in the SR, level of power in the SRs, level of involvement in the SR and level of contribution to the development of commitment in the SR). With the use of a gap analysis model to assess the performance of the individual SRs, the impact of the role of purchasing on SRs performance is finally extrapolated. The results provide support for the following primary conclusion. The widely held assumption that purchasing managers are in effect supply chain managers is tempered by the findings of this research, which observed a far more limited role for purchasing managers (and a negative impact) in the management of SRs relating to products/services which have high levels of criticality and asset specificity. Their negative impact in such SRs was also observed to have implications for the dyadic relationship of the purchasing department with the internal (customer) departments, which under certain conditions can create problems of coordination in the organisations. From a managerial point of view this thesis demonstrates in a systematic way the contribution and role of purchasing to SRs. The framework of activities that is developed may provide a useful reference point for the auditing and improvement initiatives of purchasing professionals in SRs. From this, guidance about the types of situation in which certain activities may be more important than others will provide a useful guide to how purchasing departments may be involved in an effective and efficient way. Academically, this thesis utilises an innovative conceptual method in evaluating SRs by incorporating two major theoretical frameworks and provides with insights in delineating the actual role of the purchasing function in SRs. Finally, the thesis contributes to the ongoing debate of the establishment of a contiguous Supply Chain Management discipline, by investigating its problem domain.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A cloud-based supply chain management system: effects on supply chain responsiveness

Purpose: Despite the ongoing calls for the incorporation of the cloud utility model, the effect of the cloud on elements of supply chain performance is still an evolving area of research. In this paper, we develop the architecture of a cloud-based supply chain management (C-SCM) ecosystem and explore how it enhances supply chain responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach: First, we discuss the potential benefits that cloud computing can yield compared to existing mature SCM information systems and solutions through a comprehensive literature review. We conceptualize SCR in terms of the level of visibility in the supply chain, supply chain flexibility, and rapid detection and reaction to changes and then we build the detailed architecture of a cloud based SCM system. The proposed ecosystem introduces a view of SCM and the associated practices when transferred to cloud environments. The potential to enhance SCR through the cloud is explored with scenarios on a case of supply chain operations in fashion retail industry. Findings: Our findings show that the proposed system can enhance all three dimensions of SCR. Implications for supply chain practice and how companies can migrate to a cloud supply chain are drawn. Originality/Value: Given that the development, creation, and delivery of goods and services is increasingly becoming a joint effort of several parties in a supply chain, we contribute to existing literature, by introducing a comprehensive cloud-based SCM system and show how companies can enhance their supply chain responsiveness

Supply chain management: an analytical framework for critical literature review.

Abstract There can be little dispute that supply chain management is an area of importance in the "eld of management research, yet there have been few literature reviews on this topic (Bechtel and Mulumudi, 1996, Proceedings of the 1996 NAPM Annual Academic Conference; Harland, 1996, British Journal of Management 7 (special issue), 63}80; Cooper et al., 1997). This paper sets out not to review the supply chain literature per se, but rather to contribute to a critical theory debate through the presentation and use of a framework for the categorisation of literature linked to supply chain management. The study is based on the analysis of a large number of publications on supply chain management (books, journal articles, and conference papers) using a Procite database from which the literature has been classi"ed according to two criteria: a content-and a methodology-oriented criterion

Supply chain management: an analytical framework for critical literature review.

Abstract There can be little dispute that supply chain management is an area of importance in the "eld of management research, yet there have been few literature reviews on this topic (Bechtel and Mulumudi, 1996, Proceedings of the 1996 NAPM Annual Academic Conference; Harland, 1996, British Journal of Management 7 (special issue), 63}80; Cooper et al., 1997). This paper sets out not to review the supply chain literature per se, but rather to contribute to a critical theory debate through the presentation and use of a framework for the categorisation of literature linked to supply chain management. The study is based on the analysis of a large number of publications on supply chain management (books, journal articles, and conference papers) using a Procite database from which the literature has been classi"ed according to two criteria: a content-and a methodology-oriented criterion

Evolution of artificial intelligence research in Technological Forecasting and Social Change: Research topics, trends, and future directions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of rapidly expanding disruptive technologies that are radically transforming various aspects related to people, business, society, and the environment. With the proliferation of digital computing devices and the emergence of big data, AI is increasingly offering significant opportunities for society and business organizations. The growing interest of scholars and practitioners in AI has resulted in the diversity of research topics explored in bulks of scholarly literature published in leading research outlets. This study aims to map the intellectual structure and evolution of the conceptual structure of overall AI research published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change (TF&SC). This study uses machine learning-based structural topic modeling (STM) to extract, report, and visualize the latent topics from the AI research literature. Further, the disciplinary patterns in the intellectual structure of AI research are examined with the additional objective of assessing the disciplinary impact of AI. The results of the topic modeling reveal eight key topics, out of which the topics concerning healthcare, circular economy and sustainable supply chain, adoption of AI by consumers, and AI for decision-making are showing a rising trend over the years. AI research has a significant influence on disciplines such as business, management, and accounting, social science, engineering, computer science, and mathematics. The study provides an insightful agenda for the future based on evidence-based research directions that would benefit future AI scholars to identify contemporary research issues and develop impactful research to solve complex societal problems. 2023 The Author(s)Scopu

Examining the effect of External Pressures and Organizational Culture on shaping Performance Measurement Systems (PMS) for Sustainability Benchmarking: Some Empirical Findings

Sustainability benchmarking is gaining importance in industry. Despite its increasing popularity, the existing research utilizing theory to explain the organizations intention to shape performance measurement systems (PMS) for sustainability benchmarking is limited. Drawing upon institutional theory and organizational culture, this study investigates how institutional pressures motivate organizations to shape PMS for sustainability benchmarking and how such effects are moderated by organizational culture. The results of a survey of 277 respondents, gathered from Indian manufacturing firms, suggest that two of the dimensions of the institutional pressures (i.e. coercive pressures and normative pressures) are positively related to the PMS whereas the third dimension (i.e. mimetic pressures) does not affect PMS. Furthermore, organizational culture (i.e. flexible orientation and control orientation) plays a different role on the differential effect of coercive pressures, normative pressures and mimetic pressures on shaping PMS for sustainability benchmarking. The current manuscript offers an interesting contribution to the sustainability benchmarking literature: we integrate the perspectives of ‘external pressures’ and ‘organizational culture’ –as neither perspective, can on, its own can shape the PMS for sustainability benchmarking–, and ‘organizational structure’ under which the external pressures are most effective. From a practitioners' perspective, our study provides theory-driven and empirically-proven guidance for managers to understand the effect of external pressures and the role of organizational structure on PMS for sustainability benchmarking

Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy

The metaverse has the potential to extend the physical world using augmented and virtual reality technologies allowing users to seamlessly interact within real and simulated environments using avatars and holograms. Virtual environments and immersive games (such as, Second Life, Fortnite, Roblox and VRChat) have been described as antecedents of the metaverse and offer some insight to the potential socio-economic impact of a fully functional persistent cross platform metaverse. Separating the hype and “meta…” rebranding from current reality is difficult, as “big tech” paints a picture of the transformative nature of the metaverse and how it will positively impact people in their work, leisure, and social interaction. The potential impact on the way we conduct business, interact with brands and others, and develop shared experiences is likely to be transformational as the distinct lines between physical and digital are likely to be somewhat blurred from current perceptions. However, although the technology and infrastructure does not yet exist to allow the development of new immersive virtual worlds at scale - one that our avatars could transcend across platforms, researchers are increasingly examining the transformative impact of the metaverse. Impacted sectors include marketing, education, healthcare as well as societal effects relating to social interaction factors from widespread adoption, and issues relating to trust, privacy, bias, disinformation, application of law as well as psychological aspects linked to addiction and impact on vulnerable people. This study examines these topics in detail by combining the informed narrative and multi-perspective approach from experts with varied disciplinary backgrounds on many aspects of the metaverse and its transformational impact. The paper concludes by proposing a future research agenda that is valuable for researchers, professionals and policy makers alike

An attitude-behavioral model to understand people’s behavior towards tourism during COVID-19 pandemic

The impact of pandemics on the tourism industry should be explored from the perspective of those who will travel, go to the tourist places on vacation, and avail services from tourism and hospitality-related organizations. This study has aimed to identify the reasons for the changed human psychology towards tourism during the COVID-19 Pandemic to develop an attitude-behavioral model. This investigation thus conducted an extensive empirical study among tourists to capture their social, emotional, and financial beliefs. The research then examined the measurement model through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) before investigating the cause-effect relationship through the structural model. Analysis revealed that the negative effect of attitude on behavioral intention toward this new equilibrium is controlled by the emotional aspect of attitude. Furthermore this paper made several contributions to the literature on human psychology, crisis management, human behavior, marketing, and tourism

The design and delivery of modular legal services: implications for supply chain strategy

We explore how professional legal services and their supply chains can be modularised. Based on a review of the service modularity, supply chain modularity and supply chain strategy literature, we posit that the scope of service modularisation should be determined by, and aligned with, the supply chain strategy of a firm. We develop a conceptual framework that links the service and supply chain modular architectures with the supply chain strategy of service firms. The framework provides the foundation for an empirical confirmatory analysis through in-depth multiple case studies in 10 law firms in the UK. We identify the current status quo of service and supply chain architectures of professional legal services and then explore several options for their modularisation. Our findings show that legal services are currently overcustomised, offering significant opportunities for the application of modularity across their supply chains. We generate insights to show how service modularity can be applied to the service offering, processes and supply chain levels of law firms. We also demonstrate the effects of each level of modularisation on the selection of appropriate interfaces and on the decomposability of services