Colluding through Suppliers

In a dynamic game between N retailers and a large number of suppliers, I show that inefficient contracting emerges as a mechanism to implement collusion among retailers, building on the natural ‘complementarity’ between retail and wholesale prices. When efficient collusion is not sustainable, this complementarity allows retailers to rely on inefficient input supply, entailing double marginalization and negative franchise fees, to squeeze the wedge between collusive and deviation profits. I also study the role of communication on the equilibrium outcomes of games where retailers have the initiative. It turns out that communication is indeed fundamental to strengthen cartels' sustainability, although generating efficiency losses.Bertrand competition, double marginalization, collusion, competing hierarchies.

Suppliers' opportunity enactment through the development of valuable capabilities

Available online: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/840/1/Johnsen_output_3.pdfInternational audienceThe purpose of this paper is to describe the development and application of a theoretical framework to examine the connections between different types of suppliers, their capabilities and opportunities in customer relationships, and the illustration of these connections through the findings from empirical case studies of small and medium-sized suppliers in the metal industry in Denmark. Multiple case studies involving 17 small and medium-sized suppliers within the Danish metal industry were undertaken. By focusing on the development of capabilities that are "valuable" to customers in specific types of supply, small and medium-sized suppliers may improve their responses to opportunities in their customer relationships. Further investigation is needed on the longer-term impacts of valuable capabilities on opportunity enactment by suppliers, and the examination of key issues arising from these findings across different industries and countries. Small and medium-sized suppliers, their customers and government agencies involved with suppliers should advocate and actively support the development of valuable capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of suppliers' relationship and network strategies and their potential to seize opportunities. This study highlights that different types of suppliers require different types of current and future valuable capabilities to seize opportunities and sustain current customers or develop new customer relationships

Entrepreneurship and performance around MNC affiliates

The aim of this study is the analysis of the influence of a multinational company (MNC) on its local suppliers network within the host territory. We have particularly focused on how the MNC influences the performance of supplier as well as non-supplier local companies. Our study has shown the how the existence of knowledge transfer influences productivity through the productive linkage established with local suppliers and their hiring of MNC former managers. Direct local suppliers have been shown to experience higher productivity than do local suppliers from lower levels of the supply chain. Similarly, local suppliers hiring MNC former managers have shown higher productivity than those who have hired only local managers. In addition, no significant differences in productivity have been found between strategic and non-strategic suppliers

Class action law suit filed by international workers against Wal-Mart, Dismissed

Workers in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Swaziland, and Nicaragua filed a suit against Wal-Mart for its failure to monitor factories. The court concluded that Wal-Mart had no legal duty under its ‘Standards for Suppliers’ or common law negligence principles to monitor its suppliers or protect plaintiffs from suppliers’ alleged substandard labor practices

Export learning process in local supplier networks

The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of a multinational corporation on the productive network of the host territory and the proliferation of entrepreneurs. In particular, an attempt has been made to analyze the influence on the exporting activities of local SMEs, both suppliers and non-suppliers. The study has shown that strategic integrated suppliers show greater exporting tendencies than those which are not considered to be strategic suppliers for the MNC. Similarly, those companies whose founder and/or part of the executive team have worked previously in the MNC show greater levels of export activity, compared to those companies founded by local entrepreneurs

French mega-suppliers’ trajectories during the modular era: some evidences on Faurecia, Valeo and Plastic Omnium

The purpose of this paper is to present factual elements concerning the rise (decline) of French mega-suppliers. The study will focus on France’s three main mega-suppliers, all actors that have had a stake in carmakers’ modularisation strategies: Faurecia, Plastic Omnium and Valeo. Section 1 returns to the late 1980s and shows that the emergence of today’s mega-suppliers is rooted in this era and was piloted by French carmakers. Section 2 positions French mega-suppliers in a global hierarchy and distinguishes between two varieties: suppliers of simple parts; and module suppliers, with the latter constituting the focus for the rest of this text. Section 3 shows how module suppliers’ rise is rooted in their aggressive mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategies. It also demonstrates differences between suppliers in terms of the two leading acquisition strategies that were observed. Section 4 explains why these companies’ profitability continues to disappoint, developing the idea that modular strategies imply a big rise in fixed costs, something that suppliers cannot knock onto sales prices. Finally, section 5 returns to companies’ internationalisation strategies and offers a typology for the different entities that mega-suppliers consolidatemodularity, supply chain, industrial architecture, automobile.

Innovative Supplier Selection: Key Success Factors

Due  to  the  emergence  of  globalization  and  shrinking  distances, companies don’t  mind  going   to new unexplored locations in search of suitable suppliers. However, the suitability of suppliers can be measured in terms of its technical competence and innovativeness. The aim of this paper is to find out the necessary parameters to check the innovativeness of suppliers. This paper looks at how the authors analyzed existing literature on supplier selection based on their innovativeness

SUPPLIERS: Sample Code of Conduct Provisions

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.SUPPLIERS_Improving_Codes_of_Conduct_Tool1.pdf: 265 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

SUPPLIERS: Conducting Interviews with Labor Brokers

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.V_SUPPLIERS_conducting_interviews_with_labor_brokers.pdf: 157 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

SUPPLIERS: An Introduction to Grievance Mechanisms

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.V_SUPPLIERS_an_introduction_to_grievance_mechanisms.pdf: 689 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020