Buyer-supplier collaboration: A macro, micro, and congruence perspective. Issue 1 (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Mei; Falcone, Ellie; Sanders, Nada; Choi, Thomas Y.; Chang, Xiangyu
• Is Part Of: Journal of purchasing and supply management. Volume 28:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: Macro strategy -- Micro-level employee factors -- Buyer-supplier collaboration -- Archival data; Industrial procurement -- Europe -- Management -- Periodicals; Purchasing -- Europe -- Periodicals; Purchasing -- Europe -- Management -- Periodicals; Materials management -- Europe -- Periodicals; Industrial procurement -- Management; Materials management; Purchasing; Purchasing -- Management; Europe; Periodicals; 658.7205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pursup.2021.100723
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1478-4092

Abstract

Abstract: Buyer-supplier collaboration, an important part of operational performance, is predicated on the assumption that a firm's stated strategy on inter-firm collaboration is implemented in practice. We argue that a strategy is only as good as its execution and that micro-level factors—the employees' collaborative propensity and their internal collaborative behaviors—also play an essential role in the successful implementation of buyer-supplier collaboration. We test competing models based on secondary data collected from 330 manufacturing firms in 16 countries/regions. Our results show that both the macro-level firm strategy and micro-level employee factors exert substantial influence over buyer-supplier collaboration. In addition, when inter-firm collaborative strategy and micro-level factors are congruent, there is an enhancement effect. Our research explores the critical role of supply managers and surrounding employees in shaping buyer-supplier collaboration and actualizing operational strategies. Highlights: Building a collaborative relationship with suppliers requires more than setting up a collaborative policy. Supply manager's collaborative propensity matters. Surrounding employees' collaborative behaviors matters. Buyer-supplier collaboration is best realized when there is a congruence of these factors.