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Firms need to find a proper fit between their own information technology (IT) capabilities and IT systems in order to enhance performance. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of certain e-procurement system types on the relationship between IT capabilities and firm performance. Moderated regression analysis is used to test for interaction effects of IT capabilities, including collaboration capability and dynamic capability, and e-procurement system types including, E-market and Extranet. Data of 142 Korean manufacturing firms are collected and used in the analysis. There is a stronger effect when relationships between IT capability and firm performance are considered with the involvement of other resource such as e-procurement system type. When e-procurement has a minimum-information sharing function and a high market-making function, collaboration capability had a greater contribution on financial performance. On the other hand, when an e-procurement system has limited search functions, the dynamic capability shows a greater contribution to financial performance. The result of this paper gives a strategic view by providing a new perspective regarding the suitability between e-procurement being used by itself and the IT capability necessary for this. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since supplier insolvencies are a major source of supply chain disruptions, scholars have continuously suggested managing supply chain risk management (SCRM) proactively in order to avoid their occurrence. However, business practice seems to fail with this task. This paper investigates antecedents which foster proactive SCRM implementation from a contingency theory perspective. As a major contingency we choose past supplier insolvencies as an indicator for the level of vulnerability of organisations and investigate inter-organisational, intra-organisational, and individual antecedents. By consulting supply chain management and management accounting literature, hypotheses are developed and tested via content analysis in 63 interviews with representatives from the automotive industry. The findings demonstrate that a mechanistic management control system, a rational cognitive style and relational buyer–supplier relationships have positive impacts on proactively managing supplier insolvency risks. Furthermore, past experience with supplier insolvencies has a moderating, though not a direct, effect on proactiveness. This research suggests that a holistic risk management approach is required to proactively mitigate supplier insolvency risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid pace of new product introduction and global sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing facilities have created a complex and fragmented supply chain. Retailers in many consumer product industries are relying on third-party supply-chain managers (SCMs) to manage the global supply chain cost-effectively with short production lead times. To meet delivery requirements, the SCM must start the production process before receiving a firm order from retailers. We assume a two-stage production process where, in stage 1, a base product is produced. In stage 2, the base product is customised. The SCM absorbs the penalties associated with over- or underestimating retailers’ demand. Hence, the SCM has to decide on (a) the optimal production quantity of the base products and (b) the number of base products to be customised without delay. We develop a profit maximisation model for this strategy using a nonlinear objective function with two decision variables and one constraint. Applying Kuhn–Tucker conditions, closed-form solutions are obtained for the two decision variables. Also, formulations are given for two additional strategies: postpone customisation of all products and produce customised products only. An example illustrates the use of our model. We also examine the impact of demand variability on the effectiveness of the three strategies. Results show that postponement may not always be the best strategy for an SCM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the fundamental building blocks of supply chain agility, which are conceptualised as supply- and demand-side competence. While the former refers to production and supply management related activities, the latter refers to distribution and demand management related activities. The model further assesses the influence of supply chain agility on operational performance, as well as its mediating role in the relationship between supply- and demand-side competence and performance. Within this framework, process compliance, i.e. how well supply chain management processes are internally executed by the firm's employees, is viewed as an enabler (moderator) on the relationship between supply chain competencies and supply chain agility. Theoretical substantiation is provided by the resource-based view of the firm augmented with the dynamic capabilities perspective. The model is tested with data from 121 supply chain management professionals. Implications for both academic theory development and supply chain and production management practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper studies a buyer sourcing a product from multiple suppliers under stochastic demand. The buyer uses a (Q, s) continuous review, reorder point, order quantity inventory control system to determine the size and timing of orders. Lead time is assumed to be deterministic and to vary linearly with the lot size, wherefore lead time and the associated stockout risk may be influenced by varying the lot size and the number of contracted suppliers. This paper presents mathematical models for a multiple supplier single buyer integrated inventory problem with stochastic demand and variable lead time and studies the impact of the delivery structure on the risk of incurring a stockout during lead time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) is considered one of the main legislative systems that are set up to reduce emissions and protect the environment. Most of the works in the literature approach this system from a legislation and/or global point of view. Little has been done to examine this system from the perspective of the user. This work is believed to be the first to consider the EU-ETS system in a supply chain and operations management context. A two-level (vendor–buyer) supply chain model with a coordination mechanism is presented while accounting for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manufacturing processes. Different emissions trading schemes are considered, and possible combinations between these schemes are presented. The developed model could be found useful by mangers who wish to jointly minimise the inventory-related and GHG emissions costs of their supply chains when penalties for exceeding emissions limits are considered. Numerical examples are presented, and results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes the impact of collaborative transportation management (CTM) on the performance of manufacturing supply chains using a multi-agent approach. Two supply chain models (with and without CTM) are proposed to show how it realises the real operational interactions between different supply chain partners under demand disruption. Simulation results of the proposed models reveal the evolution of the CTM supply chain with demand disruption. The dynamic delivery ability and order point which are caused by demand disruption in the CTM supply chain are investigated. The results indicate that CTM can significantly reduce costs and improve the flexibility of companies in handling demand disruption problems. It is suggested that CTM is an efficient mechanism to manage supply chains, especially under a demand disruption environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the last decade, supply chain coordination has attracted much attention in the context of industrial logistics systems, because of the role played in production support logistics. There is a growing interest in the analysis and measurement of performances, because performance analysis allows us to build supporting decision tools for the design, planning and management of the supply chain. This paper presents an analytical approach for performance analysis based on a decomposition principle. The approach is applied to a serial supply chain that consists of two levels of suppliers, a production plant and a distribution centre, and operates as a pull system. This configuration is typical for bulk materials such as grain. The method allows us to approximately calculate performance indicators (such as customer satisfaction and inventory levels) taking into account all the interactions between the different echelons of the supply chain. The accuracy of the approximations is confirmed by the results obtained via a simulation model. Numerical analysis allows us to outline interesting and non-intuitive behaviour of the performance indicators for different stages of the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are several studies on human resource management (HRM) at the inter-firm dyadic relationship level, the HR aspects of intra-firm strategic supply relationships have been largely ignored. Yet interdependence requires coordination among functions, sites, and stages of the internal supply chain (SC). Drawing on a case study of a large European pharmaceutical company, which we call Tyrenco, we explore how HR practices evolve within the strategic intra-firm supply relationship. Our findings illustrate the disruptive effects of HR practices when they are focused on site-based objectives and the improved coordination that results from redesigning HR processes to achieve internal operational integration. We highlight the tension between site-based, financial controls and an emergent SC logic. Drawing on recent interest in cooperative approaches to HR practices, this study seeks to operationalize the need to align HR practices with end-to-end objectives at different stages of the intra-firm supply chain. Our findings have practical implications for designing HR practices within multinational corporations (MNCs) that are characterized by complex and fragmented internal environments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using uncertain real-time information to update supply chain operational policies creates a need for developing dynamic supply chain management capabilities that increase responsiveness to demand and decrease volatility of the replenishment process (popularly known as the Bullwhip Effect). To this end, we explore the use of control theoretic principles to manage the inventory replenishment process in a supply chain under different forecast situations. We study the use of proportional, proportional-integral and proportional-derivative control schemes to determine the conditions under which specific control actions are beneficial. Analytical models and simulation runs are used to study the trade-off between responsiveness to demand and volatility. Our analysis indicates that using proportional control to manage inventory replenishment is suitable for high forecast error situations. Proportional control along with integral control works well in situations where the forecast bias is relatively higher than the forecast error. Proportional control along with derivative control works best in situations with moderate forecast errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many firms, using their supply chains as competitive weapons has become a central element of the strategic management process in recent years. Drawing on the resource-based view and theory from the organizational learning and information-processing literatures, this study uses a sample of 201 firms to examine the influence of a culture of competitiveness and knowledge development on supply chain performance in varied market turbulence conditions. We found that synergies exist between a culture of competitiveness and knowledge development: their interaction has a positive association with performance. In addition, based on behavioral and contingency theories, we found that market turbulence moderates these relationships, having a positive influence on the knowledge development–performance link and a negative influence on the culture of competitiveness–performance link. Managers who are confident about the level of market turbulence they will face can use this sense to decide whether to emphasize developing either a culture of competitiveness or knowledge development in their supply chains. For those firms whose managers are unlikely to be able to predict the degree of turbulence they will face over time, a focus on both a culture of competitiveness and knowledge development is critical to ensuring success. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the use of online reverse auctions in industrial-sourcing activities grows, buyers and suppliers are increasingly concerned about these auctions' effects on their interorganizational performance (i.e., suspicions of opportunism, overall satisfaction, and future expectations). This research examines how the buyer's auction design (i.e., the number of bidders, the economic stakes, and price visibility) and the price dynamics over the course of the auction affect its relationship with suppliers. Analysis of 25 quasi experiments involving 125 suppliers and $385 million in procurement contracts suggests that the larger the number of bidders, the larger the economic stakes, and the less visible the price in an auction, the more positive is the impact on the interorganizational relationship. Large price drops (higher savings) over the course of the event have a detrimental effect on the buyer--supplier relationship. For auctions in which the lowest bidder wins, there is a decrease in opportunism suspicions as the economic stakes of the auction increase, and there is an increase in opportunism suspicions in auctions with greater price visibility. Implications for the management of industrial procurement activities are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While salespeople are coached and trained to use an adaptive approach to selling, sales training tends to be assumptive about the inclusion of specific selling techniques. Part of this assumptive approach is the belief that the old-tried-and true techniques such as the testimonial form of closing are consistent with an adaptive selling approach. Results of this survey of over 200 industrial buyers' points to the flaws in these assumptions and suggests there are techniques which are not part of adaptive selling. Industrial buyers make distinctions between standard selling techniques -- and associate a specific set of techniques with highly adaptive salespeople. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine how a firm's strategy in a (downstream) customer relationship is contingent on how a related relationship outside of the focal dyad is organized. Drawing on emerging perspectives on interfirm governance and networks, the authors propose that the ability to show flexibility toward a (downstream) customer under uncertain market conditions depends on the governance mechanisms that have been deployed in an (upstream) supplier relationship. The governance mechanisms take the form of (1) supplier qualification programs and (2) incentive structures based on hostages. The authors develop a set of contingency predictions and test them empirically in the context of vertical supply chain networks in the apparel industry. The tests show good support for the hypotheses. The authors discuss the implications of the findings for marketing theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buyers are increasingly turning to online reverse auctions in their negotiations with suppliers. How do these price competition mechanisms affect buyer-supplier relationships? The author considers this question in the context of a quasi experiment involving six online reverse auctions conducted in the supply base of a major industrial buyer. The results indicate that these auctions increase both new and current suppliers' beliefs that buyers act opportunistically, particularly in open-bid auctions. Current suppliers are generally more willing than new suppliers to make dedicated investments toward the buyer. Paradoxically, in sealed-bid auctions, both current and new suppliers increase their willingness to make dedicated investments toward the buyer. Although these auctions cay yield cost savings, the savings are category specific and are not systematically related to an open- or sealed-bid format. The author also discusses implications for the use of online reverse auctions in industrial sourcing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors focus on emergent buying center networks in firms that recently have purchased an expensive, complex, technological product. The authors examine how a person's information control and influence vary within such networks. The purpose of this study is to assess the relative contribution of information control, individual attributes, and organization structure variables on influence. The authors find that factors related to the person are the most important in explaining a buying center member's influence for this type of purchasing decision. Although less important, the variables of information control, decentralization, and formalization also affect influence. Overall, the authors find strong empirical support for their model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purchasing arrangements for repetitively used industrial supplies assume many different forms. Drawing on transaction cost analysis, the authors advance a conceptual framework that organizes these arrangements along a continuum of relationships. They use data from a survey of 140 OEM purchasers of bearings to demonstrate that performance in terms of acquisition costs is enhanced when, under conditions of uncertainty, firms introduce more relational elements into their purchasing arrangements. Possession cost performance improved when larger volumes of bearings were purchased. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organizational system buying concept is introduced as an organizing framework for exploring the patterned, repeated interactions that characterize ongoing purchasing processes. Applying a structural perspective to the study of influence, the authors assert that organizational actors derive influence from the position they occupy within the buying system. An analysis of a 171-member organizational network demonstrates that individual influence in organizational buying is derived from properties of both the formal and the informal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author investigates factors that affect an individual's influence in a buying center. A field investigation of 251 organizational purchase decisions suggests that expert power is the most important influence determinant, followed by reinforcement power. Interestingly, the effectiveness of individual power bases is found to vary with buying center size, viscidity, time pressure, and the strength of accompanying influence attempts. New measures of different types of power and influence in group settings are developed, validated, and offered for use in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To successfully market their products, industrial vendors must determine who participates in an organizational purchase decision and what their influence is. Previous research has shown that participation and influence can vary across products and purchase situations. Though industrial marketing researchers would agree that there are different types of purchase situations, they would disagree on a taxonomy for describing them. The author uses past research as a point of departure and proposes a structural equations model that suggests the purchase situation attributes of novelty, complexity, and importance are causal determinants of participation and influence in an industrial purchase decision. The results indicate that these constructs, especially novelty and importance, provide a plausible typology for describing participation and influence in industrial purchase situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has assessed industrial buyers' opinions of restaurant meetings with sales representatives but failed to clarify what settings are advantageous from a sales standpoint (Dempsey, Bushman, and Plank 1980; Halvorson and Rudelius 1977). This experiment involving 211 purchasing personnel examines the impact of different restaurant meeting settings on industrial buyers' reactions to three user-versus-supplier problems. In a design where the environment of a buyer-seller meeting and the nature of user-supplier purchase problems were manipulated, it was found that an ordinary, unpretentious restaurant meeting caused more favorable evaluations than a nonroutine, fancy restaurant meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ability to influence members of organizational buying groups is often the chief requirement for a successful industrial marketing effort. One approach is to stimulate a buying center boundary role person to take on an additional role of advocate. This article presents a causal model of antecedent factors hypothesized to stimulate advocacy and consequent effects of perceived advocacy behavior on organizational buyers' vendor choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model of the organizational buying process is presented. The ontological framework of the model is based on the assumption that organizational buying behavior is essentially a form of work behavior. The model is informed by expectancy theory and emphasizes the role of reward and measurement systems in motivating purchasing process participants. It is suggested that this approach can serve as the foundation of a research program that may eventually lead to a unified theory of the organizational dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article approaches the industrial buyer's vendor selection decision process as one of problem solving in the face of probabilistic outcomes, i.e., risk. The findings of the national experiment reported here suggest that methods of handling risk in vendor selection decisions are mediated by loyalty to current vendors and by the way the industrial buyer perceives or frames the decision problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies cognitive script theory to the analysis of the industrial purchase behaviors involved in a computer terminal purchase. Industrial buyers' scripts for the overall new buy purchase process, an initial sales call, a follow-up negotiation meeting, and a modified rebuy situation are established and validated. Implications for industrial marketing research and practice are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents both a conceptual and a methodological framework for examining organizational buying behavior from a multiperson level of analysis. Focusing on those organizational members who participate in the procurement decision making process, this research investigates the buying group's adaptive structural configuration in response to varying levels of environmental uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses information pertaining to industrial leasing. A lease is a contract by which the owner of an asset grants the right to use the asset for a given term to another party in return for a periodic payment of rent. Leases can be grouped into the categories of financial and operating. Leases are often seen as tools for broadening a company's products and services offerings and as an expansion for profit opportunities. An economic advantage of leasing will result if the lessor is capable of "underpricing" alternative debt capital suppliers, such as banks.

On the basis of field interviews and questionnaires from a sample of 142 purchasing agents in different firms, the author finds that the work behavior of the agents is strongly influenced by "lateral" negotiations. The relationship between the purchasing department and other departments in the organization, particularly engineering and scheduling, cannot be understood in terms of traditional, "vertical" supervisor-subordinate or line-staff concepts. Instead, the typical work-flow relationship involves much more than the giving of advice or the application of hierarchical authority. The ambitious purchasing agent skillfully uses formal and informal techniques in order to influence the terms of the requisitions that he receives. Thus he introduces a two-way work flow and in this way raises his own status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writer believes that much that has been written about reciprocity ignores some of the problems inherent in its use. These problems include knowing when reciprocity is expected, how power is balanced in the buyer/seller relationship, reconciling reciprocity with profit centers, administrative costs, possible increased buying costs, and organizational difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the preparations and organization required for supporting the national war effort in World War II. Industrial preparedness and its relation to the war economy and business planning are discussed. The author expresses the importance of material support, manpower and economic integration for national defense efforts to be successful. The Government Planning Office has made available the Army and Navy Industrial Mobilization Plan for a small fee. Private industry plays a critical role in utilizing economic resources to prepare the country for war. The domestic mobilization and planning behind a war effort is discussed.

Supply uncertainty has been elevated to a strategic level concern in driving supply chain success. This paper considers that a firm faces a deterministic demand and procures from two unreliable suppliers: one is subject to a random disruption and might deliver all or nothing of the firm's order, while the other one exposes to a random yield risk for the firm's order. We explore the models of no recourse and ordering with recourse, and derive optimal solutions for each model. We provide the conditions under which single or dual sourcing strategy should be used. We also compare the decisions and profits among different models through computational experiments and find that it is more beneficial to order from the relatively expensive supplier as a backup source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the geographical location of and thus the geographical distance between buyer and supplier impact on the efficacy of purchasing practices (i.e. strategic purchasing management, tactical purchasing management, relational purchasing management) in terms of operational performance.Design/methodology/approach The authors utilise cross-country data collected through the International Purchasing Survey group across a variety of countries and industry sectors. The authors conduct exploratory factor analysis to assess construct validity and regression analysis to test the varying effects of purchasing practices on operational performance. The authors split the sample to compare potential differences in the efficacy of purchasing practices between buyers and suppliers through geographical characteristics.Findings The results indicate that the efficacy of purchasing practices does indeed vary depending on differences in geographical location. Specifically, the authors identify that in cases where the buyer and supplier are located in the same country tactical and relational purchasing tools have a positive impact on operational performance. However, in cases where they are situated in different countries none of the purchasing tools seems to significantly improve operational performance.Originality/value Research that has taken a cross-country perspective on the efficacy of supply chain practices is surprisingly sparse. Since most supply chains are becoming more and more global it is important to consider the geographical location of the supply chain members when assessing the performance benefits of supply chain practices such as purchasing tools. Thus, the authors introduce and test the concept of geographical distance on the efficacy of purchasing practices at the dyadic level. To test the implications of geographical distance for purchasing practices the authors use a large-scale cross-country survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a synthesised conceptual framework for global sourcing (GS) strategy and structure.Design/methodology/approach The authors adopt a systematic literature review method and analyse through content analysis techniques 52 peer-reviewed journal articles focussed on GS strategy and structure. Based on these analyses, a conceptual model is developed.Findings A synthesised construct of GS strategy, consisting of three dimensions, i.e., supply internationalisation, internal integration and external integration, is proposed. The GS structure construct is further broken down into structural design and control and coordination, consisting of three dimensions for each. Propositions for GS strategy, GS structure and, in particular, the relationships between them are developed for future empirical validation.Originality/value This is the first study which synthesises various dimensions of GS strategy and GS structure and advances/extends the theory of the strategy-structure nexus to a GS context. The conceptual model provides a comprehensive framework for future empirical work and opens avenues of research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanisms through which the use of enterprise systems (ESs) enhances buyer-supplier integration (BSI). More specifically, the authors explain a model where ES enhances BSI indirectly, mediated by inventory management capabilities (IMCs), as the way ES enhances BSI remains under-explored in the literature.Design/methodology/approach Application of the resource orchestration framework to explain how capabilities and mechanisms interplay to enhance BSI. Data were collected by means of a survey instrument. Data collection took place as part of a larger project, sponsored by the Spanish Government, to evaluate logistics competitiveness in Spain.Findings ES enhances BSI by serving as a coordinating mechanism that maintains capability configurations in a value-creating alignment. IMC plays a key, yet under-explored role as a mediating mechanism that supports ES-enabled BSI.Research limitations/implications First, this research does not fully capture the multi-party nature of the supply chain context. Second, data collection was limited to companies that were more likely to have a systematic approach to logistics issues (i.e. large- and medium-sized companies) and companies based in Spain.Originality/value This paper enhances both scholarly and practitioner understanding of the mechanisms through which the implementation and use of ES contributes to BSI. In addition, this paper integrates literature from different fields (e.g. strategy, information systems, and operations) to gain a better understanding of how the implementation and use of ES affects BSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of strategy and concurrent engineering (CE) in driving design for procurement (DFP) actions and results via the role of procurement professionals in new product development (NPD). The strategies of cost leadership, differentiation, and a hybrid approach are compared, and sequential NPD is compared to a CE approach within a DFP context.Design/methodology/approach ANOVA was applied to survey data collected for a series of items capturing the activities and characteristics relating to procurement for a new product design, as well as the performance of the product compared to other design events in the firm.Findings Several major findings were supported through the analysis. Product-level strategy played a limited role, at best, in driving the implementation of procurement activities and product performance. In contrast, high CE intensity was shown to improve procurement activity and product performance. The results were analyzed along the three dimensions of sustainability, and were especially strong for both environmental and economic-focused activities and performance.Practical implications Managers should work to integrate procurement early into NPD activities, ensure procurement uses strategy to drive decisions, and can use DFP initiatives from this research to implement a DFP program.Originality/value This research is one of the first attempts to empirically test design-for (DFX) approaches in NPD. It creates one of the first theoretical frameworks for DFX-related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green procurement is the integration of both environmental and social elements with traditional procurement practices. Green procurement is truly the pressing call of the day and has recently gained attention of both researchers and supply chain practitioners globally. However, there are scant research studies available in the direction of unethical practices and its influence on key green procurement variables. The aim of the current study is to explore the relationships between buyer-deceitful practices, buyer-subtle practices, buyer-supplier relationships, supplier development, and green design. Here, SPSS AMOS version 24.0 has been used to simultaneously assess the measurement instrument and hypothesized model. The findings show that relationship between buyer deceitful activities and supplier development is significant. Secondly, relationship between buyer-supplier relationship and green design is also found to be strong. The study provides some unique contributions to the theory and further extends the knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disclosure fatigue from increasing environmental and sustainability reporting, combined with the complexity of the procurement process with frequent challenges in availability, accessibility and accountability has resulted in fragmentation of all sectors including the built environment. This paper highlights key expected features of ISO 20400 on Sustainable Procurement and its relevancy for the built environment particularly in relation to the procurement process. The role of sustainability claims and labels, including declarations and certifications, and associated verification methods are discussed in regard to fitness for purpose, environmental, health, social and ethical considerations. Finally, future directions will be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable procurement is a solution to integrate environmental and social considerations in all steps of procurement process, in order to reduce impacts on human health, environment, and human rights. Despite the existence of important works in this area, more studies for determining how the principles related to sustainable development can be integrated to procurement strategies are needed. This study presents a case study in a mining company to evaluate the elements that should be considered for the implementation of sustainability concept in the contracting of services through the application of a sustainability portfolio model. Results show that the contracts of the internal movement's category of the studied company fit as Strategic Commodity, which means that the items in this category have a risk in the strategic supply, because they need investments made by the buyer in the relationship with the supplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents industrial marketing abstracts. They include "Outlook Seventies," by Walter S. Fedor, "Industry Starts the Big Cleanup," by John Davenport, and "The Industrial Revolution and Models of Buyer Behavior," by Wallace Feldman and Richard Cardozo.

Utilising the methodology of content analysis, this study uses a multidisciplinary approach to define public e-procurement. Various aspects of e-procurement have been discussed from information systems, supply chain management, electronic commerce/electronic government, and public procurement to come up with an integrated definition of public e-procurement. Following this, e-procurement assimilation has been defined and its impact on procurement efficiency has been evaluated. Following the confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modelling, dimensional level analysis in ANOVA has been undertaken for the three forms of e-procurement technologies namely e-tendering, e-catalogue management systems, and e-marketplace. The results show the positive and significant impact of the assimilation process on procurement efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in strategic choice theory and employing a latent class analysis model of 371 retailers, this study provides a classification of retailer strategic orientations so that the retailers’ choice of cooperation levels and ultimately their growth performance can be assessed by their suppliers. The results suggest three major classes of retailers based on their strategic orientations: premium, hybrid, and emergent classes. The outcome of this study guides the supplier partners of retailers in developing and maintaining various levels of cooperative relationships based on uniqueresource needs and expectations of each retailer strategic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a practical tool for articulating best value criteria during the procurement of public-sector building projects in Korea. Data is obtained from sampling 180 stakeholders drawn mainly from a pool of government construction and project management experts in the Republic of Korea. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to rank emergent value criteria. The study finds that best value judgments are (1) multi-faceted assessments of stakeholder most needs; (2) mitigated by project characteristics; and (3) span functional and aesthetic considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]