scholarly journals Archetypes of sourcing decision-making

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin C. Schleper ◽  
Constantin Blome ◽  
Alina Stanczyk
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Product Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Buying ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop taxonomy of sourcing decision-making (SDM) archetypes and explore how different contextual factors influence these archetypes when global sourcing of complex components is considered a viable option. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study approach with five in-depth cases is employed. In total, 19 interviews as well as publicly available and internal data from large buying firms headquartered in Austria and Germany were collected and analyzed. Findings The results reveal three different SDM archetypes which are described in detail (i.e. “consensus,” “argumentation” and “cabal”). Furthermore, it is found that these archetypes are mainly influenced by three contextual factors: sourcing maturity, product complexity and leadership style. The final model comprises six propositions which illustrate how these contextual factors determine companies’ SDM archetypes. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to theory development at the intersection of organizational buying behavior and the (global) SDM literature. Thereby, it answers the call for more rigorous investigation of the influence of contextual factors on SDM processes. Practical implications The findings enable practitioners to better understand and consequently manage SDM processes and their outcomes. By supporting decision-makers in identifying SDM archetypes, this study allows sourcing managers and teams to make better decisions by avoiding problems that occur in situations in which the preferred decision-making type would result in suboptimal decisions. Originality/value The study provides a first step toward taxonomy of SDM archetypes and is among the first that explores their underlying contextual factors.

scholarly journals Combining or separating forward and reverse logistics

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaza Nadja Lee Hansen ◽  
Samuel Brüning Larsen ◽  
Anders Paarup Nielsen ◽  
Anders Groth ◽  
Nicklas Gregers Gregersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Product Portfolio ◽  
Product Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Forward Logistics ◽  
Advantageous Position ◽  
Decision Making Framework ◽  
Full Separation

Purpose While forward logistics handles and manages the flow of goods downstream in the supply chain from suppliers to customers, reverse logistics (RL) manages the flow of returned goods upstream. A firm can combine RL with forward logistics, keep the flows separated, or choose a position between the two extremes. The purpose of this paper is to identify the contextual factors that determine the most advantageous position, which the paper refers to as the most advantageous degree of combination. Design/methodology/approach The paper first develops a scale ranging from 0 percent combination to 100 percent combination (i.e. full separation). Second, using the contingency theory the paper identifies the contextual factors described in RL-literature that determine the most advantageous degree of combination. The set of factors is subsequently tested using a case study, which applies a triangulation approach that combines a qualitative and a quantitative method. Findings The results show six distinct contextual factors that determine the most advantageous degree of combination. Examples of factors are technical product complexity, product portfolio variation, and the loss of product value over time. Practical implications For practitioners the scale of possible positions and set of contextual factors constitute a decision-making framework. Using the framework practitioners can determine the most advantageous position of the scale for their firm. Originality/value Much RL-research addresses intra-RL issues while the relationship between forward and RL is under-researched. This paper contributes to RL theory by identifying the contextual factors that determine the most advantageous relationship between forward and RL, and proposes a novel decision-making framework for practitioners.

Performance improvements in logistics outsourcing relationships: the role of LSP and customer organizational culture archetypes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Nevries ◽  
Carl Marcus Wallenburg
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Relationship Patterns ◽  
Logistics Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case

PurposeThe study aims to develop an organizational culture typology and explore how different logistics service provider (LSP) and customer archetypes interact to generate performance improvements in logistics outsourcing relationships.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study approach with 12 dyads was employed. Interviews as well as public and internal data from LSPs and customers were analyzed.FindingsThe results reveal four archetypes each for LSPs and customers, characterized by two dimensions: “activeness” and “openness”. Furthermore, analyzing the interaction among the archetypes, three relationship patterns are identified (“static”, “restrained”, and “progressive”) that differ in the exploratory and exploitative improvement outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to theory development at the intersection of organizational culture and logistics outsourcing.Originality/valueThe study provides a typology of organizational culture in logistics outsourcing and how different archetypes interact to generate improvements.

The heart in organizational buying: marketers’ understanding of emotions and decision-making of buyers

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyria A. Kemp ◽  
Aberdeen Leila Borders ◽  
Nwamaka A. Anaza ◽  
Wesley J. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Organizational Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Buying ◽  
Functional Value ◽  
Human Decision ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Organizational buying behavior has often been treated as a rational activity, even though humans are involved in the decision-making. Human decision-making often includes a complex cadre of emotions and rationalizations. Subsequently, organizational buyers may not only be driven by logic, testing and facts, but also by emotions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that emotions play in organizational buying behavior. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with marketing decision-makers for one of the most valuable brands in the world. The role that emotions play in the behavior of organizational buyers is elucidated from the perspective of these marketing professionals. Findings Emotions are prevalent at all stages in the organizational decision-making process and various discrete emotions fuel action tendencies among buyers. Efforts are made by marketers to strategically manage the emotions buyers experience. Practical implications Although organizational buyers must see the functional value of a product or brand, companies need to consider ways in which brands can connect with buyers on an emotional and personal level. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by offering insights into which discrete or specific emotions are most prominent in organizational buying behavior and how the manifestation of these emotions impact decision-making at each stage in the buying cycle.

Studi Perilaku Anggota Unit Pengambil Keputusan Dalam Pembelian Organisasional: Sebuah Review Literatur

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Amin Wibowo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Organizational Buying ◽  
Decision Making Unit ◽  
Behavior Based ◽  
Sharing Responsibility

Up to now, organizational buying is still interesting topic discussed. There are divergences among the findings in organizational buying researches. Different perspectives, fenomena observed, research domains and methods caused the divergences. This paper will discusse organizational buying behavior based on literature review, focused on behavior of decision making unit mainly on equipment buying. From this review literatures, it would be theoritical foundation that is valid and reliable to develop propositions in organizational buying behavior. Based on review literature refferences, variables are classified into: purchase situation, member of decision making unit perception, conflict among the members, information search, influences among members of decision making unit. Integrated approach is used to develop propositions relating to: purchasing complexity, sharing responsibility among the members, conflict in decision making unit, information search, time pressure as moderating variable between sharing responsibility and conflict in decision making unit, the influence among the members inside decision making unit and decision making outcome

Re-examining the effects of supplier integration on operations performance: a relational view

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 1702-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanqiong He ◽  
Hongyi Sun ◽  
Wenbin Ni ◽  
Stephen C.H. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Product Complexity ◽  
Relational View ◽  
Competition Intensity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Joint Decision ◽  
Competitive Intensity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supplier Integration ◽  
Operations Performance

Purpose The importance of supplier integration (SI) in improving firms’ performance has been previously identified but the effects of SI are complicated, as the relationship between supplier and buyer is full of uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the effects of SI on operations performance from a relational view. Design/methodology/approach Two strategies of integrating suppliers are theoretically presented: information sharing and joint decision making. Hypotheses are then developed on when SI influences operations performance, using product complexity and competitive intensity as moderating factors. The hypotheses are tested using a global survey data set, made up of 763 manufacturing firms from 22 countries. Findings The results indicate a positive relationship between SI and operations performance and that the moderating roles of product complexity and competition intensity are significant, but product complexity does not have significant moderation effects on the relationships between joint decision making and product quality/cost reduction. Research limitations/implications The moderators of product complexity and competitive intensity are not comprehensive. Future study into how and under what circumstances SI has the greatest effect will be of benefit. Originality/value This study makes theoretical contributions by exploring the strategies of SI through a relational view, and examining the effects of SI through the moderating roles of product complexity and competition intensity.

scholarly journals Managing brand presence through social media: the case of UK football clubs

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff McCarthy ◽  
Jennifer Rowley ◽  
Catherine Jane Ashworth ◽  
Elke Pioch
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Football Clubs ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Community Growth ◽  
Further Development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge on the issues and benefits associated with managing brand presence and relationships through social media. UK football clubs are big businesses, with committed communities of fans, so are an ideal context from which to develop an understanding of the issues and challenges facing organisations as they seek to protect and promote their brand online. Design/methodology/approach – Due to the emergent nature of social media, and the criticality of the relationships between clubs and their fans, an exploratory study using a multiple case study approach was used to gather rich insights into the phenomenon. Findings – Clubs agreed that further development of social media strategies had potential to deliver interaction and engagement, community growth and belonging, traffic flow to official web sites and commercial gain. However, in developing their social media strategies they had two key concerns. The first concern was the control of the brand presence and image in social media, and how to respond to the opportunities that social media present to fans to impact on the brand. The second concern was how to strike an appropriate balance between strategies that deliver short-term revenue, and those that build longer term brand loyalty. Originality/value – This research is the first to offer insights into the issues facing organisations when developing their social media strategy.

scholarly journals Exploring the root causes of servitization challenges: an organisational boundary perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ziaee Bigdeli ◽  
Kawaljeet Kapoor ◽  
Andreas Schroeder ◽  
Omid Omidvar
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Senior Executives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Multiple Case

PurposeThis paper explains how servitization disrupts long-established internal and external boundaries of product-focused manufacturers and investigates the root causes of servitization challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw from the collective experiences of 20 senior executives from ten multinational manufacturers involved in servitization, using a multiple case study approach, and employ a codebook thematic analysis technique.FindingsThe authors develop an integrative framework based on the theoretical notions of power, competency and identity boundaries to offer insights into the root causes of various servitization-related challenges.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the extant literature discusses servitization challenges, it does not examine the underlying root causes that create them in the first place. This study contributes to the extant research by establishing rational links between organisational boundaries (internal and external) and servitization challenges in the interest of building a coherent and systematically integrated body of theory that can be successfully applied and built upon by future research.Practical implicationsThis study provides a foundation for managers to recognise, anticipate and systematically manage various boundary-related challenges triggered by servitization.Originality/valueIt is one of the first studies to employ the concept of organisational boundary to understand the challenges created by servitization and to account for both internal (between different functions of the same organisation) and external boundaries (between an organisation and its external stakeholders) to establish a holistic understanding of the impacts of servitization on manufacturers.

Influence of age and gender on decision-making models and leadership styles of non-profit executives in Texas, USA

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis C. Uzonwanne
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Rational Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Rational Decision Making ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Decision Making Models

Purpose The purpose of this study is to fill the gap by investigating the relationship between age and other demographics on decision-making and leadership styles of executives in the non-profit sector. Design/methodology/approach This study is a quantitative research using correlation analysis and analysis of variance. The quantitative approach establishes facts, makes predictions and tests stated hypothesis and used the Pearson correlation coefficient, the ANOVA and the two-way analysis of variance. This study used surveys to collect data. Findings H1 states that there will be no significant difference in the decision-making models used among non-profit organizational leaders (rational, intuitive, dependent, spontaneous and avoidant) based on demographic variables: gender and age. H2 states that there will be no significant difference in the leadership style used among non-profit organizational executives (selling, telling, delegating and participating) and different dimensions of demographic variables: gender and age. Research limitations/implications This study explored the relationship between the demographics, age and gender and the decision-making models (rational, intuitive, dependent, spontaneous and avoidant) and leadership styles (selling, telling, delegating and participating) of executives in non-profit organizations. The age of the executives also showed to be important factors that influenced executive’s leadership styles and decision-making models as well. Practical implications Rational decision-making as reflected to in this study has been used by older, possibly more experienced non-profit executives. This model is favorable towards making decisions on complicated issues. The final choice rational decision-makers select will maximize the outcome; it is assumed that the decision-maker will choose the alternative that rates the highest and get the maximum benefits (Robbins and Decenzo, 2003, pp. 141-142). The researcher suggests that non-profit executives, especially the younger executives, should attend management and leadership conferences that focus on rational decision-making models as concerns business strategies and making the best choices based on possible alternatives. Social implications Rational decision-making as reflected to in this study has been used by older, possibly more experienced non-profit executives. This model is favorable towards making decisions on complicated issues. The final choice rational decision-makers select will maximize the outcome; it is assumed that the decision-maker will choose the alternative that rates the highest and get the maximum benefits (Robbins and Decenzo, 2003, pp. 141-142). The researcher suggests that non-profit executives, especially the younger executives, should attend management and leadership conferences that focus on rational decision-making models as concerns business strategies and making the best choices based on possible alternatives. Originality/value This is an original piece of research that contributes to the literature on leadership style.

Adoption strategies of social media in B2B firms: a multiple case study approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 730-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Lashgari ◽  
Catherine Sutton-Brady ◽  
Klaus Solberg Søilen ◽  
Pernilla Ulfvengren
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Multiple Case

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to clarify business-to-business (B2B) firms’ strategies of social media marketing communication. The study aims to explore the factors contributing to the formation and adoption of integration strategies and identify who the B2B firms target.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case study approach is used to compare four multinational corporations and their practices. Face-to-face interviews with key managers, and extensive readings and observations of the firms’ websites and social media platforms have been conducted.FindingsThe study results in a model, illustrating different processes of selection, adoption and integration involved in the development of social media communication strategy for B2B firms. Major factors involved in determining the platform type, and strategies used within different phases and processes are identified.Research limitations/implicationsAs the chosen methodology may limit generalizability, further research is encouraged to test the model within a B2B context especially within small and medium enterprises as only large multinational corporations were investigated in this study.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insight into how B2B marketers can align social media with their firms’ goals through the strategic selection of platforms to reach the targeted audience and communicate their message.Originality/valueThe study uncovers the benefits gained by B2B firms’ through interaction with individuals on social media. This is a significant contribution as the value of such interaction was previously undefined and acted as a barrier for adopting social media in some B2B firms.

Towards a better understanding of organizational buying behavior across cultures: empirical evidence from the Arabian Gulf

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1521-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Anatolievich Bachkirov
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Region ◽  
Organizational Buying

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine, through the lens of the buying center concept, a theorized link between organizational buying behavior (OBB) and a national culture of collectivism, large power distance, particularism and a wasta practice. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was used to gain better understanding of OBB in an under-researched business environment of the Arabian Gulf. The data come from 41 organizational practitioners who reported on the industrial buying processes in their organizations with reference to the buying center framework. Findings The study developed a model of the buying center for the emerging markets governed by socio-political institutions. Research limitations/implications The data were obtained only from one culturally specific world region. Practical implications To attain efficacious results in culturally distant business environments, industrial marketers should complement home country experience with a thorough understanding of how national cultures affect the dynamics of OBB. Originality/value The study updates the conceptualization of the buying center’s organizational actors (OAs) for business contexts beyond traditional, mature markets. It reveals the typology of decisional influencers, introduces and defines the role of advisers and clarifies the role of the gatekeeping bureaucracy and differing perceptions thereof by OAs.

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