Postgraduate Research Project - Triggers of supplier development initiatives in dynamic buyer-supplier relationships: A supplier’s perspective

Description

Patrick Hennelly

Most research on buyer-supplier relationships has taken a static (snapshot) view of relationships and does not take into account dynamics in a relationships trajectory. This research takes a longitudinal approach that explores the impact of the dynamic nature of buyer-supplier relationships in order to understand the process of developing successful buyer-supplier relationships.

It provides insights on the triggers for entering each relationship stage and developments in relational characteristics that foster supplier development initiatives across the relationship life cycle.

The project aims to illustrate how different stages of the buyer-supplier relationship life cycle moderate the buyers supplier development initiatives. While many studies focus only on the buyers perspective, this research will collect dyadic data (ie both the buyer and suppliers view) on the evolution of the relationship to gain a deeper understanding of buyer-supplier relationships as well as the performance outcomes of supplier development initiatives.