Investigating the meaning of supplier‐manufacturer partnerships: An exploratory study
Publication type
Journal article with impact factorPublication Year
2003Journal
International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics ManagementPublication Volume
33Publication Issue
1Publication Begin page
12Publication End page
35
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Show full item recordAbstract
Supplier partnerships can be the key in enhancing the performance of manufacturing companies. Consequently, partnership has been strongly recommended by academics and practitioners alike. Surprisingly, the concept of partnership is only poorly understood. Many authors have identified the advantages that it can bring but far less has been published on the attributes of partnership itself. What is known is that partnerships are “close” relationships and thus, the level of relationship closeness is an appropriate angle for exploring supplier partnerships. Research was conducted using the repertory grid technique with an exploratory sample of ten managers from four German engineering companies. It revealed that supplier partnerships are very different from other forms of relationship and identified five distinct attributes of partnerships. These findings have a number of implications for both practitioners and researchers.Knowledge Domain/Industry
Operations & Supply Chain Managementae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1108/09600030310460981