تاثیر توسعه تامین کننده بر عملکرد خریدار تامین کننده

In recent years, many companies have come to recognize the crucial role that purchasing and materials management activities play in determining overall corporate performance. Of main concern in many companies is the supplier development program. To examine the role of supplier development in the context of buyer–supplier performance from a buying firm's perspective, a survey was conducted of 142 electronic manufacturing companies in Hong Kong. Factor analysis yielded eight factors including transaction-specific supplier development and seven infrastructure factors of supplier development: strategic goals, effective communications, long-term commitment, top management support, supplier evaluation, supplier strategic objectives, and buyer trust in the supplier. Correlation analysis indicated that transaction-specific supplier development and its infrastructure factors significantly correlated with the perceived buyer-supplier performance outcomes. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that transaction-specific supplier development, trust, supplier strategic objectives and effective communications significantly contributed to the prediction of buyer–supplier performance improvement.

Supplier development is defined as any effort of a buying firm to increase the performance and capabilities of the supplier [1]. As more and more manufacturing firms have realized the importance of supplier performance in establishing and maintaining their competitive advantage, purchasing research has tended to focus on supplier development programs and explore how these initiatives impact on buyer and supplier performance. Although there have been attempts to examine the use of certain supplier development activities, the antecedents and the influential factors [2], [3], [4] and [5], much of the existing literature has been descriptive and case-based, with a primary focus on commonly used supplier development practices in both US and European countries [6], [7], [8], [9] and [10]. Further, despite the growing consensus that direct supplier development plays a critical role in promoting performance improvement and contributes strategically to overall organizational effectiveness [11], [12] and [13], little research has empirically examined the impact of supplier development programs on buyer–supplier performance. This paper endeavors to address this gap in the literature and describes the preliminary findings from an ongoing study that is investigating the relationship between supplier development and performance in the context of the Hong Kong electronics industry. The paper is divided into a number of sections. Firstly, the supplier development literature is reviewed and a framework developed indicating the proposed relationship between supplier development practices and buyer–supplier performance improvement. Subsequently, the framework is evaluated using hierarchical regression analysis and those variables affecting buyer–supplier performance are identified. Finally, based on this analysis the discussion outlines some of the important supplier development issues which management need to consider when globalizing their supply chain network.

This study found that: (1) transaction-specific supplier development and its infrastructure factors were positively associated with buyer–supplier performance improvements; (2) transaction-specific supplier development significantly contributed to prediction of buyer–supplier performance improvements; (3) several infrastructure factors of supplier development, including trust in supplier, supplier strategic objective and effective communication are also significant predictors of buyer–supplier performance improvements. The present study is an exploratory one with a small sample size of only 142 electronics manufacturing firms and might yield less reliable results. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings with larger and more representative samples and to investigate supplier development activities in other industrial sectors. Moreover, the measurements of supplier's strategic objective and supplier's performance improvement were both reported by buyers. Therefore, future work reporting on the views of suppliers is required in order to improve data reliability. This will also provide further understanding on the nature of supplier development from the vendor's perspective. In addition, the percentage of variance explained by the final model in the regression analysis, R2, was satisfactory when compared with studies conducted by other researchers in the area of operations management [30] and [34]. However, R2 is generally much higher for research using attitude or opinion measures as applied in the current study [34]. It must be remembered that additional company initiatives will also influence buyer–supplier performance. These may include: implementing total quality management, using concurrent product design, adopting flexible manufacturing systems and employing other advanced operations management techniques. Although conducted in the context of the electronics industry in Hong Kong, the present study could provide insights or challenges from both practical and research perspectives. As the global market is becoming increasingly dynamic and fiercely competitive, more and more manufacturing companies are forced to place a greater emphasis on their suppliers. Given both costs and risks associated with developing suppliers, this study provides an improved understanding of the impact of supplier development on buyer–supplier performance. In addition, the research indicates the need to incorporate an appreciation of the cultural and historical context in influencing supplier development activities. Manufacturing firms are experiencing domestic and foreign competition at levels greater than ever before. Firms that excel must implement strategies to achieve cost reduction, continual quality improvement, increased customer service, delivery improvement, and reduced concept-to-market product cycle time. Supplier development is seen as one of the key strategies crucial to achieving these aims.