مدیریت تعارض خریدار تامین کننده: مورد صنعت خودرو ترکیه

This study utilizes data from 50 buyers in automakers and 72 suppliers to study conflict management in Turkish buyer–supplier relationships. The traditional practice of buyer dominance was tested against Bensaou's [Bensaou, M. Portfolios of buyer–supplier relationships. Sloan Management Review 1999; 40(4): 35–44.] strategic segmentation model. A two-dimensional conflict management model was used, comprised of forcing, problem-solving, compromise, accommodation, and avoidance styles. The traditional pattern of relations would predict forcing for the dominant and large buyer firms, and accommodation for the smaller and dependent supplier firms. Bensaou's two-dimensional model identifies four relationship types: strategic partnership, market exchange, captive buyer, and captive supplier. Mapping the two models on each other, we predicted (for buyers) problem-solving for strategic partnership, avoidance or compromise for market exchange, accommodation for captive buyer, and forcing for captive supplier. The results, which were more in line with the traditional pattern of relations, are discussed within the context of the Turkish culture and the historical evolution of automotive buyer–supplier relationships.

Studies of buyer–supplier relations in different cultures would be a welcome addition to globalization research. This is particularly relevant for emerging economies (Choi et al., 1999 and Humphrey and Schmitz, 1998), where the insights gained from research on buyer–supplier studies—which have so far mainly focused on U.S. and Japanese practices—can be tested. This study focused on automotive buyer–supplier relations in Turkey, an emerging market for global business (Co°kun, 2001, Erdal and Tatoðlu, 2002 and Garten, 1996). The study approached buyer–supplier relations from a conflict management perspective. In the context of business-to-business purchasing and supply chain management practices, these relations are often strained (Emiliani, 2003). As Weitz and Bradford (1999, p. 244) have argued: “managing conflict rather than influencing customers will be the key interpersonal activity of salespeople in a partnership role”. In order to pursue this perspective, we applied conflict management concepts and measures developed for intra-organizational analysis to conflicts between organizations. Conflict management styles were matched with the power dynamics involved in the particular buyer–supplier relationship. Despite some earlier studies ( Day et al., 1988 and Perdue et al., 1986) and theoretical models ( Weitz and Bradford, 1999), buyer–supplier conflict in developing countries remains to be a fertile ground for research. It is hoped that the merger of the two streams of research, i.e., conflict management and international studies of supply management, will facilitate future studies in buyer–supplier relations in different cultures.