قابلیت های مرزگستری عوامل خرید در توسعه اعتماد خریدار ـ فروشنده

This study examines how individual purchasing agents function as boundary spanners with suppliers to influence trust development in themselves and the buying firms that employ them. Building upon boundary theory and supply chain cooperation research, we identify three boundary spanning capabilities of purchasing agents and empirically test how these capabilities shape buyer–supplier trust development. Using two samples of data collected from suppliers in the automotive industry and food industry, we found that a purchasing agent's effectiveness in strategic communication with suppliers affects a supplier's trust in the buying firm, while an agent's professional knowledge and ability toreach compromises with suppliers affect a supplier's trust in the purchasing agent representing the firm. Trust in the purchasing agent in turn affects trust in the buying firm. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Collaborative buyer–supplier relations are a major source of competitive advantage for businesses operating in industrial markets (e.g. Takeishi, 2001 and Paulraj et al., 2008). Members of collaborative buyer–supplier relations share strategic directions, which helps define the roles and responsibilities of supply chain members (Ireland and Webb, 2007). Additionally, members of collaborative relations share high levels of trust (MacDuffie and Helper, 2006). In fact, trust is considered the single most important variable influencing interpersonal and inter-organizational behavior (Kiessling et al., 2004). For a variety of reasons, trusting buyer–supplier relationships lead to reduced transaction costs and improved supply chain efficiencies (e.g. Zaheer et al., 1998, MacDuffie and Helper, 2006 and Ireland and Webb, 2007). Despite the sustainable competitive advantages generated by trusting buyer–supplier relations, developing trust is difficult. The personnel chosen to build trust between supply chain members are of great importance (MacDuffie and Helper, 2006). This is understandable, because the establishment and maintenance of trusting working relations rely on the individuals who regularly interact with one another across organizational boundaries (Perrone et al., 2003 and Ireland and Webb, 2007). These boundary spanners include purchasing agents who develop relationships with individuals of other firms, specifically suppliers. These relations at the individual level provide “a portal for broader communications between organizations” that generate familiarity and trust (Kiessling et al., 2004, p. 99). As points of contact with the outside world, boundary spanners influence trust development in individuals as well as in organizations (Doney and Cannon, 1997, Zaheer et al., 1998 and Perrone et al., 2003). Perrone et al. (2003) suggest that not only do job functions affect boundary spanner behaviors, but boundary spanners also proactively shape their job functions. The formal job functions specified by their organization can constrain boundary spanner behavior, suggesting that organizations are at least partly responsible for boundary spanner job performance. However, the job functions of boundary spanners are also subject to interpretation and are shaped by the individuals performing the functions (Perrone et al., 2003). It is thus reasonable to believe that boundary spanners influence the trust outside organizations place in the firms they represent, as well as the trust the outside organizations place in the boundary spanners themselves. Thus, it is important to understand how the capabilities individual boundary spanners demonstrate in performing their job functions affect the trust boundary spanners generate both in themselves and in the firms they represent. This research area has been of interest to a number of strategy and operations management scholars (Stanley and Wisner, 2001, Kiessling et al., 2004, MacDuffie and Helper, 2006 and Ireland and Webb, 2007). Ireland and Webb (2007) considered the role boundary spanners play in influencing trust and power in strategic supply chains. Other operations management researchers have also provided qualitative insights into the role boundary spanners play in building trusting relationships with suppliers (Stanley and Wisner, 2001, Kiessling et al., 2004 and MacDuffie and Helper, 2006). Nevertheless, limited research has identified the boundary spanning capabilities that influence trust development. No empirical tests examine how boundary spanning capabilities influence trust development at both the interpersonal and inter-organizational levels (Doney and Cannon, 1997, Zaheer et al., 1998 and Perrone et al., 2003). Such tests are important in understanding how trust is developed and maintained (MacDuffie and Helper, 2006). To address this gap in the literature, we investigate how the boundary spanning capabilities of purchasing agents influence a supplier's trust of purchasing agents and of the buying firms the agents represent. We choose to study purchasing agents as their roles have changed significantly over the past two decades from “transactions-oriented order processors to supply managers with an emphasis on supply chain management” (Stanley and Wisner, 2001). Because purchasing agents can significantly influence a buying firm's reputation and image (Stanley and Wisner, 2001), buying firms are increasingly relying on them to build cooperative relations with major suppliers and to encourage supplier-developed innovations (MacDuffie and Helper, 2006 and Zhang et al., 2009). Specifically, purchasing agents carry out a broad range of activities from representing their firms’ strategic goals and intent, to using their expertise to facilitate buyer–supplier collaborations (Aldrich and Herker, 1977 and Perrone et al., 2003). Building on boundary theory (e.g., Adams, 1976 and Aldrich and Herker, 1977) and existing research on supply chain cooperation, we focus on the purchasing agent's capabilities most relevant to trust development with suppliers. Furthermore, to increase the external validity of our study findings, we collect two samples to test our conceptual model: one from the automotive industry and one from the food industry. We found consistent evidence for the effects of boundary spanning capabilities on trust development across the two industries. The theoretical basis for the study and the study findings are presented in the following sections. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and managerial implications of the study and directions for future research.