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Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Katri Kauppi and Davide Luzzini. ; Purpose: Increasing amount of empirical research in operations and supply chain management is using institutional theory as its theoretical lens. Yet, a common scale to measure the three institutional pressures – coercive, mimetic and normative – is lacking. Many studies use proxies or a single, grouped, construct of external pressures which present methodological challenges. This study aims to present the development of multi-item scales to measure institutional pressures (in a purchasing context). Design/methodology/approach: First, items were generated based on the theoretical construct definitions. These items were then tested through academic sorting and an international survey. The first empirical testing failed to produce reliable and valid scales, and further refinement and analysis revealed that coercive pressure splits into two separate constructs. A second q-sorting was then conducted with purchasing practitioners, followed by another survey in Italy to verify the new measurement scale for four institutional pressures. Findings: The multimethod and multistage measurement development reveals that empirically the three institutional pressures actually turn into four pressures. The theoretical construct of coercive pressure splits into two distinct constructs: coercive market pressure and coercive regulatory pressure. Originality/value: The results of the paper, namely, the measurement scales, are an important theoretical and methodological contribution to future empirical research. They present a much-needed measurement for these theoretical constructs increasingly used in management research. ; Peer reviewed

PurposeCompanies are increasingly challenged by sustainability-related supply chain risks. Research has developed linking supply chain sustainability priorities, practices and triple bottom line performance; however, risk is rarely included in these models. The purpose of this paper is to understand the link between sustainable supply chain strategies, practices and performance, and to test the importance of risk management practices in this relationship focusing on the product category level.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a survey of supply managers in four countries with 305 responses, with a focus on upstream supply chain strategies at the product category level.FindingsThe environmental and social sustainability strategies lead to sustainable supply sustainable performance, through focused practices in either area, but the effect on operational and cost performance is not significant. Social supply chain strategies positively impact environmental and cost performance when mediated by risk assessment practices.Originality/valueThis paper shows a more nuanced view of the impact of supply chain practices on the strategy–performance link. It is one of the first papers to empirically test the role of risk practices in sustainable supply chain management and emphasize the importance of alignment across the main dimensions of sustainability to achieve positive sustainable performance outcomes, but not necessarily cost and operational performance. Unlike other studies, social sustainability priorities may positively impact environmental and social performance and is linked to cost advantage when implemented with risk assessment practices.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the contribution of suppliers and the purchasing department in affecting a firm's ability to innovate.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a theoretical framework (tested through an international survey on a sample of 524 companies) grounded on the resource-based view theory, innovation management and operations management literature.FindingsThe results show that innovation is positively affected by supplier collaboration, which in turn is favored by purchasing absorptive capacity. Empirical evidence also shows that purchasing status and innovation objectives enable the development of greater absorptive capacity.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the survey approach, the research results are limited to the data collected. Researchers are encouraged to verify propositions with complementary methodologies (e.g. case studies).Practical implicationsThe findings confirm the relevant role of the purchasing interface in innovation as well as the positive impact of supplier collaboration, contributing both to existing literature and managerial practice in terms of successful collaborative new product development (NPD) processes.Originality/valueThe study integrates three different research fields (innovation, operations, and purchasing management), providing a synergistic vision on the topic and considering, as a unit of analysis, the purchasing category level (rather than the NPD project level).

PurposeCompanies' ability to build sustainable supply chains and achieve strategic sustainability objectives largely depends on their supply network characteristics and the nature of the relationships with strategic suppliers. This poses the question of how purchasing departments can help to translate this sustainability commitment into performance benefits. The authors focus the attention on buyer-supplier information sharing practices and study how the availability of information interplays with the purchasing realized absorptive capacity (PRAC) to positively impact performance (operational, environmental and social).Design/methodology/approachThe study collected data from 305 procurement executives in four European countries and tested the hypotheses empirically using structural equation modeling. Mediation analysis is used to test the effect of PRAC on the relationship between buyer-supplier information sharing and performance.FindingsThe results show that increasing buyer-supplier information sharing is sufficient to obtain a positive impact on operational performance. To improve purchasing sustainability performance, companies need to develop their PRAC to adequately transform and exploit external information and identify opportunities in the environmental and social areas. Thanks to these purchasing capabilities, organizations can overcome potential trade-offs between different performance dimensions.Originality/valueIn the context of collaborative buyer-supplier relationships, this study is one of the first to propose purchasing knowledge management capabilities (i.e. PRAC) as a key factor to improve multiple performance dimensions. Additionally, it captures different sustainability aspects, concluding that organizations can improve purchasing operational, environmental and social performances by implementing appropriate information sharing mechanisms with suppliers and developing their PRAC.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on the dynamics of buyer–supplier industrial relationships and the role of customer attractiveness—a requisite to obtain best efforts from suppliers involved in collaborative initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a theoretical framework tested through an international survey with a structured equation modeling approach.FindingsResults confirm that customer attractiveness positively affects both innovation and cost performance ensured by suppliers. Moreover, several direct and indirect antecedents of customer attractiveness are identified, including characteristics of the buying firm's procurement department (i.e. procurement knowledge and procurement status) and supply chain relationship characteristics (i.e. proficiency of supplier collaboration and visibility).Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the survey approach, the research results are limited to the data collected.Practical implicationsFindings support the relevance of collaborative relationships in improving performance, and the key role procurement department could play in managing the multifaceted aspects of supplier collaboration.Originality/valueThis paper investigates, on the one hand, why customer attractiveness is relevant for supply chain management, and what are the effects on innovation and cost performance ensured by suppliers; on the other hand, antecedents of customer attractiveness are considered, with a main focus on organizational and relational procurement variables.

Increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, and compliance of public procurement (PP) has become an ongoing concern for governments. Public administrations at different levels are realising that – in order for PP to fulfil its mission – appropriate control and diagnostic systems must be put in place. This study aims to investigate the architecture of PP performance measurement systems (PP-PMSs) in local governments, drawing on four case studies from Italy and four from Wales. The theoretical background is provided by the emerging literature on procurement PMSs in the private context as well as the specific literature on the public sector. PP-PMSs are specifically analysed with respect to performance areas covered (i.e., cost, quality, time, compliance, innovation, sustainability). Results show that performance dimensions should be extended beyond traditional cost measures, with KPIs not limited to those imposed by national/regional regulation. Furthermore, we show that this is likely to happen where the procurement function is recognised as strategic in the public institution.

PurposeThe authors empirically examine purchasing strategy typologies based on strategic intent (i.e. competitive priorities) and practices used to achieve these priorities. The authors further investigate the implementation conditions of such strategies based on perceived uncertainty and strategic purchasing.Design/methodology/approachThe authors utilize case study data from 11 international service and manufacturing firms with global supply chains. Each company was profiled based on the level of perceived environmental uncertainty, the characteristics of strategic purchasing, the use of relevant purchasing practices and its ability to create value through purchasing.FindingsThe study findings show that four purchasing strategy types exist: Purchasing Rationalization, Supply Base Optimization, Purchasing as a Service and World-Class Supply Base Management. Lower levels of perceived environmental uncertainty favor the adoption of rationalization strategies (i.e. Purchasing Rationalization and Supply Base Optimization), while increased uncertainty leads companies to switch to relationship-focused strategies (i.e. Purchasing as a Service and World-Class Supply Base Management). Further, that specific components of strategic purchasing (i.e. strategic planning, maturity, status and report level) enable the successful implementation of different strategy types.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing literature by outlining the different types of purchasing strategies and the external and internal factors that need to be considered to achieve strategic alignment and value creation in purchasing, and by classifying purchasing strategy types at the functional level based on empirical evidence.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework of the supply chain performance measurement system (SCPMS) lifecycle (highlighting key activities of the design, implementation, use and review phases) and to investigate how the different actors involved in the SCPMS perceive the system and can act to allow for an effective adoption.Design/methodology/approachThe SCPMS lifecycle framework is developed grounding on performance measurement and supply chain (SC) management literature. To answer the two theory-building research questions, an in-depth case study involving seven firms across three tiers of the mass retail SC has been conducted.FindingsThe empirical evidence highlighted potential SCPMS benefits (including operational performance improvement, higher control, lower information overloading and higher SC integration) and criticalities/barriers to an effective adoption (lack of industry standards, lack of trust regarding data reliability, SCPMS as a tool of power, lack of interest in the system and the performance metrics). Several elements characterizing the SCPMS lifecycle could increase its effective adoption: engaging SC partners in the design phase; relying on a rigorous primary data collection and performance measures calculation; and actively exploiting the tool through a systematic discussion on performance and establishing incentive/disincentives plans.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the conceptualization of SCPMSs and to clarify how to ensure an effective SCPMS adoption: apart from relationship-specific attributes, SCPMS lifecycle phases are suggested to have a key role.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of a mature supplier performance measurement system (SPMS) adoption all along its lifecycle phases (i.e. design, implementation, use and review) on the suppliers' performance.Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses have been tested on a final sample of 147 pairs of buyer-supplier responses, collected by means of a dyadic survey involving manufacturing firms and one key supplier of their choice. The research framework has been tested through a structural model using PLS regression.FindingsConsidering the joint effect of all the four SPMS phases on supplier performance, the findings show that the system use and review play a prominent effect: the former have a positive impact on supplier quality, delivery and sustainability performance; the latter positively affects supplier delivery, innovation and sustainability. A mature design displays a positive effect on supplier sustainability performance, while a mature implementation results to negatively affect supplier innovation performance. Finally, cost performance is not impacted by any of the four phases.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the open debate regarding the relationship between SPMSs and actual supplier performance improvement. In particular, the lifecycle perspective is introduced to clearly distinguish among each phase of adoption and assess their relative impact on supplier performance. Besides, the dyadic nature of the study allows to investigate different subcomponents of supplier performance jointly considering the buyer company and supplier company perspective, thus achieving a more insightful and robust information.