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PurposeThe paper aims to survey the main usages of the term "value" in the economics, marketing, strategy and operations fields.Design/methodology/approachThe way in which all four fields adopt an unbalanced approach, concentrating exclusively on the customer's perspective, is highlighted. A complete, balanced analysis including both the customer and supplier perspectives is outlined. The precise meaning of the term value is then explored in detail, revealing and exploring the difference between the potential and realised versions.FindingsThese insights are applied to an analysis of the concept of the "value chain" leading to the conclusion that, given the ontology of value, much of the language used to describe value and chains is deeply misleading.Practical implicationsThe paper ends with a discussion of the possible effects of this ontological and linguistic sloppiness on practitioners and business practice. By bringing clarity to the real meaning of value in trade it may be possible to improve the effectiveness of the use of the word by management as a motivational tool for enhancing company performance.Originality/valueThe paper offers a clear, detailed explanation of the nature of value in trading relations.

The nature of specifications received by purchasing functions has a
heavy influence on an organisation′s ability to minimise bought‐out
costs and thus maximise profits. The nature of purchase specifications
and the effect of other functions upon their creation are discussed;
"open" and "closed" specifications and the
relationship between purchase specifications and profit performance are
demonstrated, defining the precise type of purchase specification needed
to enable the purchasing function to achieve its primary goal of
cost‐minimisation.

PurposeThe purpose of the article is to describe the consequences for the purchasing and supply management field of its current focus on the behaviours and concerns of extremely large corporations.Design/methodology/approachThis is a short viewpoint article.FindingsIt is found that there is a lack of research in purchasing and supply management in SMEs. Small and medium sized companies are in need of a deeper understanding of dyadic relations. Sadly, as fashion in the field has embraced metaphors‐fit‐only‐for giants, it may be increasingly difficult to get studies published that adopt this ancient, diminutive metaphor.Originality/valueThe main contribution of the piece is to draw attention to the current lack of research in the field to the dominant form of company in every economy – the SME.

Purpose
– This paper aims to explore the supply chain management problem of understanding the response of suppliers to buyer behaviours and characteristics.


Design/methodology/approach
– The paper reviews the relevant literature in search of references to critically assesses the effects of applying the mirror images of the concepts of customer value, satisfaction and product or service quality, developed in the field of marketing, to the field of operations management.


Findings
– The study suggests that the new concept of purchase offering quality is worthy of further development in the supply chain management area and that supplier value and supplier satisfaction are useful concepts for understanding supplier behavioural intentions.


Practical implications
– The study will help organisations to improve supply chain performance through an enhanced ability of organisations-as-buyers to influence supplier behaviour by modifying aspects of their own behaviour. It should be of particular interest to all organisations in their dealings with recalcitrant and unresponsive suppliers, or buyers with very low levels of power trying to improve the responsiveness of more powerful suppliers.


Originality/value
– The paper introduces two new concepts: "purchase offering quality" that describes supplier perceptions of the characteristics and behaviours of buyers offering supplier benefits, and "supplier behavioural intentions" that is a term referring to the responses of suppliers to buyer characteristics and behaviours. This work can form the foundations of an extensive area of new study into organisational supplying behaviour.

OBJECTIVES: Sustained negative energy balance during military operations contributes to degradations in physical and cognitive performance. Characterizing the diet-related behaviors and nutrition knowledge of Soldiers who self-select higher energy intakes during military operations may identify strategies for promoting energy balance. This study aimed to identify diet-related behaviors of Soldiers who self-selected higher energy intakes during a simulated military operation. METHODS: Dietary intake and body weight were measured daily in 54 Soldiers (91% male, BMI 25 ± 4 kg/m(2), 25 ± 4 yr) participating in a 3-d military exercise. During the exercise, Soldiers were provided with military rations (2787–3003 kcal/d), and in some cases consumed items from home or mobile catering. Food frequency and nutrition knowledge questionnaires were completed before the exercise to assess diet quality by HEI-2010 total score and nutrition knowledge, respectively, and questionnaires assessing eating behaviors during the exercise were completed daily and after the exercise. Associations between diet quality, nutrition knowledge, and diet-related behaviors with 1) daily energy intake (EI) and 2) weight loss (∆BW) were determined by backwards elimination multiple linear regression. RESULTS: EI (mean ± SD: 1947 ± 627 kcal/d) and ∆BW (−1.4 ± 1.2%) during the exercise were not correlated. After adjusting for baseline BMI, EI was associated with diet quality (β ± SE: 17 ±9 kcal/d, P = 0.07) and eating frequency (170 ± 86 kcal/d, P = 0.06) and more often intentionally eating foods to improve performance (−389 ± 207 kcal/d, P = 0.07) during the exercise (R(2) = 0.27, P = 0.03). In contrast, greater ∆BW was associated only with more often "not allowing myself to eat" certain foods during the exercise (R(2) = 0.11; −0.8 ± 0.4%, P = 0.04). Nutrition knowledge was not a significant predictor in either model. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that self-selected energy intake and body weight loss during military operations may be associated with ...