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How buyer roles and critical times affect buyer-supplier exchange episodes

How buyer roles and critical times affect buyer-supplier exchange episodes PurposeThe purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to examine how buyer-supplier episodes are characterised by their dimensions of time and social space, and how these dimensions interact to impact the criticality of an episode; second, to explore how time and social space create patterns of episodes that lead to buyer-supplier relationship change and continuity; and third, to examine the social space by the different roles that the buyer assumes among their episodes, while focusing on the concept of critical time to denote the temporal context.Design/methodology/approachA case study of a small retailer and five suppliers is employed. The primary data are e-mail communications between the buying and selling firms, along with a two-week field study at the retailer’s location. A total of 2,000 e-mails are coded to yield 75 episodes for the analysis.FindingsThe criticality of episodes differs depending on the role that the buyer assumes, and whether the episode occurs within a critical time period. The social space affects the type of criticality, while critical times enhance an episode’s criticality. This study outlines five different patterns of episodes occurring within critical times and across social spaces that characterise each of the buyer-supplier relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on e-mail communication, with little data on interactions occurring outside of this medium.Originality/valueTo the researcher’s knowledge, this paper is the first to link specific patterns of episode characteristics to the concept of buyer roles. It also examines episodes using e-mail communication, which is not a common source within the IMP research stream. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png IMP Journal Emerald Publishing

How buyer roles and critical times affect buyer-supplier exchange episodes

Newell, William James
IMP Journal , Volume 11 (3): 22 – Oct 16, 2017
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22 pages

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
2059-1403
DOI
10.1108/IMP-03-2017-0013
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to examine how buyer-supplier episodes are characterised by their dimensions of time and social space, and how these dimensions interact to impact the criticality of an episode; second, to explore how time and social space create patterns of episodes that lead to buyer-supplier relationship change and continuity; and third, to examine the social space by the different roles that the buyer assumes among their episodes, while focusing on the concept of critical time to denote the temporal context.Design/methodology/approachA case study of a small retailer and five suppliers is employed. The primary data are e-mail communications between the buying and selling firms, along with a two-week field study at the retailer’s location. A total of 2,000 e-mails are coded to yield 75 episodes for the analysis.FindingsThe criticality of episodes differs depending on the role that the buyer assumes, and whether the episode occurs within a critical time period. The social space affects the type of criticality, while critical times enhance an episode’s criticality. This study outlines five different patterns of episodes occurring within critical times and across social spaces that characterise each of the buyer-supplier relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on e-mail communication, with little data on interactions occurring outside of this medium.Originality/valueTo the researcher’s knowledge, this paper is the first to link specific patterns of episode characteristics to the concept of buyer roles. It also examines episodes using e-mail communication, which is not a common source within the IMP research stream.

Journal

IMP Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Oct 16, 2017

References

  • Using actors’ perceptions of network roles and positions to understand network dynamics
  • Position and role-conceptualizing dynamics in business networks
  • Temporality in business networks: the role of narratives and management technologies
  • Contacts and contracts: cross-level network dynamics in the development of an aircraft material
  • Recent development in role theory
  • The effects of previous episodes in business-to-business interaction
  • Coordinated interaction and paradox in business relationships