This article focuses on the use of activity‐based management (ABM) theory for the control and the redesign of the centralized units of a large multinational company operating in the chemical sector. To this aim, ABM has been adapted to the peculiar characteristics of support services. In...

Purpose: The 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/approach: The paper develops a...

Purpose The 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/approach The paper develops a theoretical framework (tested through an international survey on a sample of 524 companies)...