Die Beschaffung nimmt bei der betrieblichen Digitalisierung und Vernetzung ("Industrie 4.0") eine integrale Rolle ein. Der klassische operative Einkäufer ist ein Auslaufmodell, es werden zukünftig strategische Einkäufer mit besonderer Schnittstellenkompetenz benötigt. Das moderne...

We use unique plant-level data to study the link between the local availability of services and the decision of manufacturing firms to source materials from abroad. To guide our empirical analysis we develop a monopolistic competition model of the materials sourcing decisions of heterogeneous...

The disruptions of various supply chain due to the outbreak of COVID-19 have been incurring researchers and practitioners to reevaluating the benefits and risks involved in global sourcing and find ways to increase the supply chain resilience. Building on the dynamic capabilities perspective,...

Since the early 1990s international - or even global - outsourcing of intermediate products from suppliers has been propagated as a key means to improve the performance of firms. It is argued that becoming more lean and internationally focused is beneficial for the buyer as well as for the...

We present a North-South model of international trade in which differentiated products are developed in the North. Sectors are populated by final-good producers who differ in productivity levels. Based on productivity and sectoral characteristics, firms decide whether to integrate into the...