Based on a study of a buyer-seller relationship in the automotive industry, this article identifies 17 different decision-making processes where openly sharing cost data--a so-called open books policy--plays an important supporting role. These processes relate to supplier selection, various...

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore how Indian buying firms practise an open book (OB) policy in supplier relationships in three industries, i.e. the vehicle industry, the construction industry and the information technology industry. It also aims to study determinants of open book...

Purpose – The literature on activity‐based costing (ABC) that deals with the allocation of indirect purchasing costs primarily draws on a transactional approach to purchasing. This presents a problem, since a large share of purchasing takes place within relationships. The purpose of this...