Purpose – The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to examine the contingent role of the product life cycle on the efficacy of purchasing practices. Second, to use the results of the first investigation to explore the adequacy of the profit‐maximization framework for explaining...

Purpose – The need to make a “theoretical contribution” is a presumed mandate that permeates any researcher’s career in the Social Sciences, yet all too often this remains a source of confusion and frustration. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on, and further develops, the...

It has long been recognized that changes in production technology have effects outside the manufacturing unit of the firm. Although researchers have examined the effects of new technologies (e.g. increased automation) on the workforce, these studies have generally examined only technology...

This paper examines the sources of competitive advantage from a cross‐functional perspective and presents a dynamic, general model of the tangible and intangible factors that lead to superior firm performance.We argue that superior performance results from the development of a complex,...

Purpose – Although outsourcing has emerged as a key business practice in global supply chain management it has not always been successfully adopted. Since the reasons for outsourcing success and failure are underexplored this research aims to investigate the role of contractual completeness...

Purpose This paper studies buyer–supplier relationships (BSRs) by taking a routine-based approach and develops a taxonomy of BSRs. Recent advances in the BSR literature have shown that firms implement a host of diverse routines, called integrative practices, with their supply chain partners....

Purpose – This paper is an empirical study of the organisational approaches used for integration of management systems (MSs) and the comparative effectiveness of such approaches. Design/methodology/approach – Research employed four case studies. Results are derived from the analysis of...

A large body of literature has studied supply chain integration (SCI) at the macro (firm or dyad) level. However, the micro-foundations of SCI that highlight the range of different activities and choices firms have in implementing integration have not been studied. This paper identifies and...