Factors influencing structural power dynamics in buyer-supplier relationships: a power sources framework and application of the critical incident technique

IF 7.6 1区 经济学 Q1 ECONOMICS Oeconomia Copernicana Pub Date : 2022-03-30 DOI:10.24136/oc.2022.005
Dariusz Siemieniako, P. Kaliszewski
{"title":"Factors influencing structural power dynamics in buyer-supplier relationships: a power sources framework and application of the critical incident technique","authors":"Dariusz Siemieniako, P. Kaliszewski","doi":"10.24136/oc.2022.005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Research background: Although the literature on power asymmetry and power dynamics has recognized the issue of factors that cause power shifts in business-to-business relationships, a more systematic approach and research framework regarding the identification of these factors is lacking. There are attempts in business-to-business literature to use the critical incident technique to study dynamic phenomena, but there are no studies on the factors that increase and decrease the power of suppliers in their relationships with dominant buyers.\nPurpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the most significant changes in suppliers? power in relationships with dominant buyers. An important objective is also to determine to which power sources the identified factors are assigned. This is crucial for business practitioners, who will be able to adjust their actions when managing a relationship with a dominating partner through knowledge of their own strengths as well as weaknesses.\nMethods: The study is based on analysis of questionnaires with open-ended questions, and uses the critical incident technique to investigate the behaviour of dyadic parties at key moments in buyer-seller relationships. We have focused on investigation of manufacturing companies mainly from the furniture, construction, energy and printing industries. The analysis of the data was based on the abductive approach as a combination of inductive and deductive coding.\nFindings & value added: In comparison to previous studies, which did not distinguish the level of importance of each factor, we have obtained only those factors with the greatest impact on power dynamics. We have also obtained factors which can decrease suppliers? power, whereas the literature focuses mostly on factors increasing suppliers? power. The research results reveal the factors that affect an increase and decrease in the power of weaker suppliers in relationships with dominant buyers. First- and second-order factors were identified, and subsequently 3 overarching dimensions for each increase and decrease in supplier power were deduced from the results. The most important overall dimension for the increase in power was the building of suppliers' power capabilities, while the decrease in suppliers' power was most influenced by transactional changes and changes in buyer's expectations. The results can be helpful for managers in focusing their attention on expert power in order to gain knowledge and prepare a practical background for managing asymmetric relationships. It is important to mention that the critical incident technique used in this study has not yet been used to represent power dynamics in B2B relationship literature.","PeriodicalId":46112,"journal":{"name":"Oeconomia Copernicana","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.6000,"publicationDate":"2022-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"4","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Oeconomia Copernicana","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.2022.005","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 4

Abstract

Research background: Although the literature on power asymmetry and power dynamics has recognized the issue of factors that cause power shifts in business-to-business relationships, a more systematic approach and research framework regarding the identification of these factors is lacking. There are attempts in business-to-business literature to use the critical incident technique to study dynamic phenomena, but there are no studies on the factors that increase and decrease the power of suppliers in their relationships with dominant buyers. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the most significant changes in suppliers? power in relationships with dominant buyers. An important objective is also to determine to which power sources the identified factors are assigned. This is crucial for business practitioners, who will be able to adjust their actions when managing a relationship with a dominating partner through knowledge of their own strengths as well as weaknesses. Methods: The study is based on analysis of questionnaires with open-ended questions, and uses the critical incident technique to investigate the behaviour of dyadic parties at key moments in buyer-seller relationships. We have focused on investigation of manufacturing companies mainly from the furniture, construction, energy and printing industries. The analysis of the data was based on the abductive approach as a combination of inductive and deductive coding. Findings & value added: In comparison to previous studies, which did not distinguish the level of importance of each factor, we have obtained only those factors with the greatest impact on power dynamics. We have also obtained factors which can decrease suppliers? power, whereas the literature focuses mostly on factors increasing suppliers? power. The research results reveal the factors that affect an increase and decrease in the power of weaker suppliers in relationships with dominant buyers. First- and second-order factors were identified, and subsequently 3 overarching dimensions for each increase and decrease in supplier power were deduced from the results. The most important overall dimension for the increase in power was the building of suppliers' power capabilities, while the decrease in suppliers' power was most influenced by transactional changes and changes in buyer's expectations. The results can be helpful for managers in focusing their attention on expert power in order to gain knowledge and prepare a practical background for managing asymmetric relationships. It is important to mention that the critical incident technique used in this study has not yet been used to represent power dynamics in B2B relationship literature.
查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
买方-供应商关系中影响结构权力动态的因素:一个电源框架和关键事件技术的应用
研究背景:尽管有关权力不对称和权力动态的文献已经认识到导致企业间关系中权力转移的因素问题,但缺乏更系统的方法和研究框架来识别这些因素。在企业对企业的文献中,有人试图使用关键事件技术来研究动态现象,但没有研究在供应商与主要买家的关系中增加和减少供应商权力的因素。文章的目的:本文的目的是确定影响供应商最重大变化的因素?与占主导地位的买家关系中的权力。一个重要的目标也是确定所识别的因素被分配给哪些电源。这对商业从业者来说至关重要,他们将能够通过了解自己的优势和劣势来调整自己在管理与占主导地位的伴侣的关系时的行为。方法:本研究以开放式问卷调查为基础,运用关键事件技术调查买卖关系中双方在关键时刻的行为。我们重点调查了主要来自家具、建筑、能源和印刷行业的制造公司。数据的分析是基于归纳和演绎编码相结合的溯因方法。研究结果和附加值:与以前的研究相比,以前的研究没有区分每个因素的重要性水平,我们只获得了对权力动态影响最大的因素。我们还获得了可以减少供应商的因素?权力,而文献主要关注增加供应商的因素?权力研究结果揭示了在与主导买家的关系中,影响较弱供应商权力增加和减少的因素。确定了一阶和二阶因素,随后从结果中推导出供应商功率每次增加和减少的3个总体维度。电力增长最重要的总体维度是供应商电力能力的建设,而供应商电力的下降最受交易变化和买方期望变化的影响。研究结果有助于管理者将注意力集中在专家权力上,以获得知识并为管理不对称关系提供实践背景。值得一提的是,本研究中使用的临界事件技术尚未在B2B关系文献中用于表示权力动态。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
CiteScore
13.70
自引率
5.90%
发文量
26
审稿时长
24 weeks
期刊介绍: The Oeconomia Copernicana is an academic quarterly journal aimed at academicians, economic policymakers, and students studying finance, accounting, management, and economics. It publishes academic articles on contemporary issues in economics, finance, banking, accounting, and management from various research perspectives. The journal's mission is to publish advanced theoretical and empirical research that contributes to the development of these disciplines and has practical relevance. The journal encourages the use of various research methods, including falsification of conventional understanding, theory building through inductive or qualitative research, first empirical testing of theories, meta-analysis with theoretical implications, constructive replication, and a combination of qualitative, quantitative, field, laboratory, and meta-analytic approaches. While the journal prioritizes comprehensive manuscripts that include methodological-based theoretical and empirical research with implications for policymaking, it also welcomes submissions focused solely on theory or methodology.
期刊最新文献
How to measure employees’ interests so as to be a more socially-responsible employer: A proposal of a new scale and its validation Digital twin simulation modeling, artificial intelligence-based Internet of Manufacturing Things systems, and virtual machine and cognitive computing algorithms in the Industry 4.0-based Slovak labor market Digital Innovation Hubs and portfolio of their services across European economies Is earnings management impacted by audit fees and auditor tenure? An analysis of the Big Four audit firms in the US market Circular economy practices as a tool for sustainable development in the context of renewable energy: What are the opportunities for the EU?
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1