Investigating corporate strategies for supplier management in retailing companies- a framework for analysis

Abstract

Though a process perspective has been adopted in the emerging conceptualization of strategic marketing, little attention has been given to the development of relational exchanges from a strategy process perspective. In this paper we propose a framework for the investigation of corporate strategies for the management of suppliers in retailing companies. It focuses on retailer initiatives to transform arm's length relationships with suppliers into closer relational exchanges. By considering the interorganizational relationships at a subunit basis, it also integrates the role of relationships into the process. Using a case research approach, the authors derive research propositions for further investigation within the framework proposed.