The relationships between buyers' mediated power and suppliers' psychologically defensive workplace behavior: case of Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing firms

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between the social power of apparel buyers from developed countries and the psychologically defensive workplace behavior (PDWB) of the suppliers from a developing country.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used to collect 205 responses from the professionals who were working in the apparel exporting companies in Bangladesh. Data were analyzed quantitatively.FindingsThe results showed that the exercise of buyers' reward and coercive power was associated with the suppliers' perfectionistic workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' coercive power was associated with the suppliers' arrogant-vindictive workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' reward power was associated with the suppliers' narcissistic workplace behavior, and coercive power was found to be statistically suggestive.Research limitations/implicationsThis study purposely used convenient and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from Bangladesh only. Future researchers could focus on random sampling from different countries to improve the generalizability of the research.Practical implicationsThis study will help apparel buyers to better negotiate with Bangladeshi suppliers regarding maintaining proper workplace conditions and compliances. It will also help industry professionals to better educate suppliers on how to deal with workplace pressure.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature on social power and PDWB, specifically related to the apparel manufacturing industry, and will help illustrate the impact of workplace behavior in terms of corporate social responsibility beyond the usual measurement of the codes of conduct and compliance issues.