CRITICAL LOWER-TIER SUPPLIER IN A SUPPLY NETWORK

摘要

In times where volatile markets are growing and technologies are becoming more complex, suppliers, manufactures as well as distributers have to collaborate efficiently with each other. Effective Supply Chain Management requires an adequate overview of the supply chain as well as the wider supply network with their multiple lower tier suppliers. Managers have to understand the potential reputational risks and threats associated with a nontransparent lower tier supply network. Firms have to manage increasing complexity to remain competitive by looking beyond their direct suppliers and exploiting their wider supply networks. The literature illustrates that lower-tier suppliers are important partners which allow companies to increase competitiveness (e.g. in diffusion of knowledge, innovation and expertise) as well as long term sustainability. However, researchers propose that it is important to understand a supplier's network position and how it is embedded in a network context. For a better understanding of the network context a nexus supplier theory has been proposed which includes a description of different types of critical lower-tier suppliers. A nexus supplier is any supplier in a multitiered supply network that may have an impact on focal firm's performance. A nexus supplier is critical due its network position as well as its interorganizational ties. It is important to gain more theoretical and empirical evidence for identifying critical lower tier supplier in the range of a focal firm. To do so, a quantitative survey is conducted to prove these types of nexus supplier and further the theory and how they can be used in practice. The contribution is to get more empirical evidence about the identification of critical lower-tier supplier in buyer-supplier relationship management literature from a network perspective. There is still a lack of research.