Supplier Development: A Knowledge Management Perspective

Abstract

As a key supply chain management practice, supplier development has been found to yield positive performance and capability consequences. However, it remains unclear why these consequences are achieved. Even though supplier development is predicated on knowledge management activities, it is rarely studied from a knowledge management perspective. In order to bring greater clarity to the connections between supplier development and its consequences, we leverage the knowledge chain theory to capture buyers' and suppliers' knowledge management activities in supplier development. Through an extensive review and systematic classification of supplier development activities in the literature, this study generates a reliable catalog of supplier development activities, finds support for the knowledge management perspective, and reveals the extent to which supplier development activities are knowledge‐based activities. In addition, we generate an integrated definition, a meaningful taxonomy, and a comprehensive implementation approach for supplier development. Further, we illuminate how positive performance and capability consequences of supplier development can be achieved through the design and execution of knowledge activities embedded within supplier development activities. This study contributes to extant research by articulating the important role of knowledge and knowledge management in supplier development and advancing a comprehensive, unified, organized foundation for understanding supplier development and its link with performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A knowledge management perspective of supplier development: Evidence from supply chain scholars and consultants

“…We compare our findings with Chen et al () in Table . Interestingly, some findings are consistent whereas others are not.…”

“…As a follow‐up research of Chen et al (), this paper, from the perspective of SD scholars and consultants, quantitatively investigates the role of each KCT activity in SD and the success of the KM‐based definition raised by Chen et al () and qualitatively analyzes respondents' comments. This study uncovers several important and interesting findings.…”

“…Chen et al () identify over 500 SD activities featured in 92 empirical articles dealing with SD. These activities were condensed and classified into 30 types, which were named and defined based on the activities' characterizations.…”

“…They offer a KM‐based definition of SD. As a follow‐up investigation, this study collects perceptions from SD scholars and consultants to (a) evaluate the KM‐based definition of SD raised by Chen et al () and then revise it if necessary, (b) examine the importance of KM in SD by asking them to what degree each KCT activity should be conducted by the buying firm or the supplying firm to achieve desired outcomes of an SD program. In order to achieve the two goals, we first develop a survey, then identify our participants, and finally send our survey to those participants.…”

“…Zhang, Zhao, Voss, and Zhu () underline the role of knowledge generation between customers and suppliers whereas Asare et al () examine knowledge selection using the construct knowledge transfer content. Applying KCT, Chen et al () find that all the SD activities involve either first‐ or second‐order KM activities.…”