Theorizing through metaphorical transfer in OM/SCM research: Divorce as a metaphor for strategic buyer–supplier relationship dissolution

Chen, Yi Su; Rungtusanatham, Manus; Goldstein, Susan B.; Koerner, Ascan F.

doi:10.1016/j.jom.2013.06.004

Cited by 19 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…Though not hypothesized, we also manipulate PSI and SSA because both are known to affect relationship dissolution (e.g., Sriram & Mummalaneni, ; Abdul‐Muhmin, ; Chen et al., ). Doing so allows their effects to be partialed out when statistically isolating the effects of HSP, USE, and the HSP × USE interaction on relationship dissolution and permits post‐hoc analyses to assess the robustness of our results.…”

Section: Scenario‐based Role‐playing Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Supplier Performance and Strategic Relationship Dissolution: Unintentional but Serious Supplier Error as a Moderator

2019

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How and why is the association between historical supplier performance and strategic relationship dissolution moderated by an unintentional but serious supplier error? Adopting Assimilation-Contrast Theory, we propose that this moderation effect can be either negative or positive. As an empirical test, we collected and analyzed data from 256 sourcing professionals participating in a scenario-based role-playing experiment. After confirming experimental checks, we fitted a general linear mixed effects model to the data with appropriate controls. We find, ceteris paribus, that a critical-component supplier with stellar historical performance is less likely to be terminated by the manufacturer than one with marginally-acceptable historical performance. However, when a critical-component supplier with stellar historical performance errs, its likelihood of being terminated by the manufacturer increases by a greater extent than when a supplier with marginally-acceptable historical performance commits the same mistake. This positive supplier performance penalty effect contributes to the buyer-supplier relationship dissolution literature by identifying how and why the deterrence to relationship dissolution typically engendered by stellar historical supplier performance does not hold. Our results have implications for how manufacturers should evaluate critical-component suppliers and how critical-component suppliers should manage ongoing strategic relationships with manufacturers.

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Section: Scenario‐based Role‐playing Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Supplier Performance and Strategic Relationship Dissolution: Unintentional but Serious Supplier Error as a Moderator

2019

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“…Previous efforts within the relationship dissolution and industrial buyer behavior literatures reveal antecedents to this critical decision. Certainly, one key determinant of buyer–supplier relationship dissolution involves the financial returns from the relationship as compared to the invested time and resources (Chen et al., ). Additional considerations affecting this cost‐benefit analysis include environmental and organizational factors (Johnston & Lewin, ), such as the quality of supply alternatives (i.e., an environmental factor) and relative dependence on the relationship (i.e., an organizational factor) (Hocutt, ).…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A second key concept within the psychological contract framework is the size or the impact of the breach (Morrison & Robinson, ). Severity thus speaks to how damaging the supplier's actions are to the buyer (Tennen & Affleck, ), and therefore, it is directly related to the buyer's economic bottom line (Chen et al., ). As the severity of the damages caused by a breach increases, AT predicts that the buyer should assign greater blame to the supplier (Tennen & Affleck, ).…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Processes and circumstances leading to the end of a buyer–supplier relationship, identified in scholarly work as relationship dissolution (Dwyer, Schurr & Oh, ), have been of particular interest. This is likely due to the considerable cost, time, and effort invested by parties involved in the dissolution process (Chen, Rungtusanatham, Goldstein & Koerner, ; Heide & Weiss, ). As such, factors influencing the buyer's decision to dissolve a supplier exchange relationship are of critical importance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding Supplier Switching Behavior: The Role of Psychological Contracts in a Competitive Setting

Mir

Aloysius

Eckerd

2016

J Supply Chain Manag

103

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Today's globally competitive environment presents ample opportunity for buyers to dissolve relationships by switching suppliers. While previous studies have described supplier switching behavior based on supplier attributes and switching costs, our study leverages attribution theory to evaluate the impact of psychological contracts on supplier switching behavior. We report the results of a controlled experiment involving 265 subjects in which we manipulate three characteristics of a psychological contract breach: attribution (whether the breach was due to reneging by the supplier or a disruption), severity (whether the breach was major or minor), and timing (whether the breach was early or late in the life cycle of the exchange history). Our analysis indicates that in the context of supplier switching, buyers are affected by the attribution and severity of a breach but not by the timing. In contrast to previous experimental research in noncompetitive settings, we find that psychological contract violation mediates the relationship between breach and behavior. We further complement our primary findings with a vignette-based experiment and interview data collected from experienced managers. Our research makes an important contribution to the relationship dissolution and industrial buyer behavior literatures by providing a behavioral explanation for supplier switching and reveals the complex role of psychological contracts in supply chain exchanges.

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“…Insert Table 5 About Here Metaphorical Transfer. Metaphorical transfer (Chen et al, 2013) is a systematic approach to developing theory by transferring understanding from a better-known source phenomenon to a lesser-known target phenomenon. A theory-constitutive metaphor (Boyd, 1993;Morgan, 1980 refined through many-to-one transformations (Chen, et al, 2013), retaining only key elements that link the source and target phenomena (Garud & Kotha, 1994).…”

Section: Theory Development Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The best of times and the worst of times: empirical operations and supply chain management research

Melnyk

Flynn

Awaysheh

2017

International Journal of Production Research

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We assess the current state of empirical research in operations and supply chain management (OSM), using Dickens' contrast between the best of times and the worst of times as a frame. The best of times refers to the future that empirical OSM research is now entering, with exciting opportunities available using big data and other new data sources, new empirical approaches and analytical techniques, and innovative tools for developing theory. These are well aligned with new research questions related to the digital economy, Industry 4.0, the impact of the millennial generation as consumers, social media, 3D printing, etc. However, we also explore how it is the worst of times, focusing on the challenges and problems that plague empirical OSM research. Our goal is to show how OSM researchers can learn from the worst of times, in order to be poised to take advantage of the best of times. We introduce the research diamond as a vehicle for emphasizing the importance of a balanced research perspective that treats the research problem, theory, data collection and data analysis as equally important, requiring alignment between them. By learning and addressing the issues in this period of the best of times and the worst of times, we can take advantage of the opportunities facing our field to generate research that is balanced, insightful, rigorous, relevant, impactful and interesting.

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Theorizing through metaphorical transfer in OM/SCM research: Divorce as a metaphor for strategic buyer–supplier relationship dissolution

Cited by 19 publications

References 94 publications

Historical Supplier Performance and Strategic Relationship Dissolution: Unintentional but Serious Supplier Error as a Moderator

Historical Supplier Performance and Strategic Relationship Dissolution: Unintentional but Serious Supplier Error as a Moderator

Understanding Supplier Switching Behavior: The Role of Psychological Contracts in a Competitive Setting

The best of times and the worst of times: empirical operations and supply chain management research

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