Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-08T16:31:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 uma_analise.pdf: 1521320 bytes, checksum: 826ae498769acda69af8efe004a11afb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-08T16:31:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 uma_analise.pdf: 1521320 bytes, checksum: 826ae498769acda69af8efe004a11afb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-21 / Nenhuma / Este trabalho apresenta uma análise das relações comprador-fornecedor na cadeia de suprimentos de produtos orgânicos no Brasil, por meio de um estudo de caso sobre como se caracterizam os relacionamentos entre o Grupo Pão de Açúcar e os seus fornecedores de frutas, legumes e verduras (FLV) envolvidos na cadeia de suprimentos da marca própria Taeq para sua linha de produtos Taeq Orgânico. O referencial teórico alia conceitos sobre varejo, estratégia das operações, cadeia de valor e rede de operações, gestão da cadeia de suprimentos e relações comprador-fornecedor. As relações comprador-fornecedor são apresentadas de acordo com o referencial de análise proposto em duas perspectivas: episódios de interação e relacionamentos que juntas definem o ambiente operacional no qual compradores e fornecedores interagem, compreendendo a redução na base de fornecedores, o relacionamento de longo prazo, o envolvimento do fornecedor no desenvolvimento de produto e a qualidade como critério prioritário para seleção e avaliação de fornecedores; bem como as dimensões dos relacionamentos criados neste contexto que contemplam a comunicação, as equipes multifuncionais, o compromisso, a cooperação, e as operações conjuntas. São observadas diferenças na caracterização dos relacionamentos a partir do varejo em todas as características observadas em relação aos constituídos entre intermediário atacadista, produtor-coordenador e produtor. Percebe-se que os relacionamentos entre comprador e fornecedores na cadeia de suprimentos de produtos orgânicos a partir de uma grande rede varejista se caracterizam por uma assimetria refletida na capacidade do varejo em exercer poder, influência ou controle sobre a cadeia de suprimentos em função de seu poder de compra e proximidade com o consumidor final; e pela busca da eficiência, em função da necessidade do varejo melhorar a relação custo/benefício de seus processos o que, em alguns momentos, impacta na confiança entre as partes, além da dependência do varejo em relação aos fornecedores em função da indisponibilidade de produtos que atendam a demanda atual. Porém, as práticas de relacionamento entre o comprador e seus fornecedores estão em constante mudança, devido às grandes alterações nos ambientes e à crescente necessidade de responder cada vez mais rápido às necessidades dos clientes, o que implica em uma dinâmica que permite a identificação de estruturas diversas e singulares. Adicionalmente, se percebe que a busca de diferenciação do varejista por meio da introdução de uma dimensão social na sua proposta de valor, na associação com marcas próprias de produtos orgânicos não assegura a extensão a toda a cadeia de suprimentos de orgânicos, mas gera benefícios à sociedade ao estimular a inclusão de pequenos produtores em cadeias produtivas mais elaboradas, promover a melhoria da saúde dos produtores ao adotarem a produção orgânica, sem o uso de agrotóxicos. / This paper presents an analysis of buyer-supplier relationships in the supply chain for organic products in Brazil through a case study on how to characterize the relationships between the Pão de Açúcar and their suppliers of fruit and vegetables ( FLV) involved in the supply chain to its own brand Taeq Taeq Organic product line. The theoretical framework combines concepts of retail, operations strategy, value chain and network operations, supply chain management and buyer-supplier relationships. The buyer-supplier relationships are presented in accordance with benchmark analysis discussed from two perspectives episodes of interaction and relationships that together define the operating environment in which buyers and suppliers interact, including the reduction in the supplier base, the long-term relationship the supplier involvement in product development and quality as a priority criterion for selecting and evaluating suppliers, as well as the dimensions of the relationships created in this context that include communication, cross-functional teams, commitment, cooperation, and joint operations. Differences are observed in the characterization of relationships from the retail on all observed characteristics in relation to established between intermediate wholesaler, producer-engineer and producer. It is perceived that relationships between buyers and suppliers in the supply chain for organic products from a large retail chain is characterized by an asymmetry reflected in the ability of retailers to exercise power, influence or control over the supply chain due to its purchasing power and proximity to the final consumer, and the search for efficiency, depending on the need for retail to improve the cost / benefit analysis of its processes which, at times, impacting on confidence between the parties, besides the dependence of retail against suppliers depending on availability of products that meet current demand. However, the practical relationship between the buyer and its suppliers are constantly changing due to major changes in the environments and the increasing need to respond more quickly to customer needs, which implies a dynamic that allows the identification of structures diverse and unique. Additionally, one realizes that the quest for differentiation of the retailer through the introduction of a social dimension in its value proposition, in association with their own brands of organic products does not ensure the extension to the entire supply chain for organic products, the benefits to society to encourage the inclusion of small producers into supply chains more elaborate, promote improved health of farmers to adopt organic farming without using pesticides.

Procurement of sawlogs to purchasing sawmills represents a basic strategic business process. The properties of inbound sawlogs are decisive for the output of sawn products and the cost of raw material contributes substantially to the cost of the final product. Increasing customer orientation and new demands from powerful customers in the building and retail sectors entail new or accentuated demands on management of procurement. Managing raw material procurement and communicating needs to suppliers and logging machine operators are vital issues for sawmills in order to be competitive. The purpose of the thesis is to explore how purchasing sawmills manage procurement of sawlogs. The results are based on 46 in-depth interviews with people involved in the procurement process at seven softwood sawmills in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The thesis identifies various types of supply uncertainties as well as process improvement and buffer activities that reduce uncertainties. However, the major obstacle in the procurement process is the power/dependence balance in the relationships with suppliers. Beyond doubt, it restricts the manageability of procurement and particularly bucking. The results suggest that there are a number of ways to improve management of procurement, which are currently not fully employed. The thesis provides four key strategic dimensions of the procurement process and suggests a general conceptual model of wood procurement to purchasing sawmills. Further research within the subject can usefully explore the link between procurement management and procurement strategy as well as the relation to other functions' strategies and the corporate strategy. The importance of the identified strategic dimensions of the procurement process needs to be quantified in order to provide normative suggestions.

This thesis addresses the challenges that firms are faced with when collaborating with suppliers in new product development (NPD) projects under technological uncertainty. A critical observation that is made in this context is that technologies are evolving faster, making products more complex. At the same time, firms become more specialized. Due to increased complexity and specialization, firms do not possess all the necessary technologies in-house and therefore need to collaborate with external organisations to incorporate new technology into their products. Common collaborators are suppliers who become integrated into the buying firm’s NPD project. However, finding suppliers and collaborating with suppliers in NPD can be problematic. In addition, external collaborations also impact the buying firm internally, since it often needs to coordinate its departments. The purpose of this thesis is to explore supplier involvement in NPD under technological uncertainty. Challenges in supplier selection are concerned with the issues of involving new suppliers or relying on old acquaintances, managing uncertainties, the dilemma of whether to commit to long-term relationships or to maintain flexibility, and deciding on which department that is responsible for evaluating and selecting the supplier. The present study of buyers and suppliers in NPD, shows the challenges that are involved in balancing control, reaching goal alignment, and managing transactional and relational governance. Internal challenges investigate the coordination between the R&D department and purchasing in NPD projects where suppliers are involved. The present findings may be of value for firms who engage in collaborative NPD, or for firms who aim to involve suppliers in their development of new products.

Submitted by Priscila Miguel (plsmiguel@gmail.com) on 2012-03-29T17:17:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Priscila versão final.pdf: 2954945 bytes, checksum: d6e1ee7941cd855192c9ebbc2b7bba3c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gisele Isaura Hannickel (gisele.hannickel@fgv.br) on 2012-03-29T17:21:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Priscila versão final.pdf: 2954945 bytes, checksum: d6e1ee7941cd855192c9ebbc2b7bba3c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-03-29T17:22:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Priscila versão final.pdf: 2954945 bytes, checksum: d6e1ee7941cd855192c9ebbc2b7bba3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-29 / This research aimed to study how value is created in a buyer-supplier relationship, investigating how governance mechanisms impact value creation, how this phenomenon occurs over time and testing if the model derived from the notion of economic value creation (BRANDENBURGER; STUART, 1996) can be used to measure value creation in dyads. We also tested the impact of the relational sources of competitive advantage (DYER; SINGH, 1998) on the value creation for the organizations involved. By integrating the literature on relationships in the Operations and Supply Chain field with the debate on value creation and competitive advantage in the areas of Strategy and Marketing, an integrative model to assess value creation in relationships and their development over time was proposed, based on three important theories: Transaction Cost Theory, Relational View and Theory of Social Exchange. A deductive qualitative research (BARRAT; CHOI, 2011), with 28 executives responsible for the relationship in both suppliers and buyers’ companies, was performed in two industries: Food & Beverages and Personal Care. The results shown that, in these industries, suppliers are more supportive to collaboration that the buyers, but this commitment does not guarantee exclusivity or increased volumes. Relational governance mechanisms are more common in situations involving risks to companies and when there is size or power asymmetry. The qualitative research provided evidences that the model of economic value creation of Brandenburger and Stuart (1996) can be used to assess the value created in relationships, by considering the difference between willingness to pay of the buyer company and the opportunity cost of the supplier. Additionally, the results suggest that companies should assess the gains of the relationships in the long term, as gains are created in different time for buyers and suppliers. Finally, the qualitative stage identified three distinct types of value creation in dyads: situational or episodic, incremental and relational. At the same time, based on a survey with 76 suppliers, a model to evaluate the effect of the four sources of relational advantage on value creation was tested. The measurement models analysis suggested that the constructs of mechanisms of relational governance and resources complementarity resources should be grouped into a latent variable representing the intraorganizational fit (CHEUG; MYERS, Mentzer, 2010; Saxton, 1997). The measurement model for value creation, represented by five dimensions ( relationship benefits, benefits for the supplier, benefits for buyer, switching costs for the buyer company and opportunity costs for the supplier) had good fit and can be used in future research. Using the validated models and multiple linear regression, the causal relationships between the sources of the relational advantage and value creation were tested. The results provided evidence that different sources of relational advantage have different impact on different aspects of the value created. While inter-organizational fit has positive impact on both supplier and buyer benefits, knowledge sharing has a positive effect on the relationship benefit to the relationship. The asset specificity impact the opportunity cost to the supplier, while the switching cost of for the buyer is not affected by these mechanisms in this situation. A cluster analysis was performed and two distinct groups among the respondents were identified: relational dyads and non relational dyads. There are evidences that the first cluster has better performance than the second group. / A presente investigação teve como objetivo responder a questão de como ocorre a criação de valor em uma díade, investigando como os mecanismos de governança atuam sobre o valor criado, como esse fenômeno ocorre ao longo do tempo e testando a aplicabilidade do modelo derivado da noção de valor econômico (BRANDENBURGER; STUART, 1996) para medir o valor criado em díades. Também foram testados os impactos das fontes de vantagem relacional segundo a perspectiva da visão relacional sobre o valor criado para as organizações envolvidas. Ao integrar a literatura sobre relacionamentos do campo de Operações e Cadeias de Suprimentos com o debate sobre criação de valor e vantagem competitiva nas áreas de Estratégia e Marketing, a pesquisa propôs um modelo integrativo para se avaliar a criação de valor em relacionamentos e seu desenvolvimento ao longo do tempo. As principais correntes teóricas usadas foram a Teoria de Custo de Transação, a Visão Relacional da estratégia e Teoria das Transações Sociais. A pesquisa empírica qualitativa, tomando um caráter dedutivo (BARRATT; CHOI, 2011), com entrevistas com 28 gestores responsáveis pelos relacionamentos em díades dos setores de Alimentos e Bebidas (A&B) e Higiene Pessoal, Perfumaria e Cosméticos (HPPEC), tanto em empresas compradoras como fornecedoras, forneceu evidências de que, nos segmentos investigados, os fornecedores adotam um comportamento mais propenso a colaboração do que as empresas compradoras, mas que esse comprometimento não é garantia de exclusividade ou aumento de participação na relação e que mecanismos de governança relacional são mais comuns em situações que envolvem riscos para as empresas compradoras e quando há assimetria de tamanho e poder entre as partes. As entrevistas forneceram evidências que o modelo de valor econômico de Brandenburger e Stuart (1996) pode ser usado para avaliar o valor criado nos relacionamentos, considerando-se a diferença entre disposição a pagar da empresa compradora e o custo de oportunidade do fornecedor. Adicionalmente, os resultados sugerem que a avaliação dos ganhos em relacionamentos deve ser feita longitudinalmente, visto que há alternância de ganhos entre as partes. Por fim, a etapa qualitativa permitiu identificar três tipos distintos de criação de valor em díades: valor situacional, incremental e relacional. Em paralelo, foi testado um modelo para avaliar a influência das quatro fontes de vantagem relacional no valor criado para empresas compradoras e fornecedores, com base em 76 respostas de empresas fornecedoras. A análise dos modelos de mensuração sugere que os construtos de mecanismos de governança relacional e complementaridade de recursos podem ser agrupados em uma variável latente representando o alinhamento intraorganizacional - fit (CHEUG; MYERS; MENTZER, 2010; SAXTON, 1997). O modelo de mensuração para valor criado, representado por cinco dimensões de primeira ordem, denominadas benefícios para a relação, benefícios para o fornecedor, benefícios para o comprador, custos de troca para a empresa compradora e custos de oportunidade para o fornecedor se mostrou adequado e com bons ajustes. A partir dos modelos validados, as relações causais entre os recursos relacionais e as várias formas de operacionalizar valor foram testadas, utilizando-se regressão linear múltipla. Os resultados forneceram indícios de que diferentes fontes da vantagem relacional têm impacto sobre distintos aspectos do valor criado. Enquanto o alinhamento interorganizacional explica a variação de benefícios para o fornecedor e para o comprador, é o compartilhamento de conhecimento que influencia o benefício para a relação. A especificidade de ativos tem impacto no custo de oportunidade para o fornecedor, enquanto o custo de troca para o comprador não é afetado por esses mecanismos nessa situação. A análise de agrupamentos permitiu ainda constatar a existência de dois grupos distintos entre os respondentes: díades relacionais e díades não relacionais, sendo que o primeiro apresenta desempenho significativamente diferente do outro.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:14:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 61070100617.pdf: 2228039 bytes, checksum: 4712d4fbb83ae3441be70f03a1089488 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-04T00:00:00Z / Este trabalho aborda o tema da socialização nos relacionamentos inter organizacionais como oportunidade de geração de valor. Atualmente torna-se cada vez mais importante aprimorar o relacionamento entre empresas sob a expectativa de influenciar seu relacionamento e sua performance. Com base nesta percepção, este estudo visa mensurar o impacto dos mecanismos de socialização de compradores para a criação de valor no relacionamento cliente-fornecedor, assim como direcionar algumas oportunidades encontradas na pesquisa anterior sobre os Mecanismos de Socialização. Esta dissertação foi embasada na pesquisa original de Cousins et al. (2006) e contribuiu para o desenvolvimento do tema contando com maior exploração da literatura, atualizações, redefinições de construtos e, conseqüentemente, novas variáveis foram adicionadas à pesquisa. Foi adotado o método de pesquisa Survey e foi desenvolvida via Internet com 91 executivos de Compras e Supply Chain no Brasil entre 2008 e inicio de 2009. A amostra foi analisada utilizando o modelo de equações estruturais e os resultados mostram que os mecanismos de socialização informais possuem impacto significativo na geração de capital relacional, e em contra partida, os mecanismos formais possuem impacto relativamente inferior. / This study attempts to the Socialization mechanisms on interorganizacional relationships as an opportunity to create value. It is suggested that it becames more important to improve interorganizational relationships expecting to impact the relationship and companies performance. Based on this background, this study aims to measure the impact of buyer socialization mechanisms to create added value on buyer-supplier relationship, as well as addressing some of the shortcomings in prior research on Socialization Mechanisms. This dissertation was based on original research of Cousins et al. (2006) and it contributes to the issue development, with a deep literature review, updates, constructs redefinition and consequently new variables were add to the research. It was addopted Survey as research methodology and it was developped a web-based survey with 91 Purchasing and Supply Chain executives in Brazil between 2008 and beginning 2009. Sample were analysed through Structural Equations Modeling and results showed that informal socialization mechanism impact significantly on relational capital creation, however, formal socialization mechanism has a lesser impact.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T13:51:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarliFFST_TESE.pdf: 2405705 bytes, checksum: d5382e776543ce8d8c7f7d5ffc17c027 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-13 / This research is part of the field of organizational studies, focusing on organizational purchase behavior and, specifically, trust interorganizational at the purchases. This topic is current and relevant by addressing the development of good relations between buyer-supplier that increases the exchange of information, increases the length of relationship, reduces the hierarchical controls and improves performance. Furthermore, although there is a vast literature on trust, the scientific work that deal specifically at the trust interorganizational still need further research to synthesize and validate the variables that generate this phenomenon. In this sense, this investigation is to explain the antecedents of trust interorganizational by the relationship between the variable operational performance, organizational characteristics, shared values and interpersonal relationships on purchases by manufacturing industries, in order to develop a robust literature, most consensual, that includes the current sociological and economic, considering the effect of interpersonal relationships in this phenomenon. This proposal is configured in a new vision of the antecedents of interorganizational trust, described as significant quantitative from models Morgan and Hunt (1994), Doney and Cannon (1997), Zhao and Cavusgil (2006) and Nyaga, Whipple, Lynch (2011), as well as qualitative analysis of Tacconi et al. (2011). With regard to methodological aspects, the study assumes the form of a descriptive, survey type, and causal trace theoretical and empirical. As for his nature, the investigation, explicative character, has developed a quantitative approach with the use of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling SEM, with the use of IBM software SPSS Amos 18.0, using the method of maximum verisimilitude, and supported by technical bootstraping. The unit of analysis was the buyer-supplier relationship, in which the object under investigation was the supplier organization in view of the purchasing company. 237 valid questionnaires were collected among key informants, using a simple random sampling developed in manufacturing industries (SIC 10-33), located in the city of Natal and in the region of Natal. The first results of descriptive analysis demonstrate the phenomenon of interorganizational trust, in which purchasing firms believe, feel secure about the supplier. This demonstration showed high levels of intensity, predominantly among the vendors that supply the company with materials that are used directly in the production process. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, performed on each variable alone, generated a set of observable and unobservable variables more consistent, giving rise to a model, that needed to be further specified. This again specify model consists of trajectories was positive, with a good fit, with a composite reliability and variance extracted satisfactory, and demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity, in which the factor loadings are significant and strong explanatory power. Given the findings that reinforce the model again specify data, suggesting a high probability that this model may be more suited for the study population, the results support the explanation that interorganizational trust depends on purchases directly from interpersonal relationships, sharing value and operating performance and indirectly of personal relationships, social networks, organizational characteristics, physical and relational aspect of performance. It is concluded that this trust can be explained by a set of interactions between these three determinants, where the focus is on interpersonal relationships, with the largest path coefficient for the factor under study / Esta pesquisa se insere no campo dos estudos organizacionais, focalizando o comportamento de compra organizacional e, de forma espec?fica, a confian?a interorganizacional nas compras. Esse tema ? atual e relevante por abordar o desenvolvimento de boas rela??es entre comprador-fornecedor que amplia a troca de informa??es, aumenta o tempo de relacionamento, reduz os controles hier?rquicos e melhora o desempenho. Al?m disso, embora exista uma vasta literatura sobre confian?a, os trabalhos cient?ficos que tratam especificamente da confian?a interorganizacional ainda carecem de mais pesquisas que sintetizem e validem as vari?veis geradoras desse fen?meno. Nesse sentido, essa investiga??o consiste em explicar os antecedentes da confian?a interorganizacional pela rela??o entre as vari?veis desempenho operacional, caracter?sticas organizacionais, compartilhamento de valores e relacionamento interpessoal nas compras realizadas pelas ind?strias de transforma??o, a fim de desenvolver uma literatura robusta, mais consensual, que contemple as correntes sociol?gicas e econ?micas, considerando o efeito das rela??es interpessoais nesse fen?meno. Essa proposta se configura em uma nova vis?o dos antecedentes da confian?a interorganizacional, descritos como significativos com base nos modelos quantitativos de Morgan e Hunt (1994), Doney e Cannon (1997), Zhao e Cavusgil (2006) e Nyaga, Whipple, Lynch (2011), bem como da an?lise qualitativa de Tacconi et al. (2011). No que se refere aos aspectos metodol?gicos, o estudo assume a forma de uma pesquisa descritiva, do tipo survey, e causal de cunho te?rico emp?rico. Quanto ? sua natureza, a investiga??o, de car?ter explicativo, se desenvolveu em uma abordagem quantitativa, com o uso da an?lise fatorial explorat?ria e da modelagem de equa??es estruturais SEM, com o recurso do software IBM SPSS Amos 18.0, utilizando o m?todo da m?xima verossimilhan?a e apoiada pela t?cnica de bootstraping. A unidade de an?lise foi a rela??o comprador-fornecedor, em que o objeto investigado era a organiza??o fornecedora na vis?o da empresa compradora. Foram coletados 237 question?rios v?lidos, entre os informantes-chaves, utilizando uma amostragem aleat?ria simples desenvolvida nas ind?strias de transforma??o (CNAE 10 a 33), localizadas na cidade do Natal e na regi?o da Grande Natal. Os primeiros resultados das an?lises descritivas demonstram o fen?meno da confian?a interorganizacional na qual as empresas compradoras acreditam, se sentem seguras em rela??o ? empresa fornecedora. Essa manifesta??o apresentou altos n?veis de intensidade, com predomin?ncia entre os fornecedores que suprem a empresa com os materiais que s?o utilizados diretamente no processo produtivo. As an?lises fatoriais explorat?rias e confirmat?rias, realizadas em cada vari?vel isoladamente, geraram um conjunto de vari?veis observ?veis e n?o observ?veis mais consistentes, que juntas formaram um modelo que precisou de reespecifica??o. Esse modelo reespecificado foi constitu?do por trajet?rias positivas, com bom ajustamento, com confiabilidade composta e vari?ncia extra?da satisfat?rias, assim como demonstra validade convergente e discriminante, nas quais as cargas fatoriais s?o significativas e com forte poder explicativo. Diante das constata??es que refor?am o modelo reespecificado aos dados, sugerindo uma elevada probabilidade de que esse modelo seja o mais ajustado para a popula??o em estudo, os resultados suportam a explica??o de que a confian?a interorganizacional nas compras depende diretamente do relacionamento interpessoal, do compartilhamento de valores e do desempenho operacional e indiretamente das rela??es pessoais, redes sociais, caracter?sticas organizacionais, aspecto f?sico e relacional do desempenho. Conclui-se que essa confian?a pode ser explicada por um conjunto de intera??es entre esses tr?s determinantes, nos quais o ponto central recai sobre o relacionamento interpessoal, que apresentou o maior coeficiente de trajet?ria para o fator em estudo

M. Tech. (Department of Logistics Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Economic growth, job creation and improved standard of living have resulted to focus mostly on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the world. Hence, establishing and maintaining relationships with partners across the supply chain has become a prerequisite for achieving long-term competitive benefits in the present business competitive environment. For this reason, buyer-supplier commitment is deemed an important long-term business relationship strategy towards achieving competitive performance. Although buyer-supplier commitments can serve as the basis for the development of relational standards, unbalanced commitments, on the other hand, may become a harbinger of opportunistic behaviours. This development is inimical to continued business relationship and its consequential benefits for the SMEs’ supply chain collaborators. Guided by the theoretical lens of the social exchange theory (SET), this study examines the influence of communication, product quality, flexibility, and buyer-supplier commitments on SMEs competitive performance in southern Gauteng. Using a convenience sampling technique, the study quantitatively analysed the 396 returned questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 for the confirmatory factor analysis and the structural equation modelling (SEM) respectively. The SEM analysis helped to confirm the suitability of the model fit as well as the positive and significant relationships of the proposed hypotheses. The analysis revealed that communication, product quality and flexibility are important variables in predicting buyer-supplier commitment as they displayed positive association with buyer-supplier commitment and the latter is significant in a firm’s effort towards achieving competitive performance. The study recommends the anchoring of SMEs strategies on commitment inorder for partners to efficiently and effectively enjoy competitive benefits. This research contributes new knowledge to the body of literature by developing a research framework on SME’s business growth and competitive performance and offered recommendations based on the study, which if implemented, could improve the economy. The study also revealed a higher relationship among the baseline constructs (communication, product quality and flexibility) which have received little or no conceptualisation in literature.

Inköp av material i byggbranschen genomförs traditionellt med lägsta pris som främsta kriterium. Vidare sker inköpen ofta lokalt i respektive byggprojekt, vilket oftast leder till kortsiktiga relationer med leverantörer. Dock visar forskning på att kortsiktiga relationer inte alltid är mest gynnsamma. Det anses istället vara mer fördelaktigt att låta sig inspireras av andra industrier och upprätta långsiktiga relationer och leverantörssamarbeten som sträcker sig över flera byggprojekt. År 2014 förvärvade ett av Sveriges största byggföretag en fabrik som tillverkar prefabricerade produkter i fiber- och gråbetong. Uppköpet var en så kallad vertikal integration och en del i ett koncept för att industrialisera bostadsbyggandet. Förvärvet innebar inte bara ett upprättande av en långsiktig relation utan således även en integration av en leverantör i företagets värdekedja.  Syftet med det här examensarbetet är att bättre förstå hur en sådan intern långsiktig leverantörsrelation fungerar i byggbranschen. Syftet med studien är även att utveckla kunskap och komma med förbättringsförslag kring hur en långsiktig intern affärsrelation kan utvecklas.  Studien anses som kvalitativ och grundar sig på en litteraturstudie, semi-strukturerade intervjuer, interna dokument, platsbesök och observationer. En abduktiv forskningsansats har använts då teori och empiri varvats längs studiens gång. Undersökningen kan även ses som explorativ då slutmålet från början inte var känt.     Studien påvisar och konfirmerar att en intern långsiktig relation är komplex men fördelaktig då det bland annat möjliggör en ökad kontroll och utveckling av både den levererade produkten och relationen. Vidare visar studien att den levererade produktens komplexitet har stor betydelse. Undersökningen åskådliggör även att en kombination av ett externt och internt förhållningssätt till en relation kan vara mest fördelaktigt trots att leverantören definitionsmässigt är intern. Likväl som i externa långsiktiga relationer är även begrepp såsom tillit, engagemang, förväntningar och beroende centrala i interna relationer, men bör utifrån förutsättningarna ses på ett annat sätt. Byggbranschens projektorientering och traditionsenlighet visar sig också påverka en implementering av långsiktiga interna relationer. Vidare förekommer andra mötesforum och socialiseringsprocesser tillskillnad mot externa kortsiktiga relationer. Då den undersökta relationen är en del i ett större koncept visar det sig även möjliggöra förekomsten av fler än två parter, vilket får en påverkan på beslutsfattandet i relationen.     För att utveckla relationen anses tidigare nämnda begrepp som tillit, förväntningar, engagemang, kommunikation, beslutsfattande och beroende vara något som man tankemässigt bör ha med sig. Vidare bör beställare och leverantör tillsammans anpassa sig till varandras processer och arbetsstrukturer. Gemensamma långsiktiga mål bör även formuleras.  För att utveckla en långsiktig intern relation bör även institutionaliseringens fördelar utnyttjas. Detta innebär att kontaktmönster, kommunikationsverktyg och kontaktvägar bör vänjas in och utvecklas över tid. För att engagera och motivera individerna till att vara delaktiga i relationen rekommenderas även nya typer av mötesforum som komplement till de redan existerande. / Purchasing of material in the construction industry is traditionally carried out with lowest price as main criteria. In addition, purchasing often occurs separately in each project, which usually ends up with short-term relationships with suppliers. However, research shows that that short-term relationships are not always the most advantageous. It is considered as more advantageous to obtain inspiration from diverse industries and establish long-term relationships with suppliers that lasts over numerous projects.  In 2014 one of Sweden’s largest construction companies acquired a manufacturer that produces prefabricated concrete elements. The acquisition was a vertical integration and a part of an industrialized house building concept. Hence, the acquisition did not only establish a long-term relationship, it also integrated a supplier in the company’s supply chain.  The purpose with this thesis is to clarify and understand how an intra-organizational long-term supplier relationship is managed in the construction industry. The purpose is also to contribute with knowledge in how to develop such a relationship.  The study is considered as qualitative and is based on literature studies, semi-structured interviews, internal documents, site visits, and personal impressions from meetings. An abductive research approach has been conducted since empirics and theory have been alternated during the study. The survey can also be identified as an explorative study since there was not a clear objective when the study was initiated.  The study reveals and confirms that an internal long-term relationship is complex but advantageous. The long-term focus enables an increased control and development of the product as well as the relationship. The study also illustrated that a combination of an external and internal approach to the relationship is most advantageous, even though the relationship is defined as intra-organizational. In inter-organizational relationships, concepts such as trust, commitment, expectations, and dependence seems to be important in intra-organizational relationships as well, but should be viewed in a different way. The strong project orientation and traditionalism in the construction industry is also considered to affect an internal long-term relationship. Furthermore, in contrast to inter-organizational short-term relationships, other kinds of meeting forums and socialization processes exists. Since the studied relationship is part of a larger concept, more than two parties seem to be involved in the relationship. This, among other things, affect the decision-making process in the relationship.  To develop the relationship, stated concepts such as trust, expectation, commitment, communication, decision-making and dependence should be kept in mind. Furthermore, buyer and supplier should try to adapt to each other’s processes and work structures. To develop a long-term internal relationship, the benefits of institutionalization should also be used, enabling buyer and suppliers to develop and familiarize roles, communication tools and contact routes. To engage and motivate individuals to participate in the relationship, new types of meeting forums are also recommended to complement the ones that already exist.

The concept of open innovation has received increased attention among practitioners as well as in academia in recent years. It provides a conceptual platform for understanding how external sources of knowledge drive internal growth. In addition, it also addresses the internal configurations needed for managing a more externally oriented innovation process. However, many firms still experience major managerial challenges in trying to adopt the principles of open innovation. The perhaps most important challenge in realizing the potential benefits of open innovation lies in modifying existing innovation activities and processes to incorporate the principles of open innovation, rather than creating something completely new. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to study the problems and opportunities arising when firms attempt to integrate open innovation activities within their development processes. Empirically, the results are based on three exploratory case studies within the process industries. In total, this thesis is based on 73 interviews from 2 process firms and 9 equipment suppliers to the process industries. Data was gathered in several different countries, and collectively these firms represent perspectives from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom.Three papers are appended with the thesis. Paper I studies the overall challenges of integrating open innovation activities within an existing product development process. The key contribution is the enactment of a practitioner-oriented work model, named the open Stage-Gate model, which exploits the advantages of "openness" while simultaneously capturing the benefits deriving from the systematic and structured approach implied by the Stage-Gate process. Paper II studies a concrete application of open innovation by focusing on the development and installation of new or upgraded process equipment in process plants where collaborative efforts by a process firm and various suppliers of process equipment often are required. The analysis focuses on problems and opportunities in different stages of the equipments lifecycle and finds that the content and the intensity of the collaboration should be tailored to the different stages of the equipment's lifecycle. As such, the conclusions highlight the fact that being totally open in development activities is not always the most suitable option. Instead, different degrees of "openness" may be suitable at different stages. Paper III studies collaboration in the later operational stages of a process equipments lifecycle, from an equipment supplier perspective. The results presented in this paper underscore the importance of collaboration in the operational stages as these stages are critical to facilitate technology transfer and production performance.

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