Small and medium sized companies are important to the European economy and considered as the true backbone of the European economy, being primarily responsi-ble for wealth and economic growth. Further, the purchasing function of small and medium sized companies had become more and more important to firms within the creating of competitive advantages. Additional, former research emphasizes the need of companies to engage in closer relationships in order to survive in nowadays business environments. These three issues, - SMEs, its purchasing performance and the relationships the small and medium sized firms are engaged with are interrelated and therefore the essences of the thesis. The thesis is limited to the manufacturing industry due to the potential wide area of small and medium sized companies. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the purchasing practices of small and me-dium sized enterprises with a focus on strategic considerations and supplier relation-ships. The research project is developed with four single case studies. Participating companies were two small sized manufacturing companies and two medium sized manufac-turing companies, defined according to the definition of the European Commission. The study is built on a critical review of former literature and research findings within the purchasing area and the area of small and medium sized companies. The find-ings from literature review (frame of references) and the findings from the empirical study were connected in order to fulfill the purpose of the thesis as well as the developed research questions. In the analysis, the characteristics of SMEs purchasing process were outlined. Evi-dence for strategic consideration were found and the characteristics of the companies relationships where established. Small and medium sized enterprises have developed its purchasing performance po-sitively in the comparison to former research findings. By using business technology systems, strategic planning and deliberations and finally through building close and long-term relationships, manufacturing SMEs found a suitable ways to perform its purchasing activities successful and found its place in sophisticated supply chains.

Research questions:  Main Question: How do companies with different types of products, who have implemented CSR, work with CSR in their purchasing process? Sub Query 1: How do companies with different types of products, who have implemented CSR, choose their suppliers based on CSR criteria? Sub Query 2: How do companies with different types of products, who have implemented CSR, ensure that their suppliers uphold the CSR criteria? Purpose: The purpose with this thesis is to identify how companies who have implemented CSR, work with their suppliers in different situations. Methodology: The thesis’ research method was quantitative with a deductive approach and a positivistic viewpoint. The empirical data was collected through two case studies in which interviews was be made and documents studied. The method for analysis was qualitative as a pattern matching was made. The authors reviewed the thesis according to qualitative measurements for quality.

Facing the new technology era, electronic store all over the world and affect the behavior of consumer. As For dress production, besides the virtual stole method such as: department store and brand shop, electronic store give consumer another choices to consume. Therefore, we research dress consumers in Kaohsiung city, between dress store and electronic store, and discuss which one the consumers were most likely to choose. Additionally, we explore the effect of population statistic change and the life style on the consumer behavior. According to the study results, we hope this paper can help clothing sale companies to plan a suitable marketing strategy for distribution channel and get more profit. This thesis we take Q and A investigation, Descriptive Sattistics, Chi-square test, t-value test, one way ANOVA, two way ANOVA and SPSS as our main approaching research methods. Although electronic store become an easy and popular way for the consumers to choose, the paper explores that the consumers are likely to buy dress production in the shop rather than electronic store.

<p>Small and medium sized companies are important to the European economy and considered as the true backbone of the European economy, being primarily responsi-ble for wealth and economic growth. Further, the purchasing function of small and medium sized companies had become more and more important to firms within the creating of competitive advantages. Additional, former research emphasizes the need of companies to engage in closer relationships in order to survive in nowadays business environments.</p><p>These three issues, - SMEs, its purchasing performance and the relationships the small and medium sized firms are engaged with are interrelated and therefore the essences of the thesis. The thesis is limited to the manufacturing industry due to the potential wide area of small and medium sized companies.</p><p>The purpose of the thesis is to examine the purchasing practices of small and me-dium sized enterprises with a focus on strategic considerations and supplier relation-ships.</p><p>The research project is developed with four single case studies. Participating companies were two small sized manufacturing companies and two medium sized manufac-turing companies, defined according to the definition of the European Commission.</p><p>The study is built on a critical review of former literature and research findings within the purchasing area and the area of small and medium sized companies. The find-ings from literature review (frame of references) and the findings from the empirical study were connected in order to fulfill the purpose of the thesis as well as the developed research questions.</p><p>In the analysis, the characteristics of SMEs purchasing process were outlined. Evi-dence for strategic consideration were found and the characteristics of the companies relationships where established.</p><p>Small and medium sized enterprises have developed its purchasing performance po-sitively in the comparison to former research findings. By using business technology systems, strategic planning and deliberations and finally through building close and long-term relationships, manufacturing SMEs found a suitable ways to perform its purchasing activities successful and found its place in sophisticated supply chains.</p>

Thesis (M.S. Eco.)--Baylor University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-70)

Thesis (M.H.S.A.)--University of Michigan, 1976.

Thesis (M.H.S.A.)--University of Michigan, 1976.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Economics)--Vanderbilt University, Aug. 2005. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

O setor de compras nas empresas tem se deparado com a necessidade de tornar-se mais eficiente e eficaz em suas aquisições, por isso, as organizações têm aderido ao uso de ferramentas estratégicas de compras adequadas às suas necessidades. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho objetivou propor um modelo de gestão de compras de materiais e serviços em uma empresa privada do agronegócio Matogrossense de nutrição animal, alinhado às suas estratégias. Desta forma, o trabalho estruturou-se em dois artigos. No primeiro artigo foi realizada uma análise no processo de compras praticado na empresa, para verificar o alinhamento do modelo de gestão do setor de materiais e serviços às estratégias da empresa, através do mapeamento do processo de compras e de uma entrevista semi estruturada com a direção da empresa responsável pela área, no intuito de verificar o alinhamento do processo utilizado com as estratégias da empresa. No segundo artigo, realizou-se a proposição do modelo de gestão de compras de materiais e serviços para a empresa, partindo das necessidades estratégicas identificadas no primeiro artigo e do levantamento dos principais modelos de gestão estratégica de compras de materiais e serviços existentes na literatura. Um modelo estratégico de gestão de compras para a empresa em estudo, foi estruturado através de um diagrama SIPOC e de um fluxograma detalhado do processo e, posteriormente, validado junto à diretoria da empresa. Obteve-se então, como resultado, um modelo de gestão capaz de alinhar o setor de compras de materiais e serviços às estratégias da empresa. O modelo contém, além do detalhamento das etapas do processo de compra, a proposta do uso de ferramentas de compras estratégicas adequadas ao perfil da empresa, como a Matriz de Kraljic (1983) aliada ao modelo de Ogden (2003), ambas adaptadas ao contexto analisado. / The purchasing department in companies has been faced with the need to become more efficient and effective in their acquisitions, so organizations have joined the use of strategic tools appropriate to their shopping needs. Therefore, this study aimed at proposing a purchasing management model of materials and services in a private company in Mato Grosso agribusiness animal nutrition, aligned to its strategies. For this purpose, work was structured in two articles. The first article it was done an analysis in the shopping process practiced for the company, to check the alignment of the materials and services sector of the management model to business strategies, through the purchasing process mapping and a semi structured interview with the company´s management responsible for the area, in order to verify the alignment process used, with the company's strategies. On the second article, took place on purchasing management model proposition of materials and services for the company, starting from the strategic needs identified on the first article and the survey of the main models of strategic management purchases of materials and services available in the literature. A strategic model of purchasing management for the company under investigation, it was structured through a SIPOC diagram and a detailed flow chart of the process and subsequently validated by the company´s staff. There was thus, as a result, a management model able to align the purchasing department of materials and services to the company's strategies. The model contains, in addition to detailing the stages of the buying process, the proposed of use of strategic purchasing tools appropriate to the company profile, such as the Mother of Kraljic (1983) combined with the model of Ogden (2003), both adapted to the analyzed context .

O setor de compras nas empresas tem se deparado com a necessidade de tornar-se mais eficiente e eficaz em suas aquisições, por isso, as organizações têm aderido ao uso de ferramentas estratégicas de compras adequadas às suas necessidades. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho objetivou propor um modelo de gestão de compras de materiais e serviços em uma empresa privada do agronegócio Matogrossense de nutrição animal, alinhado às suas estratégias. Desta forma, o trabalho estruturou-se em dois artigos. No primeiro artigo foi realizada uma análise no processo de compras praticado na empresa, para verificar o alinhamento do modelo de gestão do setor de materiais e serviços às estratégias da empresa, através do mapeamento do processo de compras e de uma entrevista semi estruturada com a direção da empresa responsável pela área, no intuito de verificar o alinhamento do processo utilizado com as estratégias da empresa. No segundo artigo, realizou-se a proposição do modelo de gestão de compras de materiais e serviços para a empresa, partindo das necessidades estratégicas identificadas no primeiro artigo e do levantamento dos principais modelos de gestão estratégica de compras de materiais e serviços existentes na literatura. Um modelo estratégico de gestão de compras para a empresa em estudo, foi estruturado através de um diagrama SIPOC e de um fluxograma detalhado do processo e, posteriormente, validado junto à diretoria da empresa. Obteve-se então, como resultado, um modelo de gestão capaz de alinhar o setor de compras de materiais e serviços às estratégias da empresa. O modelo contém, além do detalhamento das etapas do processo de compra, a proposta do uso de ferramentas de compras estratégicas adequadas ao perfil da empresa, como a Matriz de Kraljic (1983) aliada ao modelo de Ogden (2003), ambas adaptadas ao contexto analisado. / The purchasing department in companies has been faced with the need to become more efficient and effective in their acquisitions, so organizations have joined the use of strategic tools appropriate to their shopping needs. Therefore, this study aimed at proposing a purchasing management model of materials and services in a private company in Mato Grosso agribusiness animal nutrition, aligned to its strategies. For this purpose, work was structured in two articles. The first article it was done an analysis in the shopping process practiced for the company, to check the alignment of the materials and services sector of the management model to business strategies, through the purchasing process mapping and a semi structured interview with the company´s management responsible for the area, in order to verify the alignment process used, with the company's strategies. On the second article, took place on purchasing management model proposition of materials and services for the company, starting from the strategic needs identified on the first article and the survey of the main models of strategic management purchases of materials and services available in the literature. A strategic model of purchasing management for the company under investigation, it was structured through a SIPOC diagram and a detailed flow chart of the process and subsequently validated by the company´s staff. There was thus, as a result, a management model able to align the purchasing department of materials and services to the company's strategies. The model contains, in addition to detailing the stages of the buying process, the proposed of use of strategic purchasing tools appropriate to the company profile, such as the Mother of Kraljic (1983) combined with the model of Ogden (2003), both adapted to the analyzed context .