There have been several infamous incidences where world-renowned corporations have been caught by surprise when a low-tier downstream supplier has been publicly found to be non-compliant with basic corporate social responsibilities (CSR) codes. In such instances, the company reputation, and consequently financial health, suffer greatly. Motivated by the advances in predictive modeling, we present a predictive analytics model for detecting possible supplier deviations before they become a corporate liability. The model will be built based on publicly available data such as news and online content. We apply text mining and machine learning tools to design a corporate social responsibility "early warning system" on the upstream side of the supply chain. In our literature review we found that there is a lack of studies that focus on the social aspect of sustainability. Our research will help fill this gap by providing performance measures that can be used to build prescriptive analytics models to help in the selection of suppliers. To this end, we use the output of the predictive model to create a supplier selection optimization model that takes into account CSR compliance in global supply chain context. We propose a heuristic to solve the problem and computationally study its effectiveness as well as the impact of introducing CSR on procurement costs as well as ordering and supplier selection patterns. Our models provide analytics tools to companies to detect supplier deviance behaviour and act upon it so as to contain its impact and possible disruptions that can shake the whole supply chain. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

In instances where many universities offer off-campus programs in a single locale, a supplier network exists. These supplier networks, or higher education centers (HECs) are beneficial to students and regions where the programs are delivered (Baus, 2007; Peterson, 2007). Few empirical studies have focused on consortium educational environments, such as HECs and most studies of off-campus education have taken an outsider-looking-in approach. One window into the world of HECs is to examine the professional lives of administrators who work in the HEC environment. Professional life can be explored by eliciting data about work, relationships and rewards (Hirt, 2006; Hirt et al., 2006; Hirt et al., 2004).The purpose of this case study was to examine the professional lives of administrators who work at a HEC. Data collection included engaging the participants in four exercises where they created social artifacts. Diagrams, graphs, concept maps and drawings are complementary additions to the traditional interview and encourage contributions from interviewees that might not otherwise be obtained (Crilly, Blackwell, & Clarkson, 2006; Enger, 1998). Data from the social artifacts were used to customize the semi-structured interview protocol. Findings indicate that those who work at HECs define their work, in large part, by those who benefit from that work: students, communities, and member institutions. The organizational dynamics that drive the work of HEC administrators are competition, collaboration and balance. HEC professionals view their primary role as being the face of their institution or the Center in the local community. They describe their work as a culminating experience that is both rewarding and challenging. At the core of this work are the relationships that HEC professionals establish and sustain with others. These relationships are defined by resource coordination, advocacy, and appreciation. Findings suggest that institutions would benefit from engaging in greater reciprocity with HEC professionals to include expertise reciprocity, relationship reciprocity, and resource reciprocity. In general, professional life at HECs is rich, varied, challenging, but rewarding. / Ph. D.

The hospitality industry is characterized by a close interdependence between retailers and suppliers. Retailers depend on suppliers to provide the necessary goods and services to operate effectively, while suppliers rely on retailers to buy and market their products. With intense competition in the industry, effective supplier selection has become a critical asset for companies. Traditional supply chain management approaches that focus solely on increasing economic value are insufficient in the face of growing pressure for socially and environmentally responsible business practices. As a result, new criteria, including environmental, social, political, and customer satisfaction considerations, have been added to the pre-existing factors in supplier selection. While restaurants strive to select suppliers who meet their quality, social, and environmental standards, these suppliers may still face internal issues such as food safety, ethical malpractice, environmental concerns, and human rights issues. When such issues arise, it is unclear whether customers hold restaurants accountable for the mistakes of their suppliers, even when the restaurant has not been directly involved in these issues. The first part of this dissertation aims to explore how consumers associate negative news about supplier food quality and practices with the restaurants they patronize. By doing so, this study contributes to a better understanding of the indirect link between supplier issues and restaurant market value. On another note, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) play an important intermediary role in the two-sided travel distribution market. A critical factor that enhances a firm's competitive advantage is innovation. Yet, the analysis of innovation in the OTA context is scarce. The main objective of the second part of this dissertation is to fill this gap and examine the effect of OTA innovations on firm performance. We analyze the effect of two-sided market specific innovations (same-side and cross-side) on performance and contribute to the literature by expanding the theoretical understanding of innovations. We find that producer-to-consumer innovations have a greater effect on OTA performance than producer-to-producer and consumer-to-consumer innovations. A fundamental managerial implication is that exchange management is an area to be enhanced when innovating in travel market distribution. Lastly, with the unprecedented increase in food delivery demand due to the new consumption habits of individuals, delivery pricing is an issue to consider keeping consumers happy and continuously demanding this service. Research in economics and in service marketing have described how consumers do recognize the "free" under a product's price differently. This pricing approach is based upon that widespread notion that providing free goods or services to customers adds value to them and so increases their desire to buy. In the last part of the dissertation, we study the Zero price model on a multicomponent product with Food being the first component (where its price is always positive) and the delivery service as the second (where its price will eventually hit the zero-price tag). Elaborating more on previous studies and filling their gaps, we will be dividing the zero-price model into three scenarios: The true free scenario, the true free scenario with different discounts, and the fake-free scenario as each one is expected to yield different consumer behaviors in the process, but all should act similarly when the price hits the "free" tag. / Doctor of Philosophy / The hospitality industry is deeply intertwined, as retailers and suppliers rely on one another for success. Retailers depend on suppliers for essential goods and services, while suppliers count on retailers for purchasing and promoting their products. With increasing competition, it is vital for companies to select the right suppliers. Merely focusing on profit maximization is no longer sufficient, as there is growing pressure to adopt socially and environmentally responsible practices. Factors such as environmental, social, political aspects, and customer satisfaction now play a role in supplier selection. Restaurants strive to collaborate with suppliers that meet their criteria, but these suppliers may still encounter issues like food safety, ethical dilemmas, environmental issues, and human rights problems. The question remains whether customers hold restaurants accountable for their suppliers' mistakes. The first part of this dissertation investigates consumer responses to negative supplier news and its impact on their choice of restaurants. In another aspect, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) significantly influence the travel market. Innovation is a critical factor in achieving success, yet there has been limited research on innovation within the OTA context. The second part of this dissertation seeks to bridge this gap by examining how OTA innovations affect their performance. The study reveals that certain innovations have a more significant impact on OTA performance than others, indicating that enhancing exchange management is essential for innovation within the travel market. Lastly, the surge in food delivery demand has made delivery pricing a crucial aspect in maintaining customer satisfaction and promoting continued use of the service. Research indicates that consumers perceive "free" items or services distinctively, with "free" offers increasing their inclination to purchase. The last part of this dissertation explores the Zero price model for food delivery, wherein the food is the first component with a positive price, and the delivery service is the second component with a potentially free price. We categorize the zero-price model into three scenarios: true free, true free with different discounts, and fake-free, anticipating that they will result in different consumer behaviors, but all should exhibit similar effects when the price is "free."

Companies in the construction industry have a wide range of choices of suppliers for the company's needs in building materials. Local (in-state) suppliers within key southern states have issues gaining market share within the construction sectors. Construction companies often outsource their purchase of wood products from a different state or country, which adversely affects the local economy due to not purchasing from in-state or local wood product suppliers. Construction companies are often not aware of local suppliers due to lack of resources or general lack of knowledge. The primary research question of this thesis is: can construction company procurement decisions and supplier selection methods help local wood product suppliers gain more market share within the construction industry? Companies within the states of Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia were interviewed over the phone and in person to determine how the companies choose the wood product suppliers and what factors impact the purchasing decisions. Key factors included: cost, quality, delivery, flexibility, location, relationship, and payment options. A survey of construction companies was created and conducted after the interviews were concluded. Important factors highlighted by the survey responses included: cost, quality, relationship, and lead time in choosing a supplier. Suppliers were asked to differentiate their products using information the construction companies highlighted as factors they emphasized. Construction companies offered insight into how they purchase wood products, the factors they desire in their suppliers, and how often they purchase in-state. In-state wood product suppliers have an opportunity to gain market share within the construction industry using the factors those construction companies favored in interviews and survey results. / Master of Science / Companies in the construction industry have a wide range of choices of suppliers for the company's needs in building materials. Local (in-state) suppliers within key southern states have issues gaining market share within the construction sectors. Construction companies often outsource their purchase of wood products from a different state or country, which adversely affects the local economy due to not purchasing from in-state or local wood product suppliers. Companies within the states of Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia were interviewed over the phone and in person to determine how the companies choose the wood product suppliers and what factors impact the purchasing decisions. Key factors included: cost, quality, delivery, flexibility, location, relationship, and payment options. A survey of construction companies was created and conducted after the interviews were concluded. Important factors highlighted by the survey responses included: cost, quality, relationship, and lead time in choosing a supplier. Suppliers were asked to differentiate their products using information the construction companies highlighted as factors they emphasized. In-state wood product suppliers have an opportunity to gain market share within the construction industry using the factors those construction companies favored in interviews and survey results.

This thesis looks at the challenges of establishing environmentally sustainable supply chains in Swedish Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through the lens of buyer-supplier relationships. Despite SMEs' important role in innovation and employment, there is little research on sustainability in this sector, particularly on buyer-supplier dynamics. Existing literature emphasizes the potential benefits of strong buyer-supplier relationships but does not investigate into their role in SME sustainability efforts. This study aims to fill this gap and provide insights into the barriers to sustainable supply chain development in Swedish SMEs. It aims to educate policymakers and practitioners about the importance of fostering long-term partnerships within SME supply chains. The purpose of this study is to explore how buyer-supplier relationships influence sustainable practices in the supply chains of Swedish SMEs. Utilizing qualitative research methods, the research involved interviews with multiple SMEs to gather insights into the dynamics of these relationships and their effect on sustainability efforts. The study examines the role of trust, communication, and mutual sustainability goals in strengthening these relationships. The findings indicate that robust, trust-based buyer-supplier relationships are essential for fostering sustainable supply chain practices. Such relationships enable better collaboration, which is crucial for SMEs aiming to overcome limitations related to their size and bargaining power. The study also shows that a variety of factors influence SMEs' efforts to become more environmentally sustainable. Examples include industry, customer and supplier size, and new regulations. This thesis contributes to the literature by describing specific challenges and effective practices relevant to Swedish SMEs and suggests that enhancing the quality of buyer-supplier interactions can significantly impact their sustainability outcomes. Practical recommendations are offered for SMEs to optimize their supply chain sustainability, highlighting the importance of strategic partnerships in achieving environmental goals.

Companies adopt codes of conduct to set minimum standards on ethical issues, minimums that suppliers must keep. Problems has been found by other researchers regarding suppliers motivation to comply to the code. This study develops a conceptual model for how motivation can be adjusted to different countries, depending on economic situation, politic stability and culture of the country.   Country-Adjusted Motivation is made  by shaping motivating in relation to the human need that dominates in the country and by using the national culture to colour motivation. The model is applied in the context of how to motivate suppliers to a code of conduct in different countries. The model Country-Adjusted Motivation could as well be applied to other multinational contexts, where strong motivation is needed.

21世紀是供應鏈與供應鏈之間的戰爭。從近幾年Fortune雜誌調查發現，美國前500強企業多以創新的供應鏈管理見長，供應商管理能力已經躍升為今日企業之核心能耐，企業不再單打獨鬥，而是靠跨組織的合作才能贏得商戰。 為了管理日漸龐雜的供應商關係，「供應商計分卡」普遍運用於企業，然而實際走訪電子業界卻發現，供應商計分卡績效衡量指標非常不足，更大的問題是供應商計分卡績效衡量指標欠缺與總公司策略的連結！一個缺乏策略與戰術的衡量指標很容易使組織的管理走向明日黃花。 有鑑於此，本研究期以化策略為行動的績效管理工具平衡計分卡，為企業提供供應商績效衡量指標全新架構，我們稱這套嶄新的管理工具為「供應商平衡計分卡」，供應商平衡計分卡能帶領企業結合跨組織力量，不僅拉升企業績效，更能有效應付未來挑戰。 / The 21st century is the age of supply chain war. In recent years, Fortune magazine survey found that most of the top 500 US companies are known for innovation of supply chain management, and the supplier management capability has emerged as the core competence of today's enterprises. The enterprises can no longer compete solely on themselves, and “inter-organizational cooperation” will be the key to the success. In order to manage increasingly complicated and numerous supplier relationships, “supplier scorecard” is generally used in business. However, after actually interviewing with the electronics industry, we found that the performance measures of supplier scorecard are insufficient. In particular, the supplier performance measurement scorecard lacks for links with the head office strategy. In this study, we introduce a strategy tool which incorporates with the performance management tool Balanced Scorecard. It aims to provide enterprises with a new supplier performance metrics framework, and we call this new management tool “Supplier Balanced Scorecard.” The “Supplier Balanced Scorecard” not only can lead the enterprises to combine inter-organizational efforts, but also pull up business performance, more effectively in meeting the challenge of the new century.

Background: The needs of the consumers seem to develop at the same rate as the technology advancements and put more pressure on firms to produce new and innovative products at a faster pace. Research has shown that external sources can have a significant effect on the firms’ innovation performance, but the results are partial contradicting and more research is needed. Purpose: Investigate customer and supplier involvement in product innovation in Swedish manufacturing firms. Delimitations: The study was carried out to manufacturing firms in Sweden, as Swedish firms are the most innovative in Europe at this point in time. Only large and medium sized firms were under investigation as larger firms are more eager to innovate than smaller firms. Method: The research had a deductive quantitative approach. The data was collected through a questionnaire sent out by e-mail and 124 firms participated in the study. After assessing validity and reliability, the hypotheses were tested by multiple and single regression analysis. Conclusions: Firms that strives to improve their new product development process should seize their customer’s knowledge and use it to co-develop new products. Another important factor was to use lead users, as these will improve the innovativeness even more than “ordinary” customers. The study found no support for early supplier integration in the new product development process.

Submitted by Yen-Tsang Chen (yentsang.chen@gmail.com) on 2015-03-24T17:51:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2943345 bytes, checksum: 4c170e7c8b4f9e096626e1777b3f690e (MD5) / Rejected by PAMELA BELTRAN TONSA (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br), reason: Boa tarde Chen, Conforme conversamos estou rejeitando seu trabalho. Favor submeter novamente, Qualquer duvida estamos a disposição. Att, Pâmela Tonsa 3799-7852 on 2015-03-25T20:18:42Z (GMT) / Submitted by Yen-Tsang Chen (yentsang.chen@gmail.com) on 2015-03-26T14:47:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) / Rejected by PAMELA BELTRAN TONSA (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br), reason: Chen, Agradecimento só pode em Português. Fazer a alteração e submeter novamente, Att. Pâmela Tonsa on 2015-03-26T14:53:21Z (GMT) / Submitted by Yen-Tsang Chen (yentsang.chen@gmail.com) on 2015-03-26T17:53:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by PAMELA BELTRAN TONSA (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2015-03-30T12:15:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-30T12:27:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Final - Chen - Biblioteca.pdf: 2851494 bytes, checksum: 333f7f24515b050792b3e4eff742b9a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-25 / Choosing properly and efficiently a supplier has been challenging practitioners and academics since 1960’s. Since then, countless studies had been performed and relevant changes in the business scenario were considered such as global sourcing, quality-orientation, just-in-time practices. It is almost consensus that quality should be the selection driver, however, some polemical findings questioned this general agreement. Therefore, one of the objectives of the study was to identify the supplier selection criteria and bring this discussion back again. Moreover, Dickson (1966) suggested existing business relationship as selection criterion, then it was reviewed the importance of business relationship for the company and noted a set of potential negative effects that could rise from it. By considering these side effects of relationship, this research aimed to investigate how the relationship could influence the supplier selection and how its harmful effects could affect the selection process. The impact of this phenomenon was investigated cross-nationally. The research strategy adopted was a controlled experiment via vignette combined with discrete choice analysis. The data collections were performed in China and Brazil. By examining the results, it could be drawn five major findings. First, when purchasers were asked to declare their supplier selection priorities, quality was stated as the most important independently of country and relationship. This result was consistent with diverse studies since 60’s. However, when purchasers were exposed to a multi-criteria trade-off situation, their actual selection priorities deviate from what they had declared. In the actual decision-making without influence of buyer-supplier relationship, Brazilian purchasers focused on price and Chinese buyers prioritized delivery then price. This observation reinforced some controversial prior studies of Verma & Pullman (1998) and Hirakubo & Kublin (1998). Second, through the introduction of the buyer-supplier relationship (operationalized via relational capital) in the supplier selection process, this research extended the existing studies and found that Brazilian buyers still focused on price. The relationship became just another criterion for supplier selection such as quality and delivery. However, from the Chinese sample, the results suggested that quality was totally discarded and the decision was majorly made through price and relationship. The third finding suggested that relational capital could legitimate the quality and sustainability of the supplier and replaces these selection criteria and made the decisional task less complex. Additionally, with the relational capital, the decision-makings were associated to few biases such as availability cognition, commitment, confirmatory and perceived biases. By analyzing the purchasers’ behavior, relational capital inducted buyers of both countries to relax in their purchasing requirements (quality, delivery and sustainability) leading to potential negative effects. In the Brazilian sample, the phenomenon of willing to pay a higher price for a lower quality offer demonstrated to be a potential counterproductive and suboptimal decision. Finally, the last finding was associated to the cultural effect on the buyers’ decisions. From the outcome, it is possible to observe that if a purchaser’s cultural background is more relation-oriented, the more he will tend to use relational capital as a decision heuristic, thus, the purchaser will be more susceptible to the potential relationship’s side effects / Escolher adequadamente e eficientemente um fornecedor tem desafiado gestores e acadêmicos desde 1960. Desde então, inúmeros estudos tem sido realizados e mudanças relevantes do cenário econômico tem sido considerados tais como global sourcing, orientação à qualidade e práticas de just-in-time. É quase consenso que qualidade deveria ser o a diretriz para a seleção, no entanto, alguns resultados polêmicos questionaram esse consenso. Posto isto, um dos objetivos do presente trabalho é identificar os critérios de seleção de fornecedores e trazer de volta esta discussão. Além disso, o presente estudo observou que Dickson (1966) sugeriu a possibilidade de uso da relação comercial como critério de seleção, portanto, uma a importância da relação comercial foi revisada e potenciais efeitos negativos que podem originar da relação debatidos. Ao considerar os efeitos colaterais do relacionamento, este estudo visou investigar como o relacionamento pode influenciar o processo de seleção de fornecedores e como esses potenciais efeitos negativos podem manifestar neste processo. O impacto deste fenômeno foi investigado transnacionalmente. A estratégia de pesquisa adotada é baseada em experimento controlado com analise de escolha discreta. A coleta de dados foi conduzida na China e Brasil. Ao examinar os resultados, foi possível extrair cinco principais achados. Primeiro, quando um comprador é solicitado a declarar suas prioridades de seleção, independentemente do país, a qualidade é declarada como sendo a mais importante e o relacionamento o menos. Este resultado é consistente com diversos estudos desde a década de 60. Entretanto, quando o comprador é submetido a uma situação de multicritério e trade-off, as prioridades reais divergem das declaradas. Na seleção real sem a influência do relacionamento comprador-fornecedor, os compradores brasileiros focaram no preço e os chineses na entrega e preço. Esta observação reforça alguns achados controversos anteriores de Verma & Pullman (1998) e Hirakubo & Kublin (1998). Segundo, ao introduzir o relacionamento comprador-fornecedor no processo de seleção de fornecedores (operacionalizado via capital relacional), esta pesquisa estendeu os estudos anteriores. Os resultados apontaram que os compradores brasileiros ainda focam no preço e a relação é apenas mais um critério de seleção como qualidade e entrega. Entretanto, da amostra chinesa os resultados apontaram que a qualidade foi desconsiderada e a decisão era pautada em preço e relacionamento. O terceiro achado sugere que o capital relacional poderia legitimar a qualidade e práticas de sustentabilidade dos fornecedores e substitui esses critérios, fazendo a decisão menos complexa. Adicionalmente, com o capital relacional, os tomadores de decisão são associados a alguns vieses tais como de disponibilidade cognitiva, de compromisso, de confirmação e de percepção. Analisando o comportamento dos compradores, o capital relacional induziu aos compradores de ambos os países a relaxarem nos requisitos de qualidade, entrega e sustentabilidade, assim, conduzindo a um potencial efeito negativo. Na amostra brasileira foi possível observar também uma predisposição a pagar mais por uma oferta de menor qualidade, o qual demonstra ser contraditório e potencial decisão subotima. Por fim, o ultimo achado está associado ao efeito cultural nas decisões do comprador. Partindo do resultado, pode-se observar que quanto maior é a orientação ao relacionamento do comprador, mais ele tenderá a usar o capital relacional para a heurística de decisão, consequentemente, mais suscetíveis aos potenciais efeitos danosos da relação.

Every organization, that wants to be competitive in the market, must constantly improve and find new, better and smarter procedures of individual processes. This thesis describes and analyses the existing quality management system of the suppliers selection and evaluation process in the medium sized engineering company. The work contains recommendations and suggestions for possible improvements of the system.