This paper deals with the problem of shipping multiple commodities from a single vendor to a single buyer. Each commodity is assumed to be constantly consumed at the buyer, and periodically replenished from the vendor. Furthermore, these replenishments are restricted to happen at discrete time instants, e.g., a certain time of the day or a certain day of the week. At any such time instant, transportation cost depends on the shipment quantity according to certain discount scheme. Specifically, we consider two transportation quantity discount schemes: LTL (less-than-truckload) incremental discount and TL (truckload) discount. For each case, we develop MIP (mixed integer programming) mathematical model whose objective is to make an integrated replenishment and transportation decision such that the total system cost is minimized. We also derive optimal solution properties and give numerical studies to investigate the problem. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

The changing dynamics of the fashion retailing industry has progressed and become a global multibillion industry, (Solomon & Rabolt, 2007). It has put a lot of pressure on the fast fashion retailers were key strategies in order to maintain a strong position in market, must be established, (Doyle, Moore & Morgan, 2006). As the increasing number of new fashion retailing companies have emerged and established, the fashion segment has become a market leader, (Mehrjoo & Pasek, 2014). Fashion consumers expect and thrive on continuous change were new fashion products always have to be available in store on an everyday basis, (Bruce & Daly, 2006). Most companies aim to ensure the speed to market as a competitive strategy by offering rapidly fashion trends. Fast fashion companies need to deliver their product offer to the customers before their competitors do and the choice of supply chain strategy gets critical, (Porter 1996). Gadde and Håkansson (2009), argue that a company's purchase process is the answer of this matter. The importance of the purchase process has therefore become of great focus. The issue of defining what it is that actually makes the difference when working with the purchase process is complex, with several aspects to take in consideration. The aim of this report is to present the most significant activities within the purchase process that makes a company competitive in the market. As buyers carry the main responsibility over their department groups it became essential to answer the research questions from their perspective. The buyers’ sees a general problematic in how to influence the purchase chain in a larger scale. However, they claim that the most essential factors, that makes a difference for a company to be successful within the fast fashion industry was concluded to be: short-term and long-term solutions within the daily work primary within the team. The buyers’ solutions are presented in the form of clear goals within the process work, and tools for how to reach the set goals. There must be a clarity through the organization which generates an 80/20 mindset were all actors are focusing on what it is that makes the difference. Communication is a key tool one should work with further on, both at an internal and an external level and as it creates the right conditions for the workflow in a more efficient way. This is for everyone to share a clearer understanding of and be able to work effectively towards the rapid changes that are performed over the season. Lastly, the buyers appear to have an ambiguous picture of how the fashion industry will progress. They are proud of how far Sweden has come with its identity in the fashion industry and the prominent clothing brands. But on the other hand, they are concerned for the how much further the fashion industry can be pushed, taking the environmental and sustainable viewpoint in consideration.

Understanding the determinants of sales success and sales failure has organization wide implications, ranging from an improved salesforce to improved corporate performance. However, a paucity of research on sales failure has resulted in an under-conceptualized field largely built on assumptions. This research proposes to overcome salesforce failure attribution biases by collecting data from the industrial buyer’s perspective. Thirty five post-mortem interviews with procurement decision makers from buying organizations were collected following a failed sales proposal. The context of these failed sales proposals was for multi-year industrial service key account contracts (>$5 Million). The result of this naturalistic inquiry is a model which outlines the determinant attributes of sales failure: price, adaptability and relationship-potential. An experimental design was conducted following this exploratory research in order to test the derived drivers of sales failure and success, as well as provide a trade-off analysis of the three emergent sales proposal themes. Results indicate that a lack of adaptability has the strongest impact on the sales failure outcome variable, as well as buyer characteristics have a potentially moderating impact on the relative trade-off weights between price/adaptability and price/relationship-potential.

Understanding the determinants of sales success and sales failure has organization wide implications, ranging from an improved salesforce to improved corporate performance. However, a paucity of research on sales failure has resulted in an under-conceptualized field largely built on assumptions. This research proposes to overcome salesforce failure attribution biases by collecting data from the industrial buyer’s perspective. Thirty five post-mortem interviews with procurement decision makers from buying organizations were collected following a failed sales proposal. The context of these failed sales proposals was for multi-year industrial service key account contracts (>$5 Million). The result of this naturalistic inquiry is a model which outlines the determinant attributes of sales failure: price, adaptability and relationship-potential. An experimental design was conducted following this exploratory research in order to test the derived drivers of sales failure and success, as well as provide a trade-off analysis of the three emergent sales proposal themes. Results indicate that a lack of adaptability has the strongest impact on the sales failure outcome variable, as well as buyer characteristics have a potentially moderating impact on the relative trade-off weights between price/adaptability and price/relationship-potential.

Background: There is a knowledge gap in the B2B-businesses adoption of inbound marketing strategies. The B2B sector has a substantial economic impact on the society and their marketing activities need to adapt towards the digital era. In the Swedish market, this has not yet been sufficiently researched up until this point. Purpose: This study serves to provide insight in key issues and problems when B2B businesses incorporate inbound marketing strategies. The maturity in the Swedish B2B market aims to be investigated and implementation problems to be highlighted. This information could aid Swedish B2B businesses in the future by becoming aware of issues beforehand. Also, this can give B2B businesses beneficial insights when the sector is increasingly adopting inbound marketing in the future. Method: In order to achieve in-depth understanding on the subject, a qualitative study with an exploratory design was conducted. By judgemental sampling methods, the research incorporates insights by knowledgeable industry professionals. Empirical findings were conducted through semi-structured interviews in which participants were encouraged to discuss inbound marketing in a B2B context in both detailed and broader terms. Conclusion: This study show that digital marketing is widely adopted in a B2B context, but inbound marketing strategy maturity is difficult to measure on a scale from this type of research. Key issues to implementation are organisational issues within a business, difficulty to determine goals, lack of knowledge in management about digital channels and possibilities, in addition to changing behaviour by B2B sales representatives. The future is looking bright for inbound marketing strategies even after the GDPR takes effect in May 2018, this study has shown.

Cette thèse vise à étudier l’impact du guanxi sur la gestion de la chaîne d’approvisionnement. Dans un premier temps, nous examinons historiquement l’évolution de guanxi et discutons ses impacts sur les performances de l’entreprise. Ensuite, en utilisant des données d'entretiens qualitatifs et une enquête quantitative auprès d'acheteurs chinois en France, nous créons une échelle de mesure guanxi pour la relation acheteur-fournisseur Sino-Française et montrons que l'impact du guanxi sur la performance de la chaîne d'approvisionnement est positif. De plus, grâce aux données d'enquête de 200 fabricants chinois exerçant des activités à l'étranger, nous démontrons que la relation médiatisée entre le guanxi et la performance de la chaîne d'approvisionnement est modérée par la culture individuelle. Nos résultats de recherche non seulement prouvent empiriquement l’importance du guanxi sur le marché international, mais révèlent également que l’efficacité des différents types de guanxi dépend de l’orientation culturelle du partenaire. / This thesis aims to investigate guanxi’s impact on supply chain management. As a first step, we historically review guanxi’s evolution and discuss its impacts on business performance. Next, by using data from qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey collected from Chinese buyers in France, this thesis creates a guanxi measurement scale for Sino-Franco buyer-supplier relationship, and reveals that guanxi’s positive impact on supply chain performance is mediated by supply chain collaboration. Furthermore, through draw on the survey data of 200 Chinese manufacturers with overseas business, this thesis demonstrates that the mediated relationship between guanxi and supply chain performance is moderated by individual culture. Our research results not only empirically prove guanxi’s importance in the international market, but also uncover that the effectiveness of different types of guanxi that depends on the partner’s cultural orientation.

Submitted by Claudio Minerbo (claudiominerbo@terra.com.br) on 2016-02-24T16:43:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 THE DIMENSIONS OF TRUST IN INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.pdf: 1508798 bytes, checksum: 02e0da1487ce8b8d60390ac69d2094a7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2016-02-24T16:43:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 THE DIMENSIONS OF TRUST IN INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.pdf: 1508798 bytes, checksum: 02e0da1487ce8b8d60390ac69d2094a7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-24T17:39:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 THE DIMENSIONS OF TRUST IN INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.pdf: 1508798 bytes, checksum: 02e0da1487ce8b8d60390ac69d2094a7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-01-28 / Apesar da pesquisa em confiança interorganizacional e sua relação com performance ter sido conduzida sob as perspectivas da Teoria de Custos de Transação, Teoria das Trocas Sociais e Canais de Marketing, três importantes lacunas na literatura requerem investigação. Primeiro, está em andamento um debate conceitual sobre a multi-dimensionalidade da confiança, e como ela deve ser operacionalizada e medida, e que se divide em três correntes de pensamento - um construto multidimensional definido por dimensões não dominantes, um construto baseado em duas dimensões dominantes (afetiva e calculativa), ou um construto unidimensional. Segundo, existe ambiguidade em como as dimensões da confiança são definidas, levando a artefatos de equivalência nas escalas e resultados contraditórios. Terceiro, as diferentes percepções que compradores e fornecedores podem ter em cada dimensão da confiança e seu impacto na performance logística ainda não estão claros. Esta pesquisa empírica examina a confiança nas relações entre compradores e fornecedores no setor de logística no Brasil, através de duas amostras e estudos independentes: um examina a percepção dos compradores e o outro examina a dos fornecedores. Em seguida, os dois estudos são comparados para determinar as diferentes perspectivas da confiança e as implicações na performance logística. A análise multivariada mostrou que a confiança parece estar presente nas relações interorganizacionais, e é a percepção do comprador que possui maior relação com a performance logística. Ao mesmo tempo, compradores percebem fornecedores de forma mais negativa nas dimensões mensuráveis (competência e performance), enquanto não foram encontradas diferenças nos aspectos sociais (honestidade e benevolência), o que pode ser resultado do ambiente e cultura pesquisados. As análises mostraram que, apesar da confiança poder ser definida como um construto multidimensional, ela deve ser operacionalizada como um construto unidimensional direcionado pela competência e credibilidade. Este estudo contribui para a prática sugerindo formas de aumentar a confiança interorganizacional para aumento da performance. / Although research on interorganizational trust and its relationship with performance has been conducted for a long time and through Transaction Cost Economics, Social Exchange Theory and Marketing Channels, three gaps were found in the literature to be explored. First, there is an ongoing debate around three conceptual streams on the multidimensionality of trust and how it should be operationalized and measured - as a multidimensional construct defined by non dominant dimensions, a construct based on two dominant dimensions (affective and calculative), or as a single dimensional construct. Second, there is still some ambiguity in how the dimensions of trust have been defined and operationalized, leading to artifacts of measurement equivalence and contradicting results. Third, the different perceptions that buyers and suppliers may have in each dimension of trust and its consequence to logistics performance is still unclear. This research examines trust in buyer-supplier relationship in one empirical study with two independent samples in the logistics sector in Brazil: one examines buyers‘ perceptions and the second examines suppliers‘ perceptions. The two studies are then compared in order to determine the different perceptions of trust and implications to logistics performance. Multivariate analysis show that trust seems to be present in interorganizational relationships, and is the buyer´s perception of trust on the supplier that has a stronger relationship with logistics performance. At the same time, buyers have a more negative perception of suppliers in measurable dimensions of trust (competence and performance), while no differences were found in social aspects of trust (honesty and benevolence), and this may be a result of environment and cultural characteristics. Data analysis showed that trust can be defined as a multi-dimensional construct but should be measured as a single-dimensional construct driven by competence and credibility. This study contributes to practice by suggesting how managers could better leverage interorganizational trust to improve logistics performance.

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Aujourd’hui, il est considéré que la part Achat représente de 50 à 90% du prix de revient des produits et services des entreprises en fonction de leur secteur d’activité. L'acte d'Achat devient donc stratégique car la compétitivité de l'entreprise dépend du professionnalisme avec lequel il est effectué. Le rôle de l’acheteur ne cesse d’évoluer et de se spécialiser. Dès lors, la problématique de la caractérisation des compétences, plus précisément des aspects comportementaux et métacognitifs, et de leurs modalités de développement deviennent indispensables. Notre projet de recherche sera consacré à l’identification de ces compétences et connaissances que l’acheteur " idéal " devrait posséder selon les recruteurs et les acheteurs eux-mêmes. Les notions d’apprentissage et d’évolution des compétences seront également un élément important de notre démarche. Notre recherche est fondée sur une approche qualitative abductive. Dans ce cadre, et sur la base d’entretiens personnalisés, nous avons mobilisé l’opinion de deux populations : -" les experts ", que nous définissons comme tels car ils interviennent dans les différents processus de sélection d’acheteurs, - les acheteurs eux-mêmes, séniors et juniors.C’est enfin une démarche systémique impliquant l’ensemble des acteurs de la caractérisation et du développement des compétences spécifiques au " bon " acheteur que nous préconisons. En effet les experts, les acheteurs et les organismes de formations sont tous tournés vers un même objectif de performance que leur impose l’environnement. Le rôle de chaque partie prenante est de travailler ensemble pour une reconnaissance du métier d’acheteur en tant que fonction stratégique. / Nowadays, the Purchasing part represents 50 to 90% of a product’s or service’s cost price according to the activity sector. Purchasing is a very strategic activity because the firm’s competitiveness depends on the professionalism with which it is carried out. The purchaser’s function is always changing and specializing. Thus, the characterization issue of skills, especially behavioural and metacognitive aspects, and skills development have become a fundamental subject. Our research will be dedicated to identifying these skills aspects and knowledge in order to be an ” ideal purchaser” according to recruiting officers and purchasers themselves. Learning and skills development will be an important part of our research too. Our research is based on a qualitative abductive approach. In this context, we have appealed to two separate opinion groups, based on personalized interviews: - “the experts ” that we define as such for their know-how in a purchaser selection processes, - the purchasers themselves, both seniors and juniors.In the end, it is a systemic approach that we propose. It involves all the players of characterization and development skills : experts, purchasers and training schools. They are all turning their efforts to the same performance objective that the environment imposes on them. The role of each stakeholder is to work together for the recognition of Purchasing as a strategic function.

Este trabalho aborda a estratégia na relação com os fornecedores em empresas de alta tecnologia e produtos complexos. Para tanto, foi tomado o caso da fabricação de aeronaves produzidas pela Embraer, que se destacou pela sua estratégia de parceria com seus fornecedores, principalmente na linha dos produtos das Famílias ERJ 145 e E-Jets. No entanto, na sua última linha de produtos, o que se percebe é uma estratégia diferenciada no seu modo de se relacionar com seus fornecedores, o que levou à questão da pesquisa. O presente trabalho discute as opções de relacionamento com fornecedores, do simples fornecimento ao compartilhamento de investimentos e riscos, e as racionalidades subjacentes. As técnicas utilizadas para elaborar o trabalho foram observação direta e pesquisa em dados secundários, revistas especializadas, web sites vinculados à indústria aeronáutica e associações, artigos acadêmicos e documentos da empresa. Além disso, foram conduzidas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com empregados e ex-empregados da empresa, inclusive diretores. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de as grandes empresas como Boeing e Airbus terem adotado o modelo de parceria de risco desenvolvido pela empresa em estudo, esta hoje adota um modelo híbrido, com foco em lições anteriormente aprendidas na relação com fornecedores. / This paper discusses the strategy for relationship with the suppliers at high-tech and complex product companies. Therefore, the case studied was the manufacture of aircraft produced by Embraer and its unique strategy of partnering with suppliers, mainly when dealing the products of the ERJ145 and E-Jets families. In the company\'s latest line of products a particular strategy is observed in terms of relationship with suppliers, which led to our research question. This paper discusses the options of supplier relationships, from simple supply to shared investments and risks, and the rationales that underly them. The techniques used in this study were direct observation and research on secondary data, journals, websites linked to the aircraft industry and associations, academic papers, and the company\'s documents. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both current and former employees. The results show that despite the fact that large companies like Boeing and Airbus use the partnership model of risk adopted by the company under study, Embraer is currently adopting a hybrid model focusing on lessons learned earlier in its supply chain.