Paper info

Purchasing abroad: a typology of buyers' attitudes within global SRM Findings from exploratory interviews

Gwenaelle ORUEZABALA

The paper was published at the 25th IMP-conference in Marseille, France in 2009.

 The increased importance of purchasing as a strategic function has intensified global sourcing. This paper, which reports on findings from twenty three exploratory interviews, explores how the purchasing activity may be affected when performed within international networks. First, it is argued that firms purchasing abroad have to develop and implement strategies and processes within a global approach toward their supplier relationship management (SRM). Second, a typology that distinguishes between four categories of purchasing managers' attitudes, namely experimentalist, responder, strategist and opportunist (adapted from Freeman and Cavusgil's, 2007) is suggested. Finally, the paper discusses alternatives that may lead to a more efficient SRM in the international context which can be described here as preparing to face the changing environment and to deal with complex situations.