Susan A. Hornibrook

Justice in UK supermarket buyer‐supplier relationships: an empirical analysis

Purpose – To explore the nature and scope of good and bad practice in the relationships that UK supermarkets have with their suppliers of own‐label products in the main commodity sectors (meat, dairy, fresh produce).Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the results of a postal survey of supermarket suppliers, which formed part of a wider study of corporate social responsibility in UK supermarket supply chains.Findings – The results demonstrate the heterogeneity in relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers of own‐label products in the main commodity sectors the extent to which retail and supply chain strategy is likely to influence the way in which supermarkets deal with suppliers. Best practice was most evident in the two supermarket supply chains where supply base rationalisation has virtually ceased and the adoption of lead suppliers and sole suppliers has been most evident in recent years.Research limitations/implications – Postal survey limited to suppliers in three commodity s...

Engaging suppliers in CRM: The role of justice in buyer–supplier relationships

Given the crucial role of suppliers in collaborative supply chains, it is surprising that little attention has been paid to the nature and management of supplier relationships in the implementation of a retailers Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy. To address this gap in the extant literature, the theory of organizational justice is used to explore the extent to which perceived fairness in buyer–supplier relationships supports or inhibits supplier engagement with the CRM process. The rationale is that suppliers who feel fairly treated by key retail customers are more likely to invest resources in the acquisition and use of data central to the retailers CRM strategy. By empirically testing a conceptual model linking downstream CRM to upstream SRM, the results provide evidence to indicate that customer data use is significantly influenced by perceptions of fairness, particularly with respect to the distribution of rewards, and the transparency of decision-making processes. As a key criticism of CRM centers upon the failure of organizations to exploit the full potential of customer data, the results highlight the usefulness of understanding the relational linkages between buyers and suppliers and the consequential behavior of suppliers in terms of engagement with customer data vital to the success of retailers’ CRM strategies.

Exploring the association between fairness and organisational outcomes in supply chain relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model of fairness applicable to buyer‐ supplier relationships within supply chains in order to generate a new line of empirical research within supply chain management (SCM).Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a literature review on organisational justice drawn from the psychology discipline. Fairness within collaborative and long‐term buyer‐supplier relationships is discussed and conceptualised. A number of propositions are presented applicable to buyer supplier relationships within supply chains, given that successful implementation of supply chain strategies depends upon the actions and reactions of individuals across functions, both within and between organisations.Findings – Some of the assumptions made in the traditional intra‐organisational setting are challenged. A conceptual model of fairness applicable to buyer‐supplier relationships is developed, and supply chain moderating factors that may impact on perceptions of just...

Policy implementation and academic workload planning in the managerial university: understanding unintended consequences

Within an increasingly dynamic and volatile external environment, university managers are charged with implementing strategies including models that attempt to distribute complex academic workloads fairly and transparently in order to meet institutional goals. However, the impact of such models on individual academic behaviour is often unexpected. This paper explores a theoretical approach based on perceptions of fairness, to explain the unintended consequences arising from the use of a workload allocation model. Using results from a case study to illustrate theoretical constructs, we identify the reasons behind academic resistance in response to such models.