Perception and social factors as influencing supply management: A research agenda

Acknowledging the influence of individuals in shaping supplier relationships, the question is what determines the way these individuals behave in this respect. In search for an adequate methodology to find an answer to this question, this contribution aims to show the potential value of research into perception and social factors and the way they influence supply management. A methodology is presented, based on the exploration of (1) the factors that influence individuals’ perception of the context they operate in and (2) the effect this has on the way these individuals manage supply relations. Through interviews and a survey, this paper explores an earlier published conceptual framework, where four factors were found to influence perception and supply relationship management: (1) membership of social networks, (2) the organisational view of purchasing, (3) the position of purchasing in the organisational hierarchy and (4) critical incidents. The results of this explorative exercise indicate that, indeed, (a) social factors influence individuals’ perception and (b) they are relevant to explain how supplier relations are managed in practice. Therefore, an agenda for future research is presented.