The role of carriers in buyer-supplier strategic partnerships: A supply chain management approach

Research indicates an increasing incidence in strategic supplier partnering efforts for sourcing both tangible goods and transportation services. Additionally, the supply chain management concept is gaining more acceptance as a method of sustaining a competitive advantage in global markets. While the underlying goals of strategic partnerships between buyers and suppliers, and shippers and carriers is similar, there is little empirical evidence to provide a linkage between these concepts and the supply chain management approach.;In order to address the overall problem, three separate but related issues were explored in this research. First, the role of carriers within buyer-supplier partnerships was assessed through a survey methodology targeting buyer and supplier firms known to be involved in strategic partnerships. Secondly, hypothesis testing was performed to identify significant relationships between the degree of involvement of carriers within these relationships and changes in operating performance of the partnership.;The final stage of the research involved in-depth case studies to generate information from carriers identified as participating in buyer-supplier partnerships. The combination of these stages of research provided for both theory development and prescriptive insight into the supply chain management approach.