Abstract

This paper investigates if inter-organizational socialization mechanisms initiated by a buyer organization towards a strategic supplier can influence the culture within that supplier organization to ultimately improve supplier performance to the buyer. Using a quantitative sample of 279 UK companies from across a variety of industry sectors, statistical techniques were utilized to examine the effect of informal and formal socialization mechanisms on the culture of a strategic supplier as measured by their organizational practices and the subsequent supplier performance outcomes. It was found that both informal and formal socialization efforts by a buyer organization have a significant influence on the culture of the supplier organization as measured by their organizational practices. Socialization efforts by the buyer organization influence the organizational practices of the supplier to be more result-oriented, employee-centred, open, pragmatic to customer needs and market focussed. These organizational practices were found to positively influence supplier operational performance in the eyes of the buyer organization as measured by on time delivery, conformance to product specifications, flexibility to respond to changing customer needs and cost reduction initiatives. Modelling the influence of informal and formal socialization efforts by a buyer on the organizational culture of a key supply chain partner provides new insights to academics. Firstly, this work makes a significant contribution to the extant research on socialization in the supply chain literature. Secondly, it raises the importance of understanding the influence of culture on supplier operational performance. Although the study used a dyadic method to validate the cultural insights, our study only took a snapshot of culture at one point in time. Organization culture as displayed through organizational practices is a complex construct that changes over time. Therefore, to further understand the intricacies of organization culture, a longitudinal study would be useful in the future. Secondly, future studies could develop into themes such as the green supply chain and sustainability issues. Finally, our study was undertaken in the UK. It would be useful to replicate this study in a different setting, including Eastern countries. Organizations should engage early with their key supply base from a socialization perspective. The importance of joint away days, cross function teams alongside effective communication and on site visits have been fund to have a significant influence on shaping a high performance culture along the supply chain. Therefore, a buyers’ early understanding of their key supplier’s culture via these mechanisms appear critical for long-term supply chain success. Measuring supplier culture at the visible level of organizational practices removes the ethereal qualities often attributed to culture as a concept; buyers can influence supplier culture. This paper presents an empirically tested model which includes informal socialization, formal socialization, deconstructed organizational culture and supplier operational performance in a supply chain setting.

摘要

本文调查了由买方组织针对战略供应商发起的组织间社会化机制是否可以影响该供应商组织内部的文化，以最终提高供应商对买方的绩效。使用来自不同行业部门的 279 家英国公司的定量样本，利用统计技术来检查非正式和正式社会化机制对战略供应商文化的影响，这取决于战略供应商的组织实践和随后的供应商绩效结果。发现买方组织的非正式和正式社会化努力对供应商组织的文化有显着影响，这通过他们的组织实践来衡量。买方组织的社会化努力会影响供应商的组织实践，使其更加以结果为导向、以员工为中心、开放、务实，以满足客户需求和市场为中心。发现这些组织实践对买方组织眼中的供应商运营绩效产生积极影响，这些绩效通过准时交付、产品规格符合性、响应不断变化的客户需求的灵活性和降低成本举措来衡量。对买方的非正式和正式社会化努力对关键供应链合作伙伴的组织文化的影响进行建模为学术界提供了新的见解。首先，这项工作对供应链文献中现有的社会化研究做出了重大贡献。其次，它提出了理解文化对供应商运营绩效影响的重要性。尽管该研究使用了二元法来验证文化洞察力，但我们的研究仅对某一时间点的文化进行了快照。通过组织实践展示的组织文化是一个复杂的结构，会随着时间而变化。因此，为了进一步了解组织文化的复杂性，未来的纵向研究将是有用的。其次，未来的研究可以发展为绿色供应链和可持续性问题等主题。最后，我们的研究是在英国进行的。在不同的环境中复制这项研究会很有用，包括东方国家。组织应该从社会化的角度尽早与他们的主要供应基地接触。联合休假、跨职能团队以及有效沟通和现场访问的重要性已被资助对塑造供应链中的高绩效文化产生重大影响。因此，买方通过这些机制及早了解其主要供应商的文化对于供应链的长期成功至关重要。在组织实践的可见层面衡量供应商文化消除了通常归因于文化作为概念的空灵品质；买家可以影响供应商文化。本文提出了一个经过实证检验的模型，其中包括非正式社会化、正式社会化、解构的组织文化和供应链环境中的供应商运营绩效。跨职能团队以及有效的沟通和现场访问已被资助对塑造供应链中的高绩效文化产生重大影响。因此，买方通过这些机制及早了解其主要供应商的文化对于供应链的长期成功至关重要。在组织实践的可见层面衡量供应商文化消除了通常归因于文化作为概念的空灵品质；买家可以影响供应商文化。本文提出了一个经过实证检验的模型，其中包括非正式社会化、正式社会化、解构的组织文化和供应链环境中的供应商运营绩效。跨职能团队以及有效的沟通和现场访问已被资助对塑造供应链中的高绩效文化产生重大影响。因此，买方通过这些机制及早了解其主要供应商的文化对于供应链的长期成功至关重要。在组织实践的可见层面衡量供应商文化消除了通常归因于文化作为概念的空灵品质；买家可以影响供应商文化。本文提出了一个经过实证检验的模型，其中包括非正式社会化、正式社会化、解构的组织文化和供应链环境中的供应商运营绩效。买方通过这些机制及早了解其主要供应商的文化似乎对供应链的长期成功至关重要。在组织实践的可见层面衡量供应商文化消除了通常归因于文化作为概念的空灵品质；买家可以影响供应商文化。本文提出了一个经过实证检验的模型，其中包括非正式社会化、正式社会化、解构的组织文化和供应链环境中的供应商运营绩效。买方通过这些机制及早了解其主要供应商的文化似乎对供应链的长期成功至关重要。在组织实践的可见层面衡量供应商文化消除了通常归因于文化作为概念的空灵品质；买家可以影响供应商文化。本文提出了一个经过实证检验的模型，其中包括非正式社会化、正式社会化、解构的组织文化和供应链环境中的供应商运营绩效。