Research output: Working paper
Research output: Working paper
}
TY - UNPB
T1 - A study of procurement behaviour in small firms
AU - Pittaway, L A
AU - Morrissey, W
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - The purpose of this paper is to introduce research which analyses buyer-supplier relationships from the perspective of small and medium firms (SMEs). The study to be outlined shows that actors within a supply chain are not homogeneous in terms of their size, resources and business motives, which bring into question the validity and relevance of the purchasing literature when examining small firms. The paper will explain the usefulness and importance of studying purchasing behaviour in SMEs and explain how these relationships might differ depending on the nature of the firm. The methodology for the field research will be explained in the paper. The fieldwork draws principally from a series of interviews undertaken with owner-managers within plastic moulding companies in Lancashire. The empirical data will be explored in some depth with a particular focus on their implications for practice.
AB - The purpose of this paper is to introduce research which analyses buyer-supplier relationships from the perspective of small and medium firms (SMEs). The study to be outlined shows that actors within a supply chain are not homogeneous in terms of their size, resources and business motives, which bring into question the validity and relevance of the purchasing literature when examining small firms. The paper will explain the usefulness and importance of studying purchasing behaviour in SMEs and explain how these relationships might differ depending on the nature of the firm. The methodology for the field research will be explained in the paper. The fieldwork draws principally from a series of interviews undertaken with owner-managers within plastic moulding companies in Lancashire. The empirical data will be explored in some depth with a particular focus on their implications for practice.
KW - Procurement
KW - Purchasing
KW - Small Firms
KW - SMEs
KW - Supply Chain
KW - Manufacturing
M3 - Working paper
T3 - Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Working Paper Series
BT - A study of procurement behaviour in small firms
PB - Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
CY - Lancaster University
ER -