The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Standard

The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates. / Schleper, M.C.; Blome, C.; Wuttke, D.A.
In: Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 140, No. 1, 31.01.2017, p. 97-114.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Schleper, MC, Blome, C & Wuttke, DA 2017, 'The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 140, no. 1, pp. 97-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6

APA

Schleper, M. C., Blome, C., & Wuttke, D. A. (2017). The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates. Journal of Business Ethics, 140(1), 97-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6

Vancouver

Schleper MC, Blome C, Wuttke DA. The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates. Journal of Business Ethics. 2017 Jan 31;140(1):97-114. Epub 2015 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6

Author

Schleper, M.C. ; Blome, C. ; Wuttke, D.A. / The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates. In: Journal of Business Ethics. 2017 ; Vol. 140, No. 1. pp. 97-114.

Bibtex

@article{b24e2083873e4984969c88222cba5946,

title = "The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates",

abstract = "Media increasingly accuse firms of exploiting suppliers, and these allegations often result in lurid headlines that threaten the reputations and therefore business successes of these firms. Neither has the phenomenon of supplier exploitation been investigated from a rigorous, ethical standpoint, nor have answers been provided regarding why some firms pursue exploitative approaches. By systemically contrasting economic liberalism and just prices as two divergent perspectives on supplier exploitation, we introduce a distinction of common business practice and unethical supplier exploitation. Since supplier exploitation is based on power, we elucidate several levels of power as antecedents and investigate the role of ethical climate as a moderator. This study extends Victor and Cullen{\textquoteright}s (1988) ethical climate matrix according to a supply chain dimension and is summarized in an integrated, conceptual model of five propositions for future theory testing. Results provide a frame of reference for executives and scholars, who can now delineate unethical exploitation and understand important antecedents of the phenomenon better.",

keywords = "Economic liberalism, Ethical climate, Fairness, Just prices, Power, Supplier exploitation, Supply chain management",

author = "M.C. Schleper and C. Blome and D.A. Wuttke",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6",

language = "English",

volume = "140",

pages = "97--114",

journal = "Journal of Business Ethics",

issn = "0167-4544",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Dark Side of Buyer Power: Supplier Exploitation and the Role of Ethical Climates

AU - Schleper, M.C.

AU - Blome, C.

AU - Wuttke, D.A.

PY - 2017/1/31

Y1 - 2017/1/31

N2 - Media increasingly accuse firms of exploiting suppliers, and these allegations often result in lurid headlines that threaten the reputations and therefore business successes of these firms. Neither has the phenomenon of supplier exploitation been investigated from a rigorous, ethical standpoint, nor have answers been provided regarding why some firms pursue exploitative approaches. By systemically contrasting economic liberalism and just prices as two divergent perspectives on supplier exploitation, we introduce a distinction of common business practice and unethical supplier exploitation. Since supplier exploitation is based on power, we elucidate several levels of power as antecedents and investigate the role of ethical climate as a moderator. This study extends Victor and Cullen’s (1988) ethical climate matrix according to a supply chain dimension and is summarized in an integrated, conceptual model of five propositions for future theory testing. Results provide a frame of reference for executives and scholars, who can now delineate unethical exploitation and understand important antecedents of the phenomenon better.

AB - Media increasingly accuse firms of exploiting suppliers, and these allegations often result in lurid headlines that threaten the reputations and therefore business successes of these firms. Neither has the phenomenon of supplier exploitation been investigated from a rigorous, ethical standpoint, nor have answers been provided regarding why some firms pursue exploitative approaches. By systemically contrasting economic liberalism and just prices as two divergent perspectives on supplier exploitation, we introduce a distinction of common business practice and unethical supplier exploitation. Since supplier exploitation is based on power, we elucidate several levels of power as antecedents and investigate the role of ethical climate as a moderator. This study extends Victor and Cullen’s (1988) ethical climate matrix according to a supply chain dimension and is summarized in an integrated, conceptual model of five propositions for future theory testing. Results provide a frame of reference for executives and scholars, who can now delineate unethical exploitation and understand important antecedents of the phenomenon better.

KW - Economic liberalism

KW - Ethical climate

KW - Fairness

KW - Just prices

KW - Power

KW - Supplier exploitation

KW - Supply chain management

U2 - 10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6

DO - 10.1007/s10551-015-2681-6

M3 - Journal article

VL - 140

SP - 97

EP - 114

JO - Journal of Business Ethics

JF - Journal of Business Ethics

SN - 0167-4544

IS - 1

ER -

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