"IMP Group"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [195]-200) and index.

Purchasing Challenges -- The role of purchasing in the company -- A new view of purchasing -- The increasing significance of purchasing and suppliers -- Two strategic roles of purchasing -- The rationalization role -- The development role -- The position of purchasing in the company -- Entirely new roles for purchasing -- A supply network view of purchasing -- Aim and scope of the book -- Purchasing dynamics and challenges -- Historical development of the purchasing function -- The re-orientation of purchasing at IBM -- Outsourcing -- Relationships with suppliers -- Consolidation of the supply base -- Electronic commerce -- Supply challenges for the 21st century -- Purchasing issues in other firms -- Implications for understanding purchasing -- Purchasing and the new economy -- The company in the new economy -- Purchasing in the production unit -- Purchasing in the knowledge unit -- Purchasing in the communicative unit -- Purchasing in the capital-earning unit -- Implications for the framework of the book -- Network Analysis -- Purchasing and the activity structure -- Chains of activities and division of labour -- Similarity and complementarity among activities -- Changing the similarity among activities -- Changing the complementarity among activities -- The role of information in activity co-ordination -- Co-ordination through the Internet and other IT-systems -- Efficient activity structures -- Between two suppliers -- Between buyer and sub-suppliers -- Between buyer and customer -- Between buyer and other buyers -- Between buyer and supplier -- Analysing activity structures -- Purchasing and the resource structure -- Combining internal and external resources -- The co-operative dimension of resource handling -- Confrontation of resource elements -- Developments in buyer-seller relationships--a US-Japanese case study -- Cummins' early interest in a ceramic diesel engine -- Development programme for wear-resistant components and the search for a partner -- The co-operation between Toshiba and Cummins -- Comments from a purchasing point of view -- Developments in buyer-seller relationships--a European case study -- The development of the new paper quality -- Comments from a purchasing point of view -- The role of information exchange in resource handling -- Dynamic resource structures -- Analysing resource structures -- Purchasing and the actor structure -- Intervention through interaction -- The role of identity in the actor structure -- The interaction atmosphere -- Conflict and co-operation -- Power and dependence -- Trust and commitment -- The organizational structure and internal interaction -- The organizational structure and external interaction -- Organizing the network -- Analysing actor structures -- Supply Strategies -- Determining the boundaries of the firm -- Benefits of specialization through outsourcing -- Make or buy?--a decision in a new light -- Core competence--a problematic concept -- Outsourcing and insourcing -- An alternative view of boundaries -- Managerial tasks -- Developing relationships with suppliers -- Economic consequences of supplier relationships -- High- and low-involvement relationships -- Relationship continuity -- The need for variety in relationships -- Variation among high-involvement relationships -- Managerial tasks -- Monitoring and modifying relationships -- The role of the customer -- Mobilization and motivation of suppliers -- Key issues -- Designing supply networks -- Single and multiple sourcing -- The size of the supply base -- Combining single and multiple sourcing -- Nike's supplier network -- Strategic centres and webs of partners -- Building supply networks -- Managerial tasks -- Network strategies and networking -- Efficiency in networks -- Efficiency in a single transaction -- Efficiency in a series of transactions with a specific supplier -- Efficiency in transactions with all suppliers -- Network efficiency -- Network strategies -- Network thinking -- Network organizing -- Network acting.

"Supply Network Strategies "deals with how companies activate relationships with suppliers in order to become more efficient and innovative. In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the ways in which these relationships link companies in supply chains and networks. In Supply Network Strategies, Gadde & Hekansson examine the supply side of companies from a network perspective. Features: The first book on purchasing to develop the supply network perspective

Adopts the industrial network approach developed through the research of the IMP (Industrial Marketing and Purchasing) group

Includes case studies and interviews with purchasing directors and staff "Supply Network Strategies" has been written for students taking courses in purchasing, business networks, and supply chain management on advanced undergraduate and masters level courses. It will also be of great interest to the thinking professional working in purchasing.