When challenges hinder: An investigation of buyer-imposed stressors on supplier flexibility

Yu, Chong; Ang, Dionysius; Najafi-Tavani, Zhaleh; Zantidou, Eleni

Abstract

Working with buyers may drive business growth but can also induce supplier stress. Drawing on Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory, this study explored how buyer-imposed work stressors affect supplier flexibility. Employing a scenario-based experiment involving 338 managers, we found that the imposition of challenge stressors increases supplier flexibility when hindrance stressors are low. Conversely, when hindrance stressors are high, imposing challenge stressors reduces supplier flexibility. We also found that supplier bricolage negatively moderates the relationship between buyer-imposed challenge stressors and supplier flexibility. Specifically, we confirmed that suppliers with higher bricolage are less willing to provide flexibility in response to challenge stressors. For practitioners, our study not only identified the type of work stressors they should impose on suppliers to boost flexibility but also highlighted bricolage as an important moderating factor.

Citation

Yu, C., Ang, D., Najafi-Tavani, Z., & Zantidou, E. (2023). When challenges hinder: An investigation of buyer-imposed stressors on supplier flexibility. Industrial marketing management, 113, 88-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.06.001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 10, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-08
• Deposit Date: Jun 15, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 16, 2023
• Journal: Industrial Marketing Management
• Print ISSN: 0019-8501
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 113
• Pages: 88-99
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.06.001
• Keywords: Job demands-resources theory; Challenge stressors; Hindrance stressors; Supplier flexibility; Bricolage
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4312985