University of Twente Student Theses
As of Friday, 8 August 2025, the current Student Theses repository is no longer available for thesis uploads. A new Student Theses repository will be available starting Friday, 15 August 2025.
Supplier Development Competencies in the German Automotive Industry
Draschner, Till (2025) Supplier Development Competencies in the German Automotive Industry.
|
PDF
1MB |
| Abstract: | Through increasing supply chain complexity and competitive pressure, supplier development (SD) has evolved to a strategic, value-creating function for manufacturing firms. Supplier development managers (SDMs) are directly involved in improving supplier capabilities, performance and quality standards, fostering long-term partnerships and driving continuous improvement; however, their role-specific competency requirements remain unexplored. This gap in research poses significant threats to manufacturing firms, risking misaligned selection, development and support of SDMs, potentially undermining the success of SD initiatives. This study aims to identify the critical competencies for SDMs, based on the German automotive industry, which is characterised by complex supply chains and the frequent utilisation of SD initiatives. A qualitative research design was adopted, involving comparisons between established purchasing and supply chain management (PSM) competency frameworks and eight semi-structured interviews with industry professionals to identify the relevant SDM competencies. This comparison revealed a set of relevant competencies for SDMs, which entail analytical & cognitive, holistic & systems thinking, organisational & strategic, social & interpersonal, and IT / computer competencies. The established PSM frameworks by Tassabehji and Moorhouse (2008), Flöthmann et al. (2018), Bals et al. (2019), and Beske-Janssen et al. (2023) were enriched through the identification of seven SDM-role-specific competencies, proving the importance of a more nuanced, role-specific evaluation of competencies for the varying PSM roles. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | International Business Administration BSc (50952) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106863 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page