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A quantitative study on the moderating effect of relationship strength on the decision to bridge or buffer as a response to perceived resource scarcity.
Eldik, Emy van (2025) A quantitative study on the moderating effect of relationship strength on the decision to bridge or buffer as a response to perceived resource scarcity.
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| Abstract: | Firms facing resource scarcity must make strategic decisions about how to manage the emerging risks, often by either distancing themselves from suppliers (buffering) or increasing collaboration (bridging). While existing studies have thoroughly examined resource scarcity, they typically treat it as a single construct, overlooking how different dimensions of scarcity may influence strategic decision-making. Moreover, the potential role of relationship strength in shaping these decisions remains unclear. This thesis investigates how two dimensions of perceived resource scarcity, expected resource scarcity (ERS) and scarcity uncertainty (SU), affect firms’ adoption of bridging or buffering strategies, and whether these effects are moderated by relationship strength. A survey of 45 purchasing professionals was analyzed using multiple regression analyses. The results show that only scarcity uncertainty significantly influences firm behavior, specifically by reducing the use of bridging strategies. No significant effect was found for expected resource scarcity, and relationship strength did not moderate either relationship. These findings extend Resource Dependence Theory by showing that perceived uncertainty may lead not to action, but to disengagement from supplier relationships |
| 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/106921 |
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