University of Twente Student Theses
Preferred customer status with key suppliers and the influence of inflation on the buyer-supplier relationship
Kippers, More (2023) Preferred customer status with key suppliers and the influence of inflation on the buyer-supplier relationship.
|
PDF
469kB |
| Abstract: | Nowadays we are facing an economy that appears to be marred by widespread shortages. Several factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, long-term shortages and rapidly increasing energy prices in the third quarter of 2021 have increased shortages and disruptions of supply chains which led to an increase in prices that caused inflation. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence on previous literature on the antecedents of supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status and its associated benefits. Additionally, the influence of inflation on the buyer-supplier relationship will be explored. To study this, a case study at Company X was conducted by interviewing three purchasers of the company and four critical suppliers. The results correspond to previous literature on the antecedents and benefits since it identifies the importance of loyalty, good long-term relationships with open and honest communication, and growth opportunities as antecedents of supplier satisfaction. The results also present a limited impact of inflation on the buyer-supplier relationship. Inflation has led to more cautious customers, and to companies that change their strategy. What was also discovered is that a preferred customer status mitigates the impact of inflation, since benefits tend to be kept. A not-known factor that was found during the study was the influence of the fluctuating exchange rate. However, a direct influence of the exchange rate on the buyer-supplier relationship was not found. |
| 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/95382 |
| 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