Using influence strategies to advance supplier delivery flexibility: The moderating roles of trust and shared vision

Abstract

This study explores trust and shared vision moderate the relationship between the manufacturer's influence strategies and supplier delivery flexibility. The major components of this study are based on reviews of marketing research that focus on influence strategies and literature regarding supply chain flexibility. The results show that the request strategy has a negative effect on supplier delivery flexibility. The model predicts that trust and shared vision have an asymmetrical effect across recommendations, information exchange, and promises influence strategies. When the relationship contains a highly shared vision, a manufacturer's use of the recommendation influence strongly promotes supplier delivery flexibility, whereas the use of a promise strategy depresses supplier delivery flexibility. In contrast, an information exchange strategy will have a negative effect, but the promise strategy will have a positive effect on supplier delivery flexibility when trust is high. This paper contributes to guidelines for management on how to align their suppliers for delivery flexibility to respond quickly to customer demands. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.