Operating decisions, supplier availability and quality: An empirical study
基于JIT理念，研究运营决策如何影响供应商数量，进而影响产品质量，使用PIMS数据实证检验，发现产品线宽、竞争弱、产品变更频繁会促使企业减少供应商，从而提升质量。
Abstract In the just‐in‐time (JIT) philosophy, purchasing strategies advocate the use of fewer sources of supply to enable a firm to improve the quality of its products. However, there is paucity of empirical evidence in support of the theory. We develop a model by integrating concepts from manufacturing, marketing, and business strategy to better understand the links between operating decisions of the firm, supplier availability, and product quality. We empirically test the hypotheses using cross‐sectional PIMS data. Our analysis shows that operating decisions and environmental factors such as wider product lines, lower levels of competition, and greater frequency of product changes increase the likelihood of a firms' reduction of supplier base, which in turn raises quality levels.