Volume 26, Issue 4 pp. 490-502

Strategic supply management, quality initiatives, and organizational performance

Andy C.L. Yeung

Corresponding Author

Andy C.L. Yeung

Department of Logistics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

Tel.: +852 27664063; fax: +852 23302704.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 26 June 2007
Citations: 184

Abstract

Researchers in supply chain management have found over the past two decades that supply management should be not merely a purchasing function but a strategic tool for supply chain integration. Supply management, the cornerstone of the integration of industrial supply chains, has evolved as a key research area. Based on quantitative and qualitative investigations of 225 electronics manufacturing firms, we examine the organizational impacts of strategic supply management (SSM) and the contexts of company size, process type, ISO 9000 certification, and quality management (QM) implementation that facilitate such an endeavor. We reveal that SSM is essentially a quality management initiative that requires bilateral efforts for continuous improvement and thus is not associated with the basic requirements of ISO 9000. We find that SSM improves on-time shipments, reduces operational costs, and leads to customer satisfaction and improved business performance. Developed based on contemporary premises in supply chain and QM, this research refines our understanding of the relationships among quality initiatives, SSM, and organizational performance.

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