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Strategic Purchasing: A History and Review of the Literature
Author(s) -
Ellram Lisa M.,
Carr Amelia
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
international journal of purchasing and materials management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.75
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1745-493X
pISSN - 1055-6001
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-493x.1994.tb00185.x
Subject(s) - purchasing , profitability index , function (biology) , marketing , business , strategic management , industrial organization , finance , evolutionary biology , biology
This article provides a systematic review of the purchasing strategy literature over the past 30 years. It identifies gaps in the body of research and makes recommendations for future research. The basic managerial problem is that the purchasing function has the ability to influence corporate profitability only when it is operating at a strategic level in the firm. The evolution of the function has been slow; therefore, the contribution the purchasing function can make has yet to achieve its maximum level in many firms. The study reveals that much of the research completed in this area is either conceptual in nature or is based on a small number of case studies. While some studies do base their findings on data gathered from a large number of firms, most do not report the use of statistical analysis to support the findings of the research.