MANAGING SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP:
CASE STUDIES OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ASIAN
GROCERY RETAILERS IN MELBOURNE
A Thesis Submitted
in Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Thi Viet Hoa Tran
Master of Business Administration (International Business),
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand
Bachelor of Business Administration (Foreign Trade),
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
School of Business Information Technology and Logistics
College of Business
RMIT University
January 2013
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DECLARATION
I, Thi Viet Hoa Tran, certify that except where due acknowledgement has been
made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted
previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the
content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the
official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial
work paid or unpaid carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics,
procedures and guidelines have been followed.
Thi Viet Hoa Tran
January 2013
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to my family, friends and benefactors. I am
truly blessed to have received their delightful support and love.
First, my deepest gratitude for his support and encouragement throughout my
doctoral study goes to my supervisor, Associate Professor Booi Kam. This study
could not be completed without the exceptional input and guidance that he
has provided. I am sincerely appreciative for the outstanding supervision and
support I have received from him throughout this entire process.
I would like to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Charles Lau, my second
supervisor. His generous guidance, support and understanding helped me
tremendously during my PhD journey. Special thanks go to Prue Lamont and
other staff in the Research Development Unit, who supported me through
every stage of the process. I am deeply thankful to have worked with Susan
Barr, Sue Brennan, Vivian Li and Yu-Wen Chien, in the College of Business, who
have provided a highly supportive working environment.
Something that I have most cherished during my PhD study is the friendships
with exceptional PhD students: Fahreen, Shamima, Ming, Daravone, Mai,
Khanh, Hoa and Bac, whom I met during my PhD studies. Many special thanks
to Hoa and Bac for their delightful encouragement. Special thanks also to
Fahreen for her understanding, caring and important suggestions, along with
her parent’s wonderful support, which helped me considerably during the
critical last months.
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I am very thankful to have Rose, my “adopted sister”, from whom I have
received constant care, love and support and who has taught me so much in
life. I owe my deepest gratitude to Steven Beeby for being such a caring,
supportive, affectionate and wonderful friend. Thank you for sharing Australian
culture with me, as well as a spiritual life. This has strengthened me greatly to
become a better person. I feel very grateful to have gotten to know Steven’s
family and friends, with whom I have shared many enjoyable social occasions.
I am incredibly blessed to have received endless love and support from my
good friends back in Vietnam, especially the “over 30 year golden friendship
N2” group. Thank you so much for always being there for me like a surrogate
family, bearing the burden of the frustrations, and sharing in the joy of the
successes.
Finally, I am truly blessed to have my son in my life, Louis, who has been with
me every step of the way. This thesis would not have been possible without
the faith and love of my wonderful son – my blessing – who has constantly
given me an incredible level of support, patience, encouragement and
understanding during the endeavour. I am saddened that my parents and my
brother, Trung, are not here to share the PhD celebration with me, but I am
sure that they are keeping an eye on me from heaven. Finally, I am very
grateful to my two brothers, Nam and Kien, my aunties and my family for their
continuous love, support and wishes.
Thi Viet Hoa Tran
January 2013
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ iv
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ vii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................. viii
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ..................................................................................... ix
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................. x
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ 1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 3
1.1. MOTIVATIONS ........................................................................................... 3
1.2. RESEARCH CONTEXT ................................................................................ 12
1.3. RESEARCH QUESTION AND OBJECTIVES ................................................... 15
1.4. STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS ...................................................................... 16
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 18
2.1. SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ..... 18
2.2. PORTFOLIO APPROACH TO SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT ...... 23
2.3. ASSESSMENT OF THE SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO
MODELS ......................................................................................................... 50
2.4. LITERATURE ON PURCHASING PRACTICES IN SMALL FIRMS ..................... 57
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ......................................................... 66
3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................... 66
3.2. DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................... 73
3.3. DATA ANALYSIS ....................................................................................... 79
3.3.1. Within-Case Analysis ......................................................................... 79
3.3.2. Cross-Case Analysis ........................................................................... 85
3.4. DATA VALIDITY ........................................................................................ 88
3.4.1. Construct Validity .............................................................................. 89
3.4.2. Internal Validity ................................................................................. 89
3.4.3. External Validity ................................................................................ 90
3.4.4. Reliability .......................................................................................... 91
CHAPTER 4: WITHIN-CASE ANALYSIS .............................................................. 92
4.1. CASE 1 – SMAGR1 .................................................................................... 92
4.1.1. Background and Characteristics ........................................................ 92
4.1.2. Suppliers Classification ...................................................................... 93
4.1.3. Power Relations with Suppliers ......................................................... 97
4.1.4. Supplier Relationship Management Strategies .................................. 98
4.1.5. Supplier Relationship Management Postures: A Synthesis ...............103
4.2. CASE 2 – SMAGR2 ...................................................................................105
4.2.1. Background and Characteristics .......................................................105
4.2.2. Suppliers Classification .....................................................................107
4.2.3. Power Relations with Suppliers ........................................................109
4.2.4. Supplier Relationship Management Strategies .................................113
Table 4.2.2 summarizes the range of SRM strategies SMAGR2 adopted. .......118