An exploratory cross-country comparison of strategic purchasing

This research utilises a survey to explore differences in three antecedents of strategic purchasing between seven North American and European countries. The extant literature identifies three factors associated with strategic sourcing: (1) Professionalism: purchasing's skills, knowledge, and professionalism; (2) Status: purchasing's status within the organisation; and (3) Supply Management: purchasing's sophistication in managing external relationships. Based on the international purchasing and management literature, we propose that these factors will differ depending on the nation in which the purchasing function operates. Factors are derived from the data and MANOVA are used to test the proposed differences. The results indicate that differences exist among several countries within these three strategic purchasing factors. In addition, the exploratory survey captured both current and desired levels across these factors. Comparisons between current and desired levels are measured and discussed.