International Purchasing Strategies of West Michigan (cont) CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

In the present era of globalization, sitting in the negotiation table with suppliers from other nations and cultures is becoming almost routine' many purchasing professionals. In response to this trend, purchasing professionals must modify their negotiation strategies to include global and macro considerations, otherwise, they may suffer from unexpected barriers stemming up from differences in culture, language, business customs, and legal and ethical considerations. The purpose of this study was to examine the international purchasing practices of west Michigan managers. To this end, American buyers were surveyed about their trading relationships with overseas suppliers. Significant groups of factors were identified for each set of questions. The reader is warned against too liberal an interpretation of these findings because there are limitations to the study based on the profile of the sample. The sample of managers used here represents a somewhat limited range of purchasing professionals, given the range and scope of their pur chasing responsibility, and the type of firms they represent. Therefore, it would be useful to expand this research to reflect a broader range of supply and end markets. Also, a replication of this study should prove helpful in reexamining the validity of its findings. Further empirical studies using larg j er sample sizes and greater geographical diversity may be helpful in validating specific results of this study. Finally, a different instrument with an ad