Are the Members of Auto Supply Chains Successful in Building Good Supplier-Buyer Relationships? A Survey of Turkish Automotive Industry

AbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which auto supply chains are able to build long term oriented and mutually beneficial relationships with each other by considering supply chain collaboration (i.e. information management and strategic supplier partnership), information technology (IT) and conflict avoidance as the study variables. A survey was conducted in the Turkish auto part suppliers. Questionnaires were answered by suppliers to identify their relationships with their major customer. Obtained data have been examined through confirmatory factor analysis by using Amos 7.0. The results suggest that relationships between Turkish auto part suppliers and their major customers can be considered as cooperative relationship type. Further, no statistical significance was found for the conflict avoidance factor in the supplier-buyer relations (SBR) management conceptual model assessed in this study. This research is based on a single industry and country, for this reason generalizability to other industries or countries may be limited. Previously tested scales have been empirically examined and found valid and reliable in a country of a very different business culture