JIT procurement and relationship marketing

Abstract

A growing number of U.S. manufacturers and their suppliers are shifting from adversarial to cooperative exchange attitudes with a focus on long-term relationships rather than individual transaction. A recent operational philosophy believed to epitomize the relational model is the just-in-time supplier-customer exchange concept. This paper describes the relational nature of this concept, proposes certain relational variables believed to be influenced by its adoption, and presents the results of an exploratory study of industry practice which tests the hypothesized relationships.