Case Stu

Transportation Research Part E 47 (2011) 105–114

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Transportation Research Part E

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tre

The adoption and utilization of online auctions by supply chain managers

John F. Kros a,⇑, S. Scott Nadler b,1, Haozhe Chen a,2

a

b

Marketing and Supply Chain Management, College of Business, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, United States

College of Business, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, United States

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:

Received 13 May 2009

Received in revised form 27 May 2010

Accepted 18 July 2010

Keywords:

Online auctions

Supply chain cost management

Supplier collaboration

Revenue enhancement

a b s t r a c t

This study contributes to the online auction literature by empirically examining the differences across three groups (current users, past users, and nonusers) in terms of their

emphasis on supplier collaboration, cost management, and sales revenue and profit

enhancement. The paper further compares the online auction usages for maintenance/

repair/operations and shipping and transportation services across high and low groups

in supplier collaboration and cost management. A survey of supply chain professionals coupled with appropriate statistical analysis was employed to investigate adoption and utilization of online auctions. Study findings indicate significant differences between users and

nonusers. Study findings specifically indicate that current online auction users have a

greater belief in the auctions as a cost containment tool than past or nonusers. It was also

found that nonusers place a greater level of importance on supplier collaboration and sales

revenue and profit enhancement than either current or past users.

Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

The role supply management plays in organizations can have a direct impact on firm performance, especially in the...