A study of procurement behaviour in small firms

Abstract

This paper analyses buyer‐supplier relationships from the perspective of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Preliminary results show that actors within a supply chain are not homogeneous in terms of their size, resources and business motives, and this brings into question the validity and relevance of the purchasing literature when examining smaller firms. This paper outlines the usefulness and importance of purchasing behaviour in SMEs in relation to the size and nature of the firm. The research draws principally from a series of in‐depth interviews undertaken with owner‐managers within plastic moulding companies in Lancashire, UK.