Strategic Purchasing: A History and Review of the Literature

TLDR

The purchasing function can influence corporate profitability only when operating strategically, yet its evolution has been slow, limiting its potential impact in many firms. The article systematically reviews 30 years of purchasing strategy literature, identifies research gaps, and recommends future research. The authors conduct a systematic review of 30 years of purchasing strategy literature, identifying gaps and proposing future research directions. The review finds that most purchasing strategy research is conceptual or case‑study based, and even studies with large firm samples rarely use statistical analysis.

Abstract

This article provides a systematic review of the purchasing strategy literature over the past 30 years. It identifies gaps in the body of research and makes recommendations for future research. The basic managerial problem is that the purchasing function has the ability to influence corporate profitability only when it is operating at a strategic level in the firm. The evolution of the function has been slow; therefore, the contribution the purchasing function can make has yet to achieve its maximum level in many firms. The study reveals that much of the research completed in this area is either conceptual in nature or is based on a small number of case studies. While some studies do base their findings on data gathered from a large number of firms, most do not report the use of statistical analysis to support the findings of the research.