COPING WITH TIME PRESSURE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN BUYER-SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

Increasingly, suppliers are being tasked to spend large amounts of time with strategic customers in order to promote effective knowledge sharing and coordination between supply chain members. Suppliers are also expected to deal with added pressures on their time from increasing workloads, unanticipated problems and changing priorities. Psychology research suggests that individuals (e.g., supplier personnel) cope with such time pressure by either working faster or avoiding risks. Existing research, however, has largely ignored the impact of these time pressure coping mechanisms (TPCMs) in interactive contexts such as buyer–supplier relationships. This study develops the notion that TPCMs impact knowledge sharing in buyer–supplier relationships. Specifically, results from a between subjects scenario-based experiment indicate that suppliers using TPCMs decrease a buyer's willingness to share knowledge and exchange information. Such adverse effects are most evident in close collaborative buyer–supplier relationships. These findings advance theory and provide insight for managers seeking to improve knowledge sharing through buyer–supplier relationships in today's time-constrained business environment.