(2007-02-01T00:00:00Z) Harrison, Alan; Koulikoff-Souviron, Marie
Two reciprocally interdependent, dyadic supply relationships – one inter-
organizational, the other intra-organizational - were investigated across a
broad front in this study. The focus was on the logistics relationship between
supply partners, and on how these relationships were co-ordinated in practice.
We probed co-ordination between the partners using four constructs – goal
congruence, information sharing, co-ordination mechanisms and joint decision
making. Based on these two studies, we propose that the process of mutual
adjustment creates a ‘together-separate’ tension that has to be managed in
practice. This process may lead to the development of new capabilities that
transcend the boundaries of the firm: equally, it is a fragile process that may
be thrown into reverse by a variety of factors such as people turnover and
failure to maintain established coordination mec