This work brings together two of the hottest issues in current management thinking in the 1990s: the impact of privatization on the performance and behaviour of the companies involved, and the increasingly important role of purchasing and supplier relationships. The notion that efficiency is improved with privatization is critically examined, as is the idea that privatized organizations have recognized the importance of the procurement role and developed both their procurement functions and supplier relationships so as to enhance competitiveness. The book should be of interest to students and...

Supply Chains, Markets and Power takes resource-based thinking forward by stressing the need for a dynamic and entrepreneurial conception of resource acquisition and management. This book will be essential reading for all those with a professional or academic interest in supply chain management.

The focus of the book is a discussion of the adversary basis of party politics in Britain and its inimical impact on viable land policies since the Second World War. Particular emphasis is placed on the scope for, and basis of policy initiation by Conservative and Labour governments in the face of the cumulative social, economic, bureaucratic and political constraints which impinge on the policy-making process. Dr Cox argues that these constraints leave only a relatively limited room for manoeuvres by governments and that most of the post-war policies of Conservative and Labour governments...

This book provides the first summary and critical appraisal of the thinking that currently informs the management of business relationships, from the perspectives of both the buyer and supplier. The authors argue that these approaches are one-dimensional and instead recommend a more holistic approach based on power, interaction and portfolio perspectives. The book provides evidence of how relationships can be aligned and misaligned in practice, using eighteen examples drawn from a variety of business cases and circumstances.

This book explores the appropriateness of procurement strategies in certain situations. It argues that organisations should develop strategically aligned supply chains to deliver predictable and sustained performance improvements and asserts that the assumption that one approach is appropriate to manage all cirumstances is flawed.It provides a framework to help organisations develop segmented approaches in the management of their construction supply chains built on fit-for-purpose relationships.

First applied to internet gateways such as Yahoo, the concept of the "portal" has evolved in a number of directions. How can information services best take advantage of internet portals to improve access to resources? This collection seeks answers to such questions, providing an overview of how portals are being used.