• 품질경영학회지
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• 제50권2호
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• pp.221-233
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• 2022

Purpose: This study investigates how the salespersons behave in coordinating the multiple communication channels during supplier integration (SI) for new product development (NPD), especially when their engineers directly collaborate with the buyer. Methods: This study conducted a qualitative study to explore the dynamics of the supplier's salespersons during SI for NPD. With the support of a consumer goods manufacturer (focal firm) in South Korea, we interviewed several managers, including purchasing and engineering, from the focal firm and salespersons from eight tier-1 suppliers of the focal firm. Results: The results found that the supplier's salespersons show two different behaviors toward managing and controlling the collaboration between their engineers and the buyer: (1) Process regulating behaviors that control the flows of information or communication between the engineers and the buyer, and (2) knowledge regulating behaviors that directly and indirectly support the engineers to be equipped with accurate and complete knowledge so that they can share the right knowledge with the buyer. Conclusion: This study contributes to academia and practitioners as follows. To academia, this study fill the gap in the literature by introducing the distinct behaviors of the supplier's salesperson in SI for NPD. To practitioner, in addition, our findings present coordination mechanisms to manage and control multiple communications within an inter-organizational collaboration.