In the first chapter, a supply chain operating model that breaks away from the traditional healthcare supply chain structures is examined. Consolidated Service Centers (CSCs) embody a shared services strategy, consolidating supply chain functions across multiple hospitals (i.e. horizontal integration) and disintermediating several key roles in healthcare supply chains such as the group purchasing organizations and national distributors. Through case studies, key characteristics of CSCs that enable them to reduce the level of supply chain complexity are examined.
The second chapter investigates buyer-supplier relationships in healthcare (i.e. supplier integration), where a high level of distrust exists between hospitals and their suppliers. This context is leveraged to study both enablers and barriers to buyer-supplier trust. The results suggest that contracting counteracts the negative effects of dependence on trust. Furthermore, the study reveals that hospital buyers may, in some situations, perceive dedicated resource investments made by suppliers as trust barriers, associating such investments with supplier upselling and entrenchment tactics. This runs contrary to how dedicated investments are perceived in most other industries.
In the third chapter, the triadic relationship between the hospital, supplier, and physician is taken into consideration. Given their professional autonomy and power, physicians commonly undermine hospital efforts in supply base rationalization and standardization. This study examines whether physician-hospital integration (i.e. customer integration) can drive physicians towards supply selection practices that align with the hospital’s sourcing strategies and ultimately result in better supply chain performance. This study utilizes theory on agency triads and professionalism and tests hypotheses through a random effects regression model applied to data about hospital financial performance and physician-hospital arrangements.
of alternatives for any given task. In such a competitive environment, it is imperative
to understand what drives user behavior. To that end, the research presented in
this dissertation, tries to uncover the impact of business strategies often used in the
software markets.
The dissertation is organized into three distinct studies into user choice and post
choice use of software. First using social judgment theory as foundation, zero price
strategies effects on user choice is investigated, with respect to product features,
consumer characteristics, and context effects. Second, role of social features in
moderating network effects on user choice is studied. And finally, the role of social
features on the effectiveness of add-on content strategy on continued user engagement
is investigated.
The findings of this dissertation highlight the alignments between popular business
strategies and broad software context. The dissertation contributes to the litera-
ture by uncovering hitherto overlooked complementarities between business strategy
and product features: (1) zero price strategy enhances utilitarian features but not
non-utilitarian features in software choice, (2) social features only enhance network
externalities but not social influence in user choice, (3) social features enhance the
effect of add-on content strategy in extending software engagement.
Born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in a small town in Indiana (Seymour, IN), Harold Fearon received his BA in Management and his MBA from Indiana University where he became interested in teaching as a career. After his military service, he went to Michigan State University where he received his PhD in Management with a dissertation titled “Purchasing Research in American Business”. His specialty was industrial purchasing.
Harold was invited to come to ASU to be part of the College of Business by a former professor from IU who had moved to ASU. He talks about how he promised to only stay 2 years and has been here close to 30! During his time at ASU he was chair of the Department of Management in the College of Business. He became chair of the Department of Purchasing, Transportation and Operation which he founded to support the increase in interest in the purchasing field. After his retirement, he established a research institute (the first institute located at the ASU Research Park) that was nationally supported called The Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS). He also was the founder and first editor of the “Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management” which is still in publication today. In his spare time, he was co-founder of the Rio Salado Bank, a community bank in Tempe, about which he relates many funny events!
Our solution, the “Category Landing Pages” would tackle this issue by re-organizing SPLC’s resources into category specific pages where any and all guidance SPLC has on a particular purchasing category can be easily accessed. Many procurement professionals often specialize and deal in a certain spend or commodity category, which makes a category organized page the most logical. This is certainly valuable to individuals and organizations who subscribe to a membership with SPLC, but there is also opportunity for SPLC to benefit from this restructuring.