과거 마케팅 경로와 관련된 연구들은 주로 제조업체와 유통업체 간 관계를 다룬 전방경로 중심의 연구이었고, 제조업체와 공급업체 간 관계를 다룬 후방경로에 대해서는 관심이 적어왔다. 때문에 마케팅 경로 연구 결과들을 공급체인 전체에 적용하는데는 여러 가지 한계를 가지고 있어 왔다.
본 연구는 이러한 한계를 극복하기 위해 공급체인의 후방경로에서 일어나는 관계관리에 관해 다루고 있다. 구체적으로 본 연구는 공급체인 구성원인 구매자와 공급자의 관계를 강화시키기 위한 공급체인관리 전략 중 사회화 과정과 공급업체 통합이 관계자본과 관계만족, 그리고 재무적 성과에 어떠한 영향을 미치는 지 규명하고 있다.
총 100개의 공급업체를 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였고, PLS(Partial Least Square) 구조모형분석을 이용해 분석한 결과 첫째, 제조업체의 공급업체 사회화 과정은 관계자본의 구성개념 중 투명성을 강화하였고, 공급업체 통합은 신뢰와 투명성, 파트너 상호작용 등 관계자본의 모든 구성개념들을 강화하였다. 하지만 사회화과정은 신뢰와 파트너 상호작용에 유의적인 영향을 미치지 않았다.
한편 관계자본이 공급체인 성과에도 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤는데, 신뢰는 거래만족과 재무성과를 모두 강화하였고, 파트너 상호작용은 재무성과를 강화하였다. 하지만 투명성은 거래관계 만족과 재무성과에 유의적인 영향을 미치지 않았다.
Nowadays, companies introduce supply chain management(SCM), which is focused on relations with partner corporations through socialization processes and utilize it as a way of improving competitiveness. This study is to understand factors for strengthening the relationship between buyer and supplier, which are two factors of a supply chain, and to investigate the effect of relational capital, a result of an inter-business relationship. Many companies pursue unity with partner business as a part of socialization effort, and form relational capital. The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of how empirical effect comes out as a result of the development between a company and the partner company.
This study is an empirical analysis about the question of which strategy needs to be used in order to develop cooperative relationship between buyer and supplier. A company becomes to have a peculiar character of its own through the socialization processes. And, it seems that the extent of relationship with the partner company enhance a level higher through structural unity in the supply chain. For this reason, relational capital takes shape through relationships. In this study, factors of relational capital are defined as trust, transparency, and partner interaction between partners. Relational capital, which is a result of relationship formation between companies, would positively affect strengthening the company's competitiveness. We conducted a survey on the effect of relational capital to satisfaction of the business relationship as well as to financial result. Followings are the result of this study:First, the relational capital is formed through the socialization process of a company with the partner company. Socialization process showed a positive effect on transparency and partner interaction of the three factors of relational capital. According to the statistical results, on the other hand, socialization process hasn't influence on trust significantly. However, we cannot decide socialization process does not affect trust, although it is not just statistically significant. Because we can notice in literature review that in order to form a relational capital, the relationship should be done on the basis of trust. The sample I used in this study was the result of a survey targeted to suppliers, and I can explain that this result came out because there are few differences between relationship of the buyer and that of the supplier.
Second, companies would build a unified structure as a part of socialization process with the partner company, in order to streamline SCM more efficiently and effectively. I can say that unifying supply chain structure makes operating several companies such as a single company. According to the survey targeted suppliers, all the relational capital of trust, transparency and partner interaction showed statistically significant result in proceeding unification. Hence, it is an important business strategy that companies make the relationship more concrete by vertical integration, and at the same time improve their competitiveness by transition of structure.
Third, there came out statistically significant result about the effect of relational capital, which is formed by socialization process and unification of structure between companies, to satisfaction of the business relationship as well as to financial result. However, in the case of transparency, which is one of variables in relational capital, there was not any significant result, with regard to satisfaction of the business relationship and financial result. It can be interpreted that there is little special influence on satisfaction of the business relationship and financial result because companies thesedays are highly conscious of morality and regulations. But, on the other hand, it is needed to be cautious that this result is stemed from the realistic aspect of each company's high level of security over their information inside.
Companies can become competitive by utilizing this research results to form continuous and systematic relationship with their business partners. Specifically, creating competitive channel composition and distribution methods will insure the company a steady progress.