Various types of buyer-supplier strategies are recognized in
manufacturing, but their applicability in the construction industry
is less well understood (Barlow and Ozaki 2003, 2005; Barlow et al.
2003). Furthermore, as Dainty et al. (2001) noted, the focus in the
construction industry has been on the client-contractor relationship
rather than the contractor-supplier one (e.g., Bresnen and Marshall
2000; Eriksson and Laan 2007; Kadefors et al. 2007). Exceptions
to this trend are the studies by Kamann et al. (2006) and Eom et al.
(2008), which did focus on the contractor-subcontractor relationship.
Kamann et al. (2006) focussed on problems in buyer-supplier
relationships and the effects of having a shared past or future. Eom
et al. (2008) presented a framework for subcontractor evaluation
and management to develop closer relationships with subcontractors.
The research reported in this paper similarly focuses on the
relatively less researched relationship between contractors and their
suppliers.