This research not only validates this statement concerning different perceptions of the
way to manage supply chains, but has also specifically explored negotiators’
perception of their role in SCM and as such, further research is encouraged on the
perceptions of different individuals on SCM. That is, future research could reveal
different perceptions on how supply chains should be managed and what this entails
for the optimisation of supply chains and the relationships inherent in those.
Fourth, the role of negotiations in SCM should be given a more central position in
the literature, as it could provide additional valuable insight into the nature of supply
chain relationships. The relative sparse and fragmented negotiation research that have
been carried out so far, should be supplemented with more research, as this paper
showed that different negotiation strategies can indeed impact the negotiation setting
and thereby the communication between supply chain members in a powerful way.
Fifth and last, the use of total cost tracking devices, such as total cost of ownership
(TCO), should include proposed costs that reflect the more indirect costs that are
associated with distributive and integrative strategies to negotiating different
relational settings, so as to backup other holistic performance measures. In this case
study, buyers used the cost tracking tool, but did not include the more hidden costs
associated with a certain type of behaviour towards negotiations, and therefore were
not aware of the potential costs and/or benefits incurred. This should also be linked to
performance measurements for negotiators, be it on the buyer or supplier side,
especially since the use of TCO has been linked to improved communication (Ellram,
1993), and future research on this subject is, therefore, called for.