Abstract

reliance on purchasing and supply management. This means that an increasing proportion of value is created
outside the boundaries of the firm, namely by suppliers. In this context, the paper aims to relate the configuration
of the bonds companies establish with their suppliers to the process of value creation. On the basis of a case
study approach, the paper furthers our understanding of buyer-supplier relationships as mechanisms for the
coordination and development of capabilities on both sides of the dyad. Evidence was found that relationships
affect not only the access and exploration of suppliers’ resources, but also the perception the buying firm has
about their capabilities which is likely to condition the potential for joint value creation. The main contribution
of the paper is that co-creating value with suppliers is not a recipe. It is not the ‘right’ solution in all instances.
Rather, value co-creation involving suppliers must be regarded as a strategic option which depends on several
conditions. This research puts in evidence two of these conditions: suppliers’ capabilities and the way the
buyer-seller relationships are configured.

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