Managing Inter-firm Relationships in Supply Chains

Existing literature has shown that innovative buyers tend to benefit their suppliers’ innovation performance. In this study, we show a mechanism behind high supplier innovation performance when buyer innovation is high. Using a panel data of supplier-buyer relationships and the patenting activities of the respective firms, we address the following research questions: what causes innovative buyers to influence supplier innovation performance? What moderating role does a supplier’s structural position play on the association between buyer innovation and supplier innovation performance? What moderating role does a supplier’s R&D intensity play on the association between buyer innovation and supplier innovation performance?