Developing and Testing Theoretical and Measurement Models of Supplier Complexity

The purpose of this paper is to advance the theory of supply chain complexity (SCC) in the specific context of supplier complexity because supplier complexity has increased tremendously with increasing globalization. The specific objectives of this research are: (a) to develop a theoretical model of supplier complexity that includes both objective and perceived components; and (b) to develop and test a scale that is theoretically robust and managerially useful for measuring supplier complexity. Subject of investigation is a leading farm equipment manufacturer with headquarters in Austria.