Towards supply chain collaboration in B2B pricing

Marco Formentini, Pietro Romano

OAI: oai:purehost.bath.ac.uk:openaire_cris_publications/8fd2dda5-01d3-4047-9537-c79df981177c • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-03-2015-0124

Purpose – Research on business-to-business (B2B) pricing has been mainly focused on the supplier’s pricing process, thus adopting traditionally an internal perspective and perceiving pricing as a profit distribution parameter rather than an opportunity for collaboration with customers. Recently, the opportunity to develop win-win, collaborative relationships in the B2B pricing process by embracing a supply chain perspective has started to attract the attention of scholars across several research streams, who have highlighted the emergence of this topic using different definitions, perspectives and methodologies. This paper addresses the need for integrating the fragmented body of knowledge on B2B pricing towards supply chain collaboration.Design/methodology/approach – This critical literature review adopts an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on Industrial Marketing and Operations & Supply Chain Management areas.Findings – We provide a critical synthesis and discussion structured in four streams clustered around two dimensions, i.e. the “extension” of the collaboration in the pricing process along the supply chain and the “direction” of collaboration.Research implications - This paper addresses the need for integrating the fragmented body of knowledge on business-to-business pricing towards supply chain collaboration. Drawing on the literature gaps, the paper concludes by proposing an agenda for future research for a relevant topic both for academics and practitioners.Originality/value – This article offers a novel comprehensive view of the supply chain collaboration in the B2B pricing process and provides opportunities for intensifying dialogue across different research areas.

pricing process collaboration Supply Chain B2B