Strategic purchasing impact on sustainability performance: the missing links of supplier integration and supply base complexity

This research aims to examine the link between strategic purchasing, supplier integration practices, and sustainability performance, by also investigating the contingency role of supply base complexity (SBC). Based on a sample of 209 firms in Turkey, the results illustrate that strategic purchasing is a strong predictor of relational and operational supplier integration practices under both low and high SBC. The findings further suggest that when there is low SBC, only IT integration is associated with higher sustainability performance. However, when there is high SBC, only relational supplier integration practices – information sharing and long-term relationships – are associated with higher sustainability performance.