IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v54y2008i10p1759-1773.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Strategic Customer Behavior, Commitment, and Supply Chain Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Xuanming Su

    (Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720)

  • Fuqiang Zhang

    (Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130)

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of strategic customer behavior on supply chain performance. We start with a newsvendor seller facing forward-looking customers. The seller initially charges a regular price but may salvage the leftover inventory at a lower salvage price after random demand is realized. Customers anticipate future sales and choose purchase timing to maximize their expected surplus. We characterize the rational expectations equilibrium, where we find that the seller's stocking level is lower than that in the classic model without strategic customers. We show that the seller's profit can be improved by promising either that quantities available will be limited (quantity commitment) or that prices will be kept high (price commitment). In most cases, both forms of commitment are not credible in a centralized supply chain with a single seller. However, decentralized supply chains can use contractual arrangements as indirect commitment devices to attain the desired outcomes with commitment. Decentralization has generally been associated with coordination problems, but we present the contrasting view that disparate interests within a supply chain can actually improve overall supply chain performance. In particular, with strategic customer behavior, we find that (i) a decentralized supply chain with a wholesale price contract may perform strictly better than a centralized supply chain; (ii) contracts widely studied in the supply chain coordination literature (e.g., markdown money, sales rebates, and buyback contracts) can serve as a commitment device as well as an incentive-coordinating device; and (iii) some of the above contracts cannot allocate profits arbitrarily between supply chain members because of strategic customer behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Xuanming Su & Fuqiang Zhang, 2008. "Strategic Customer Behavior, Commitment, and Supply Chain Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(10), pages 1759-1773, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:10:p:1759-1773
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1080.0886
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1080.0886
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1080.0886?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Khouja, Moutaz, 1999. "The single-period (news-vendor) problem: literature review and suggestions for future research," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 537-553, October.
    2. Qian Liu & Garrett J. van Ryzin, 2008. "Strategic Capacity Rationing to Induce Early Purchases," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(6), pages 1115-1131, June.
    3. Yossi Aviv & Amit Pazgal, 2008. "Optimal Pricing of Seasonal Products in the Presence of Forward-Looking Consumers," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 10(3), pages 339-359, December.
    4. Nicholas C. Petruzzi & Maqbool Dada, 1999. "Pricing and the Newsvendor Problem: A Review with Extensions," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 183-194, April.
    5. Jérémie Gallien, 2006. "Dynamic Mechanism Design for Online Commerce," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 54(2), pages 291-310, April.
    6. Erica L. Plambeck & Terry A. Taylor, 2007. "Implications of Renegotiation for Optimal Contract Flexibility and Investment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(12), pages 1872-1886, December.
    7. Paul R. Messinger & Chakravarthi Narasimhan, 1995. "Has Power Shifted in the Grocery Channel?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(2), pages 189-223.
    8. Preyas Desai & Oded Koenigsberg & Devavrat Purohit, 2004. "Strategic Decentralization and Channel Coordination," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 5-22, March.
    9. Gérard P. Cachon, 2004. "The Allocation of Inventory Risk in a Supply Chain: Push, Pull, and Advance-Purchase Discount Contracts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 222-238, February.
    10. Jérémie Gallien & Shobhit Gupta, 2007. "Temporary and Permanent Buyout Prices in Online Auctions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(5), pages 814-833, May.
    11. Gérard P. Cachon & A. Gürhan Kök, 2007. "Implementation of the Newsvendor Model with Clearance Pricing: How to (and How Not to) Estimate a Salvage Value," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 276-290, October.
    12. Martin A. Lariviere & Evan L. Porteus, 2001. "Selling to the Newsvendor: An Analysis of Price-Only Contracts," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 293-305, May.
    13. René Caldentey & Gustavo Vulcano, 2007. "Online Auction and List Price Revenue Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(5), pages 795-813, May.
    14. Bulow, Jeremy I, 1982. "Durable-Goods Monopolists," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(2), pages 314-332, April.
    15. Serguei Netessine & Fuqiang Zhang, 2005. "Positive vs. Negative Externalities in Inventory Management: Implications for Supply Chain Design," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 58-73, January.
    16. Anil Arya & Brian Mittendorf, 2006. "Benefits of Channel Discord in the Sale of Durable Goods," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(1), pages 91-96, 01-02.
    17. Teck-Hua Ho & Christopher S. Tang & David R. Bell, 1998. "Rational Shopping Behavior and the Option Value of Variable Pricing," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(12-Part-2), pages 145-160, December.
    18. Jacobson, Robert & Obermiller, Carl, 1990. "The Formation of Expected Future Price: A Reference Price for Forward-Looking Consumers," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 16(4), pages 420-432, March.
    19. James D. Dana, Jr. & Nicholas C. Petruzzi, 2001. "Note: The Newsvendor Model with Endogenous Demand," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(11), pages 1488-1497, November.
    20. Gustavo Vulcano & Garrett van Ryzin & Costis Maglaras, 2002. "Optimal Dynamic Auctions for Revenue Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(11), pages 1388-1407, November.
    21. Aradhna Krishna, 1994. "The Impact of Dealing Patterns on Purchase Behavior," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 351-373.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ji Quan & Xiaofeng Wang & Xianjia Wang & De Xia & Jian-Bo Yang, 2022. "Performance optimization of supply chain based on cooperative contract with disappointment-aversion strategic consumers," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 408-428, June.
    2. Avittathur, Balram & Biswas, Indranil, 2017. "A note on limited clearance sale inventory model," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 647-653.
    3. Mustafa O. Kabul & Ali K. Parlaktürk, 2019. "The Value of Commitments When Selling to Strategic Consumers: A Supply Chain Perspective," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4754-4770, October.
    4. Qian Liu & Garrett J. van Ryzin, 2008. "Strategic Capacity Rationing to Induce Early Purchases," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(6), pages 1115-1131, June.
    5. Yiwei Chen & Vivek F. Farias & Nikolaos Trichakis, 2019. "On the Efficacy of Static Prices for Revenue Management in the Face of Strategic Customers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(12), pages 5535-5555, December.
    6. Hao, Zhaowei & Qi, Wei & Gong, Tianxiao & Chen, Lihua & Shen, Zuo-Jun Max, 2019. "Innovation uncertainty, new product press timing and strategic consumers," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 122-135.
    7. Xuanming Su & Fuqiang Zhang, 2009. "On the Value of Commitment and Availability Guarantees When Selling to Strategic Consumers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(5), pages 713-726, May.
    8. Arian Aflaki & Pnina Feldman & Robert Swinney, 2019. "Becoming Strategic: Endogenous Consumer Time Preferences and Multiperiod Pricing," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 68(4), pages 1116-1131, July.
    9. Vibhanshu Abhishek & Mustafa Dogan & Alexandre Jacquillat, 2021. "Strategic Timing and Dynamic Pricing for Online Resource Allocation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(8), pages 4880-4907, August.
    10. Xue, Weili & Caliskan Demirag, Ozgun & Niu, Baozhuang, 2014. "Supply chain performance and consumer surplus under alternative structures of channel dominance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 239(1), pages 130-145.
    11. Andrei Bazhanov & Yuri Levin & Mikhail Nediak, 2019. "Resale Price Maintenance with Strategic Customers," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(3), pages 535-549, March.
    12. Mandal, Prasenjit & Kaul, Rupali & Jain, Tarun, 2018. "Stocking and pricing decisions under endogenous demand and reference point effects," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(1), pages 181-199.
    13. Zhengping Wu & Wanshan Zhu & Pascale Crama, 2011. "The Newsvendor Problem with Advertising Revenue," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 281-296, July.
    14. Hua, Zhongsheng & Li, Sijie, 2008. "Impacts of demand uncertainty on retailer's dominance and manufacturer-retailer supply chain cooperation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 697-714, October.
    15. Gérard P. Cachon & Robert Swinney, 2009. "Purchasing, Pricing, and Quick Response in the Presence of Strategic Consumers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(3), pages 497-511, March.
    16. Yiwei Chen & Vivek F. Farias, 2018. "Robust Dynamic Pricing with Strategic Customers," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 43(4), pages 1119-1142, November.
    17. Yiwei Chen & Nikolaos Trichakis, 2021. "Technical Note—On Revenue Management with Strategic Customers Choosing When and What to Buy," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 175-187, January.
    18. Watt, Richard & Vázquez, Francisco J., 2017. "An analysis of insurance demand in the newsboy problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(3), pages 1064-1072.
    19. Zhang, Dengfeng & de Matta, Renato & Lowe, Timothy J., 2010. "Channel coordination in a consignment contract," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(2), pages 897-905, December.
    20. Mehmet Sekip Altug & Tolga Aydinliyim, 2016. "Counteracting Strategic Purchase Deferrals: The Impact of Online Retailers’ Return Policy Decisions," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 376-392, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:10:p:1759-1773. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.