Essays on Decision-Making in Buyer-Supplier Exchanges in Normal and Disrupted Modes

While extant studies mainly focus on the performance implications of strategies deployed in buyer-supplier exchanges, there remain unanswered questions relative to decision-making aspects of these exchanges. As the exchanges occur in various contexts (the focal firm, dyad, and supply chain), decision-making processes can be shaped by structural, relational, behavioral and environmental factors—calling for a contingent view. Furthermore, firms do not always operate in a steady, normal mode; rather, they often deal with supply chain disruptions. While the normal mode characterizes the organizing of routinized, planned activities, the disrupted mode features uncertainty and unexpectedness. Given the distinct nature of the two modes, decision-making behaviors can vary. This dissertation thus serves as an inquiry into decision-making in buyer-supplier exchanges in either a normal mode of operation (Essay 3) or a disrupted mode (Essay 1 and Essay 2), via examining cognitions, perceptions, and behaviors contingent on boundary factors.