Supplier relationship management maturity: a scale development study

Mature supplier relationship management (SRM) practices have an impact on all sourcing processes in manufacturing firms. This paper aims to develop a scale for evaluating and improving supplier relationship management maturity (SRMM). In study one, data was collected by surveying 202 managers sampled from different industrial sectors in Jordan. The study used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the suggested dimensions. Study Two was conducted to cross - validate the resulting scale and to provide evidence of consistency across various industrial sectors based on a different sample of 334 managers. With 20 items, the SRMM scale developed involves five dimensions, including purchasing department structure, supplier evaluation system, adoption of technology, collaboration with strategic suppliers, and corporate social responsibility goals compliance. This scale provides academics and managers with a multi-dimensional tool for measuring and evaluating SRMM. Moreover, it offers a useful framework to explore the antecedents and consequences of mature SRM.