Purpose – In industrial buyer–supplier relationships, being an attractive customer has been found to result in superior supplier performance. However, there is a limited understanding of how these benefits transfer to the public domain. This study aims to explore the influence of customer attractiveness on supplier resource mobilization efforts toward the public sector.

Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was used, focusing on in-depth interviews with 23 informants from 3 critical and complex supplier markets. The data were processed using inductive coding and thematic analysis.

Findings – The findings indicate that customer attractiveness in the public sector influences suppliers’ mobilization efforts on several dimensions. In addition to stimulating competition in the tender phase, customer attractiveness can yield important benefits to quality, supply stability and innovation during the business relationship. It appears imperative for the public sector to improve its standings with suppliers to both mitigate the apparent risk of sub-par treatment and to unlock the preferential supplier treatment associated with being an attractive customer.

Social implications – Receiving increased mobilization from suppliers will result in better use of public money and help improve resilience and innovation in public procurement.

Originality/value – This study extends the research on customer attractiveness in the public sector by being the first to explore the range and nature of its influence on supplier mobilization efforts.

Purpose

In strategic buyer-supplier relationships, being an attractive customer is crucial for relationship development. Despite its importance, the understanding of how organizations in the public sector can become attractive to strategic suppliers remains limited. This study explores this uncharted territory by examining the influence of value, trust, and dependence in shaping customer attractiveness within this specific context.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a case study, the research probes the dynamics between a public customer and five of its strategic suppliers. Data collection involved interviews with multiple stakeholders from both sides of the respective dyads, complemented by observations and secondary data. The analysis used a reflexive thematic approach, emphasizing iterative coding and the continuous development and refinement of themes.

Findings

The study illuminates how the public sector context alters the traditional pathways through which value, trust, and dependence influence customer attractiveness, providing new insights into applying social exchange theory within public procurement. Customer attractiveness is shaped by the interaction of value and trust, with the role of dependence diminished by contextual constraints. The multidimensional nature of value and trust underscores a complex interplay where each can either enhance or undermine the other. This dynamic underscores that becoming an attractive public customer in strategic buyer-supplier relationships necessitates building trust and value through active engagement in supplier interactions beyond the procurement phase. 

Originality

This paper introduces the concept of customer attractiveness to strategic buyer-supplier relationships in the public sector, offering novel scholarly insights and practical advancements for public procurement.

Purpose – This research aims to further our understanding of how public sector customers enhance their attractiveness during the tender and relationship phases to foster more valuable relationships with suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted with managers from three public customer organizations, using semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the tactics used to enhance customer attractiveness in the public sector, as well as the specific activities that support these tactics.

Findings – Public sector customers face significant challenges in both the tender and relationship phases due to the regulations and traditions of the public sector. These customers employ several activities to address these challenges, which we grouped into four main tactics: spark interest, simplify entry, foster connections, and reinforce engagements. 

Originality – This article builds on previous research by examining customer attractiveness in the public sector from the customer's perspective. It offers an empirically grounded understanding of managing customer attractiveness in the public sector and specifies and problematizes the emergent tactics employed by public customers.