Supply Management: A Transaction Cost Economics Framework

Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) is an economic theory that provides an analytical framework for investigating the governance structure of contractual relations within a supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to examine existing research in an effort to understand the potential effects of transaction costs on the vertical coordination of a supply chain. The paper arrives at many insights into how supply chains are organized under different governance structures. These insights can certainly be shared via the development and introduction of related propositions. The conceptual typology of contractual relations developed herein can help researchers better understand the scope of both the problems and the opportunities associated with supply management. It will be of value, therefore, not only to researchers who desire to expand their research into this area, but also to those who have already investigated this topic in isolation or with limited scope.