An Empirical Analysis of Demographic Differences in Buyer-Supplier Ethical Relationships

The study explores empirically the effect of demographic variables, viz. age, qualification, experience and types of products sold on the buyer-supplier ethical relationship in retail sector. The study is based upon the data obtained from 32 manufacturing firms supplying goods directly to retailers, through a specifically designed schedule based upon demographic variables along with items measuring buyer-supplier ethical relationships. All the demographic variables, viz. age, qualification, experience and types of products depict insignificant mean differences in the perceptions of manufacturers regarding the ethical behaviour of retailers. Further, manufacturers viewed retailers unethical in terms of making payments on time and even not paying the exact amount as agreed upon. In the extant literature, there is not even a single study on demographic differences in the perceptions of manufacturers about the buyer-supplier ethical relationship. This study thus fills the gap in literature on retailing ethics.